Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment Bill 2026; Second Reading

Summary

This amendment updates the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) scheme, which lets farmers and landowners earn money by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or storing carbon on their land. The changes modify the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 to improve how carbon credits are issued, tracked, or valued under the scheme. This matters because it affects how much money farmers can make from carbon farming projects, which influences whether they'll adopt these practices — ultimately shaping Australia's progress toward emissions reduction targets while creating new income streams for rural landowners.

What happens at this stage

The main debate on whether the chamber supports the broad purpose of the bill. Members speak to its overall merits and concerns rather than the fine print. The government outlines its policy intentions; the opposition and crossbench put their case. This is the stage that determines whether the bill proceeds at all.

Next: Consideration in Detail (House) or Committee of the Whole (Senate), where the bill is examined clause by clause