Government purchasing of ACCUs under review
As per Recommendation 3.3 of the Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), we no longer hold ACCU Scheme auctions on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is currently implementing the review recommendations. The department is also considering how ACCU Scheme purchasing processes will be conducted in the future.
Carbon abatement contracts were awarded at auctions. We published the results after every auction.
You can find out more about carbon abatement contracts we've awarded in the contract register.
The auction contract portfolio as at March 2023
March 2023 was the last carbon abatement auction held by the Clean Energy Regulator.
$2.7 billion total committed across all contracts.
$1.0 billion paid as at 29 March 2023.
443 projects contracted across all auctions held to date:
- National: 6
- Multi-state: 6
- WA: 59
- NT: 16
- SA: 20
- QLD: 129
- NSW: 194
- ACT: 1
- VIC: 8
- TAS: 4
217.3 million tonnes of abatement across all methods and contracts held to date:
- Vegetation: 154.0 million tonnes
- Landfill and waste: 26.4 million tonnes
- Agriculture: 14.8 million tonnes
- Savanna fire management: 8.6 million tonnes
- Energy efficiency: 5.8 million tonnes
- Facilities: 4.7 million tonnes
- Industrial fugitives: 1.7 million tonnes
- Transport: 1.2 million tonnes
Auction 15 – March 2023
Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 March 2023
- 24 projects contracted
- Projects include agriculture, vegetation, landfill and waste, and facilities method types
- $134.6 million total worth
- 7.8 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $17.12 average price per tonne of carbon abatement
- Agriculture, vegetation, landfill and waste, and facilities method types
Auction 14 – April 2022
Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 April 2022
- 25 projects contracted
- Projects include agriculture, vegetation, landfill and waste, and facilities method types
- $131.8 million total worth
- 7.6 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $17.35 average price per tonne of carbon abatement
- Agriculture, vegetation, landfill and waste, and facilities method types
Auction 13 October 2021
Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 October 2021
- 24 projects contracted
- $115.9 million total worth
- 76.8 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $16.94 average price per tonne of abatement
- Vegetation and agriculture method types
Auction 12 April 2021
Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 April 2021
- 10 projects contracted
- $108 million total worth
- 76.8 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $15.99 average price per tonne of abatement
- $15.97 for optional delivery
- $17.00 for fixed delivery
- Vegetation, landfill and waste, and facilities method types
Auction 11 September 2020
Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September 2020
- 35 contracts awarded for 33 projects with two projects securing both an optional and fixed delivery contract
- $110.3 million total worth
- 7 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $15.74 average price per tonne of abatement
- $15.77 for optional delivery
- $15.53 for fixed delivery
- Energy efficiency, vegetation, agriculture and waste method types
Auction 10 March 2020
Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 March 2020
- 12 contracts awarded for 11 projects, with one project securing both an optional and fixed delivery contract
- $27.6 million total worth
- 1.7 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $16.14 average price per tonne of abatement
- $16.11 for optional delivery
- $16.32 for fixed delivery
- Vegetation, agriculture, and landfill and waste method types
Auction 9 July 2019
Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 July 2019
- 3 projects contracted
- $840,000 total worth
- 59 thousand tonnes of carbon abatement
- $14.17 average price per tonne of abatement
Auction 8 December 2018
Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 December 2018
- 34 contracts awarded for 36 projects
- $45 million total worth
- 3.27 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $13.87 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 460,000 tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 3,458 tonnes of abatement
Auction 7 June 2018
Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 June 2018
- 32 projects contracted
- $90 million total worth
- 6.67 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $13.52 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 773,364 tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 51,959 tonnes of abatement
- Vegetation, agriculture, savanna burning, industrial fugitives, landfill and waste, energy efficiency method typesResources
Auction 6 December 2017
Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 December 2017.
- 26 projects contracted
- $104 million total worth
- 7.95 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $13.08 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 1.7 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 5000 tonnes of abatement
Auction 5 April 2017
Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 April 2017
- 31 contracts were awarded for 34 projects
- $133 million total worth
- 11.25 million tonnes of carbon abatement
- $11.82 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 4 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 10 000 tonnes of abatement
- Vegetation, agriculture, savanna burning, industrial fugitives, landfill and waste, energy efficiency method types
Auction 4 November 2016
Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 November 2016
- 47 contracts were awarded for 49 projects
- $367 million total worth
- 34,356,058 tonnes of carbon abatement
- $10.69 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 7.5 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 20,000 tonnes of abatement
- Vegetation, agriculture, savanna burning, industrial fugitives, landfill and waste, energy efficiency method types
Auction 3 March 2016
Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 April 2016.
- 73 projects contracted
- $516 million total worth
- 50,471,310 tonnes of carbon abatement
- $10.23 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 15 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 5,383 tonnes of abatement
- Vegetation, agriculture, savanna burning, landfill and waste, energy efficiency method types
Auction 2 November 2015
Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November 2015
- 129 contracts were awarded for 131 projects
- $556 million total worth
- 45,451,010 tonnes of carbon abatement
- $12.25 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 2.5 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 15,333 tonnes of abatement
- Vegetation, agriculture, savanna burning, industrial fugitives, landfill and waste, energy efficiency method types
Auction 1 April 2015
Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 April 2015
- 107 contracts were awarded for 144 projects
- $660 million total worth
- 47,333,140 tonnes of carbon abatement
- $13.95 average price per tonne of abatement
- The largest single contract was for 3.5 million tonnes of abatement and the smallest for 12,000 tonnes of abatement
- Sequestration, landfill and waste, savanna burning, piggeries, transport method type