Overview
The Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme is a government-regulated program that issues tradable carbon credits for verified emissions reductions or removals, helping businesses and the nation meet climate targets through credible, measurable abatement.
The ACCU Scheme plays an important role in Australia’s net zero transition. It is a voluntary scheme that supports Australian landholders, communities and businesses to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage.
We are proposing two new savanna fire management methods to account for carbon abatement from fire management in northern Australia. These methods will allow projects to earn credits for carbon stored in living trees and standing dead trees, alongside carbon sequestered in debris and avoided emissions. To support this, we have developed a new tool—SavCAM—which is available for testing at Savtools.
The two methods are the:
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative – Savanna Fire Management – Sequestration and Emissions Avoidance) Methodology Determination 2025 (the savanna sequestration and avoidance method)
Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative – Savanna Fire Management – Emissions Avoidance) Methodology Determination 2025 (the savanna emissions avoidance method)
On 14 August 2025, we released consultation materials for the savanna sequestration and avoidance method early to provide additional time for stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the method. Then on 19 September 2025, we also released materials for the savanna emissions avoidance method.
On behalf of the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC), we invite you to make a submission about the proposed new savanna methods during the public consultation period - running from 7 October 2025 to 3 November 2025. Lodge your submission by clicking ‘Take the survey’ button under the Have your say heading below.
Your submission can be about both proposed new savanna methods or just one of the proposed savanna methods. The proposed new savanna methods build on existing savanna fire management methods by:
Expanding crediting to include carbon sequestration in living biomass and dead standing biomass, in addition to dead organic matter in fallen debris.
Allowing existing emissions avoidance projects to be credited for accumulated sequestered carbon if they transfer to the new method and commit to permanence obligations.
Extending the baseline period to 20 years for new projects to improve accuracy.
Introducing a practical and science-based approach to weed management, particularly for invasive species like gamba grass.
Formalising capacity building fire management to support participation by First Nations communities and other landholders.
Continuing to apply sequestration buffers (25% for 25-year projects, 5% for 100-year projects) to ensure durability of credited carbon.
Before the Minister can make a method under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (CFI Act 2011), they must seek advice from the independent Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee (ERAC). If the ERAC finds a method does not meet the legislated offsets integrity standards (as per section 133 of the CFI Act 2011), the Minister cannot make it. Before providing advice to the Minister, ERAC must publish a detailed outline of the proposed method(s) and consider public submissions provided through the department’s website. The feedback from public submissions will inform the ERAC’s assessment of whether the proposed new savanna methods meet the legislated offset integrity standards in the CFI Act 2011.
For an outline of the savanna sequestration and avoidance method, see the its Exposure Draft and Explanatory Statement.
For an outline of the savanna emissions avoidance method, see its Exposure Draft and Explanatory Statement.
The department has prepared supplementary material to assist stakeholders to work through the proposed new methods and highlight key issues for feedback during consultation (please refer to version 2, released in September 2025 which supports both methods).
The Offset Integrity Standards (OIS)
It is the ERAC’s responsibility to assess methods against the OIS. For the proposed new savanna sequestration and avoidance method, in requesting feedback, the ERAC is especially interested to hear views on whether allowing existing emissions avoidance projects to earn credits for historically stored carbon – if they switch to the new method and commit to permanence – would lead to genuine, additional abatement.
