Under the Safeguard Mechanism, we're required to publish information relating to emissions baseline determinations (baselines).
The safeguard baselines table includes facilities that have been issued a baseline determination under the Safeguard Mechanism.
The fact that a facility has a baseline determination does not mean that the facility will be covered by the Safeguard Mechanism in a particular financial year. Coverage depends on whether the facility's covered emissions for the relevant financial year exceed the 100,000 tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) safeguard threshold.
Additionally, in the case of designated generation facilities that are connected to a designated electricity network (grid-connected electricity generators), facilities will only be covered if the sectoral baseline is exceeded.
Responsible emitters identified in the table can manage their emissions in multiple ways. For example, they can buy Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) to help keep their emissions down.
Facilities that meet or exceed the safeguard threshold in a financial year from 1 July 2016 onwards are referred to as designated large facilities for the purposes of the Safeguard Mechanism.
Learn more about safeguard baselines.
Publishing requirements
We're required to publish information about baseline determinations, including if a baseline has been varied.
New requirements
Under the reformed scheme, there are additional requirements to publish:
- the prescribed production variables and facility-specific emissions-intensities for an emissions intensity determination
- trade-exposed baseline-adjusted (TEBA) facility decline rates
- information about borrowing adjustments
Safeguard baselines table update
We update the baselines table as baseline determinations are made and new information becomes available.
The data on this page reflects baseline determinations and declarations made and amended under the Safeguard Mechanism, prior to the reforms. We will continue to update this information as new determinations and declarations are made and new information becomes available.
Summary of updates
| Updates | Total | Since last update |
| Number of baseline determinations published | 768 | 32 |
| Baseline determination type: reported | 366 | 0 |
| Baseline determination type: calculated | 268 | 1 |
| Baseline determination type: production adjusted | 131 | 31 |
| Baseline determination type: landfill | 3 | 0 |
| Multi-year monitoring period declarations | 66 | 2 |
Safeguard baselines table
Raw data in CSV format
Safeguard baselines table_1 (393.5 KB CSV)Publication notes
A registered corporation or a person required to report under the Act, may apply to have their data withheld from publication. A request can only be made in relation to information which reveals or could reveal a trade secret or any other matter having a commercial value that would be, or could reasonably be expected to be, destroyed or diminished if the information were disclosed specific to the facility or responsible emitter.
For more information, refer to about emissions and energy data.
- Where a facility has both a reported baseline and a calculated baseline, the calculated baseline will be 'current', until such time as it expires or is replaced by a new baseline.
- If a facility has had more than one calculated baseline determination made, the one most recently made will be the baseline that is current.
- Where a multi-year monitoring period (MYMP) is in place, the facility’s baseline for the entire period will be the total of the baselines that would otherwise have been in place for each year during the extended monitoring period.
- Where a facility has had its baseline temporarily varied due to improved emissions intensity, the variation will be current, for that particular financial year.
- Baselines that are withheld may be pending the submission of an application, or a decision under, section 25 of the Act.
- Production adjusted baseline determinations that use annually adjusting prescribed production variables will not have a baseline number published in the safeguard baselines table. This is because the baseline number will be calculated each year, based on the amount of production reported for the facility. These facilities have 'Yes' recorded in the ‘Annually adjusted baseline’ column of the safeguard baselines table. Each year’s production adjusted baseline number will be published, from March 2021 onwards, in safeguard facility reported emissions data.
- Calculated baselines are determined based on an independently audited forecast of production and either forecast emissions intensity provided by the responsible emitter or the default emissions intensity value, set out in the Rule. The baseline is calculated by multiplying forecast production by the emissions intensity of that production. Where a calculated baseline is determined using one or more default emissions intensity values, the baseline number will not necessarily represent expected future emissions.
- Where a baseline record has a start date and end date of 'n/a' this means that baseline has never been in force.
- Under section 65 of the Rule, responsible emitters may apply for a MYMP to be declared in relation to a facility.
- Where a MYMP has been granted, the baseline emissions number for the facility is calculated as a single baseline number that applies across the entire MYMP. At the end of the period, aggregate covered emissions for the 2 - 5 year period (plus or minus any ACCUs issued or surrendered) are compared against this baseline number to determine whether the facility is in an excess emissions situation.
- For more information regarding the MYMPs in place, including baseline numbers for completed MYMPs, refer to the multi-year monitoring period table.
- Before 31 October 2019, under section 46 of the Rule, responsible emitters could apply for a facility’s baseline to be varied, where they could demonstrate that the emissions intensity at a facility had improved.
- Provided the relevant tests were met, the facility’s baseline could be varied to the level of covered emissions from the facility, for a particular financial year.
- The 2018–19 compliance period was the last year emissions intensity baseline variations were available.
In certain circumstances, we may amend:
- a reported baseline where it includes emissions attributable to activities that no longer occur at the facility
- a reported baseline that was based on reported data that has later been determined to be incorrect
- any type of baseline determination to take into account updates to the NGER legislation in relation to Global Warming Potentials
- a production-adjusted baseline because of a new prescribed (annually adjusted) production variable
- certain calculated or production-adjusted baselines where there has been a change in activities
- baselines where facilities have been restructured
- any type of baseline determination to rectify an error.