Overview
The Australian Government is responding to calls from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (AFF) sector for consistent guidance on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions estimation and reporting.
Producers and land managers are increasingly being asked for information about their GHG emissions as a result of evolving markets and supply chain expectations.
Producers who can understand and communicate about their emissions are better positioned to engage confidently and effectively with customers and financial institutions.
While GHG emissions calculators are available to assist the AFF sectors, stakeholders raised concerns about inconsistent results, causing uncertainty about which calculators to use or how to begin.
The Australian Government has developed the Voluntary Emissions Estimation and Reporting Guidelines for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Guidelines will improve the quality and consistency of emissions estimation methods, and the GHG calculation tools entities rely on.
The easiest way for producers to adopt the Guidelines will be for producers to use a Guidelines-aligned emissions calculator.
The Guidelines consist of:
1. Common Requirements Framework
Definitions, principles and general rules and guidance for producing an emissions inventory and basic product emissions intensities.
2. Methodological Guidance
Methods for calculating AFF production emissions, and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) emissions and removals.
We collaborated with the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre to design and deliver the Common Requirements Framework and engaged Environmental Accounting Services Pty Ltd to help deliver the Methodological Guidance.
The Guidelines have been developed with input from the Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Estimation and Reporting Standards Reference Group and feedback from targeted and public consultation.
The Guidelines are being released in stages with a formal release of the Guidelines in late 2026. For more information visit Voluntary Emissions Estimation and Reporting Guidelines – agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
The Guidelines will be updated periodically to ensure they continue to meet the evolving needs of users.
Consultation on the Version 1 draft documents was managed in two tranches.
Tranche 1 consultation: 10 November – 19 December 2025
Common Requirements Framework
Entity-level inventory development and reporting rules
Methodological Guidance
Emissions estimation methods for beef, sheep, dairy and cropping industries (grains, legumes, sugar, cotton and rice)
Tranche 2 consultation: 27 March – 8 May 2026
Common Requirements Framework
General guidance on product emissions intensity estimation and revisions based on Tranche 1 public consultation feedback
Methodological Guidance
Emissions estimation methods for horticulture, viticulture, fisheries, and aquaculture; revisions to Tranche 1 content based on public consultation feedback; revised Scope 3 emissions factors
Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Methodological Guidance
Tranche 2 materials have been integrated with the Tranche 1 consultation materials.
