On Good Authority
22 April 2026
Hi there,
Welcome to the latest edition of On Good Authority. This fortnight, we take a closer look at the 2024 National Inventory Report, which shows Australia needs to reduce emissions faster to stay on track for the government’s 2035 target of 62-70%. There are also 2 new Australian Carbon Credit Unit methods which draw on First Nation fire carbon management practices. And there’s good news about the emissions of Australia’s highest greenhouse gas emitting facilities in recently released Safeguard Mechanism data.
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Authority news
Do you have ideas for how the Authority can monitor Australia’s progress towards a prosperous, resilient, net zero future? We are developing an Evidence Platform that will, over time, provide a balanced picture of Australia’s climate progress. Time is running out to have your say through our 2026 Evidence Platform Issues Paper. Submissions close 30 April.
Myth buster
Did you know that most electric vehicles available today offer between 250 kms and 600 kms of driving on a single charge? Get the facts on EVs in new information from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
News in brief
World’s first net zero gold mine does away with diesel
Bellevue Gold’s remote Western Australia mine has achieved a renewable energy share of around 90%, virtually eliminating diesel costs and insulating the operation from recent fuel price spikes. Diesel now makes up just 1.3% of total project costs, according to a March 2026 operational update. Powered by wind, solar and batteries, the off‑grid site is recognised as the world’s first net zero gold mine, highlighting the commercial and operational advantages of renewables.
The Authority’s 2024 Sector Pathways Review found that overcoming the barriers to off-grid renewable generation will unlock significant abatement for about 50% of the resource sector facilities covered by the Safeguard Mechanism.
New fire carbon credit methods added to ACCU scheme
The additional carbon stored in trees due to savanna fire management projects will be credited for the first time as part of new methods announced for the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme. Two new savanna fire methods draw on First Nations burning practice of setting low-intensity ‘cooler’ fires in the early dry season. These reduce the risk of unplanned high-intensity, high emission bushfires that also take a toll on environmental conditions and biodiversity. Backed by thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge, the new methods are expected to lift returns for land managers and cut emissions.
The role of new and existing methods of creating ACCUs is being considered in the Authority’s 2026 ACCU Scheme review. You can find out more about what stakeholders have told us about them by reading our listening report.
Forest regrowth can fuel more intense bushfires
Forest regrowth burns more intensely than mature forests, with implications for post-logging fire impacts, a new study by researchers at the University of Tasmania has found. The study observed a fire that crossed both an old‑growth wet eucalypt forest and nearby logged regrowth, allowing for a direct comparison. Researchers found that regrowth forests burned more severely because younger trees form dense, low canopies that allow flames to spread from the ground into treetops. About one‑fifth of Tasmania’s tall wet forests are regrowth under 40 years old. The highest fire risk is at around 20 to 50 years after logging or major fire, during forest regrowth.
Pilot to fast track investment in renewable energy projects
Four new pilot projects, including a renewable fuel project, a zero-emissions heavy road freight project, and a green hydrogen project, are expected to contribute up to AUD20 billion in investment in Australia. The 'Investor Front Door' initiative will help the projects navigate approval processes and funding options. The pilot projects will run until mid-2027 and could create hundreds of jobs during the construction and operational phases.
New safeguard data shows high compliance
Combined emissions from Australia’s largest-emitting facilities were higher than their total emissions limits (known as baselines) in 2024–25 for the first time, according to the latest Safeguard Mechanism data. This milestone reflects the continued tightening of baselines under the reformed scheme and is driving increased use of ACCUs and Safeguard Mechanism credit units, alongside greater investment in on‑site decarbonisation. The data comes ahead of the Australian Government’s 2026-27 review of the Safeguard Mechanism later this year. The Authority will contribute to the review, which is an opportunity to make sure the Scheme’s settings remain effective in supporting emissions reduction while maintaining investment certainty.
Energy spending surges as security takes centre stage
Energy security, affordability and supply-chain resilience dominated energy policy in 2025 following years of global shocks, according to the International Energy Agency. Governments responded with extensive policy work to strengthen emergency oil and gas measures, and with increased attention to clean-energy and critical-mineral security. Government spending on energy has more than doubled since 2019, staying well above pre-pandemic levels even as short-term crisis support was wound back. Overall, energy policy is now balancing cost-of-living pressures and competitiveness with long-term net zero goals in a more complex, security-focused landscape.
Electrification essential for protecting economies from liquid fuel price shocks
Electrification can do everything that fossil fuels can, but more efficiently while reducing energy demand, lowering emissions and protecting economies from fuel price shocks, according to recent analysis from the Energy Transitions Commission. The international think tank recommends electrifying demand across sectors, improving the efficiency of the electrified system, decarbonising the power supply, and using a carbon price to drive decarbonisation in hard-to-electrify sectors.
NSW urged to treat heatwaves as a frontline health emergency
A new set of findings from NSW’s Net Zero Commission highlights how deadly extreme heat is for Australians, causing more deaths between 2000-2018 than all other natural hazards. The report calls for stronger, coordinated action to tackle rising heat stress across the state. Recommendations include a statewide seasonal heat response plan, clearer heatwave communication and treating extreme heat like other natural hazards. It also suggests embedding heat risk in adaptation plans and boosting locally-led, place‑based responses to protect vulnerable communities.
Our feature this week
Latest data raises Australia’s 2024 emissions, highlighting the need to accelerate cuts
Australia’s latest official emissions data show we are making progress in reducing emissions, but face a demanding task to meet our emissions reduction targets.
Released this month, the 2024 National Inventory Report (the Inventory) indicates Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were 466 Mt CO2-e in 2023-24. This is a 4% (18 Mt) reduction on the previous year, and 23% below 2005 levels.
Reported emissions were higher than the preliminary estimate of 451 Mt CO2-e, as reported in the most recent quarterly inventory release. This shift largely reflects updates for Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), where carbon sequestration has substantially eased relative to La Niña-period highs in 2020-2022. The next quarterly inventory for the period to December 2025 will incorporate these new figures, to estimate our current position.
Looking beyond land, there are some encouraging signs. In 2023-24 emissions fell from the previous year in all inventory sectors other than transport (where activity was still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic) and waste, where emissions were broadly flat.
Australia needs to substantially step up the pace of emissions reductions to achieve the legislated target of 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, and 62-70% target by 2035. From 2004-05 to 2023-24, the average annual reduction in emissions was 7 Mt/year. To meet the 2030 target, this needs to increase to an average of 21 Mt/year. And to meet the stronger (70%) end of the 2035 target, it would need to increase to an average of 26 Mt/year. This is faster than the Authority estimated in its 2025 Annual Progress Report, due to the revised emission estimates.
It is unclear how much these revisions will affect our future position. Australia’s 2025 Emissions Projections already anticipated the land sink would moderate to 2030, and projected that under current policy settings Australia’s emissions would be 42% below 2005 levels – just shy of the legislated target. However, the Inventory shows a faster shift in the land sink than was assumed in the projections, and land sector emissions will remain highly variable due to the influence of weather conditions.
What is clear is that Australia has much more work to do. The Authority’s 2025 Annual Progress Report and 2035 Targets Advice highlight a range of opportunities to accelerate the pace of decarbonisation, while enhancing energy security, delivering benefits to regional communities, reducing costs to consumers and strengthening the economy. We will continue to monitor developments and will incorporate the latest information into our advice, including our Annual Progress Advice later in the year.
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Authority recognises the First Nations people of this land and their ongoing connection to culture and country. We acknowledge First Nations people as the Traditional Owners, Custodians and Lore Keepers of the world's oldest living cultures, and pay our respects to their Elders—past and present.
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