The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has launched a new Australian Government-backed system that will track and verify the origin of low-emissions products and energy.
By certifying renewable energy and products from low emissions industry, the Guarantee of Origin (GO) Scheme will support the transition of Australia’s economy to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The GO Scheme provides a trusted framework for transparency and accountability so that Australian producers will be able to prove their goods are made using Australian renewable energy and show how clean they are.
CER Chair David Parker says the GO Scheme is a key part of Australia’s architecture to reach net zero.
“This new scheme will accelerate our energy transformation, driving further investment in low-carbon products and renewable electricity, a vital step in achieving net zero.”
“Transparent, high-integrity digital certificates issued under the GO Scheme will enable Australian businesses to differentiate their products as low-emissions or renewable, gaining a competitive edge in both domestic and export markets.”
“This will let Australian businesses credibly claim the use of green electricity in their operations. Consumers of low-emissions products and energy will be able to use GO certificates to make credible claims about their use.”
With the commencement of the Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Act 2024, GO will launch under two branches: Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) and Product Guarantee of Origin (PGO).
The scheme will issue PGO and REGO certificates. REGO certificates will certify renewable electricity and the PGO will initially focus on certifying hydrogen from electrolysis and will expand to a range of products including low carbon liquid fuels, green metals and renewable gases.
CER Chair David Parker said, “a robust certification system for emerging low-emissions products is key to enabling their growth and building trust across the supply chain.”
“For example, low-emissions hydrogen produced through electrolysis can provide effective methods for decarbonising high-emitting operations like ammonia and iron production and it will be important that those products are able to verify their low carbon status.”
The PGO enables access to government incentives like the Hydrogen Headstart program and the Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive.
The REGO is expected to act as the successor to the Renewable Energy Target (RET), which phases out in 2030. It will provide an enduring and extended framework for the certification of renewable electricity in Australia.
Initially, the REGO will be open to eligible renewable electricity generators, including power stations already accredited under the RET, and energy storage systems. It will later expand to include aggregated systems such as virtual power plants.
Contact: media@cer.gov.au or 02 6159 3448