Some of Australia’s largest companies are showing the way to transparently report their carbon emissions, according to the Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) 2024 Corporate Emissions Reduction Transparency (CERT) report.

Twenty-two companies, including supermarkets, banks, and energy producers have shared their data publicly to track against their emissions reduction commitments.

CER Executive General Manager Mark Williamson said that participating companies have taken the opportunity provided by the CERT report to strengthen their emissions and renewable energy use reporting and prepare for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures.

‘These companies show that it is possible to effectively set and track commitments. With the third year of this report, we can now show progress over time.’

Seventeen companies have reported across 3 years of the report and trend data shows these companies are reducing their emissions. 

Renewable electricity use has been a major driver in emissions reductions, increasing from 30% to 42% across the 3 years. The 17 companies are demonstrating their renewable electricity through the purchase and surrender of large-scale generation certificates.

For these 17 companies, gross emissions (emissions not including carbon offsets use) fell from 61 million tonnes CO2-e to 55 million tonnes CO2-e across the 3 years.

Mr Williamson said the report provides a framework for companies to present their climate related commitments and track progress in one place.

‘Twenty-one of the 22 participating companies have commitments to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Companies are also increasingly reporting commitments for emissions (scope 3) in their supply chain.’

Participation in the CERT report has been voluntary and open to companies reporting above 50 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007.

When the CERT report was initiated in 2022, it offered companies a platform to transparently report how they were tracking towards their emissions reduction and renewable electricity commitments. The participating companies have told us that CERT has provided an opportunity to mature their understanding of carbon accounting and reporting and strengthened their internal processes.

Mandatory climate-related financial disclosure reporting takes effect from 1 January 2025 and with that the role of the CERT report in this area will cease.  

Participating companies:

  • AGL Energy Limited 
  • ALDI Foods Pty Limited 
  • AURIZON HOLDINGS LTD 
  • AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LTD 
  • AUSTRALIAN POSTAL CORPORATION 
  • Baybrick Pty. Ltd. 
  • COLES GROUP LIMITED 
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia 
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 
  • DEXUS HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED 
  • DOWNER EDI LIMITED 
  • Fletcher Building (Australia) Pty Ltd 
  • Fortescue Metals Group Ltd 
  • MIRVAC LIMITED 
  • MONASH UNIVERSITY 
  • ORICA LIMITED 
  • Pioneer Sail Holdings Pty Limited 
  • STOCKLAND CORPORATION LTD 
  • Transurban Holdings Limited 
  • UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES 
  • Westpac Banking Corporation 
  • Woolworths Group Limited 

Read the CERT report. 

Contact: media@cleanenergyregulator.gov.au or 02 6159 3448