Carbon Credits and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Transparency) Bill 2026

Summary

This legislation strengthens oversight of Australia's carbon credit system by improving how carbon offsets are verified and tracked. It amends the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 and related environmental laws to require better transparency in how carbon credits are issued and used, making it harder for fraudulent or low-quality credits to enter the market. The changes matter because Australia's carbon offset scheme relies on these credits to meet climate targets, so ensuring their integrity protects the credibility of Australia's emissions reduction efforts and prevents companies from claiming false environmental benefits.

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