Carbon markets
Carbon markets enable trading of domestic and international carbon credits and renewable energy certificates.
Our scheme participants can use the carbon market to trade with:
- other participants to meet scheme obligations
- private buyers wanting to voluntarily reduce emissions and energy
- governments bodies with emissions and energy targets.
Carbon credits
Learn about our national markets, carbon credit units and ACCU supply and demand.
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Renewable energy certificates
Learn about the STC open market, STC clearing house and secondary market where you can sell and trade renewable energy certificates.
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Quarterly Carbon Market Reports
Our Quarterly Carbon Market Reports provide a view of:
- supply and demand across carbon market schemes we administer
- key factors influencing market performance
- trends and insights that may inform market decision.
Popular topics
Market infrastructure
We support market integrity and infrastructure to provide participants with resources to understand the Australian financial markets.
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Voluntary offsetting and surrender
Find out more purchasing and cancel Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) and surrender large-scale generation certificates (LGCs), when you aren't legally required to do so.
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Reports and data
Learn about the different reports and data we publish for each of the schemes we administer.
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International units
International emissions units are used to measure and trade reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.
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Australian Carbon Exchange
The Australian Carbon Exchange will make it easier to trade Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs).
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Carbon markets and our schemes
Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme
- Participants earn ACCUs for running ACCU Scheme projects
- Participants can sell ACCUs to private buyers on the secondary market
- Participants can also sell ACCUs to the Australian Government under carbon abatement contracts
- Participants can earn Safeguard Mechanism credit units (SMCs) by keeping their emissions below their set baselines
- Participants can buy and surrender SMCs or ACCUs to lower their net emissions to meet their baselines
- Consists of 2 schemes which incentivise participants to increase renewable energy generation
- The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target generates large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) for every megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated by a power station
- The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme issues small-scale generation certificates (STCs) for the assumed generation of electricity of eligible small-scale systems
- Liable entities must buy and surrender LGCs and STCs to meet their renewable energy obligations
State carbon markets
State schemes incentivise the installation of energy efficient equipment and appliances.
New South Wales Energy Saving Scheme (ESS)
- Supplies Energy Saving Certificates (ESCs) and generates demand for ESCs through EES energy saving targets
- Participants can trade ESCs through the online system TESSA (The Energy Security Safeguard Application)
Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program
- Supplies Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs) and generates demand for VEECs through the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target
Participants can trade VEECs through the VEU Registry
International carbon markets
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
- Participants can earn certified emission reduction units (CERs) for running CDM emission-reduction projects
- The demand for these units is driven by voluntary emissions reduction ambition
- Industrialised countries could buy CERs to meet a part of their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol
- Individuals, companies or organisations can buy CERs through:
- Clean Development Mechanism Registry
- Australian National Registry of Emissions Units
Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program
- VCS projects can earn Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) for each metric tonne of carbon dioxide reduced or removed from the atmosphere
- Individuals, companies or organisations can buy VCUs through the Verra Registry
- Sets the standard for climate and development interventions to quantify, certify and maximise their impact
- Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) are purchased for voluntary climate action
- Gold Standard labelled Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) are purchased for meeting compliance targets
- Purchasers can buy VERs through the Gold Standard Registry
Latest markets news
View all newsarrow_right_altApplications open in the fourth pilot window for ACCU fixed delivery exit arrangement
26 April 2024
The fourth pilot exit window for the fixed delivery exit arrangement is now open.
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Media release: Australian households and small businesses lead the renewables charge
03 April 2024
The Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) latest Quarterly Carbon Market Report (QCMR) shows Australian households and businesses led the way in 2023 with 3.1 gigawatts (GW) of rooftop capacity installed throughout the year.
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January Large-scale Renewable Energy Target market data now available
22 February 2024
The Clean Energy Regulator has released the January 2024 Large-scale Renewable Energy Target market data
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CER commences work on the Nature Repair Market
19 February 2024
The Nature Repair Market (the Market) will make it easier for companies and businesses to voluntarily invest in nature repair projects across Australia.
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