The spot price for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) fell 1.6% on the week to $30.50/t as buyers remain cautious ahead of the expected release of supply from ‘fixed delivery’ carbon abatement contracts (CACs), and the upcoming federal budget and election. Buyer interest remains positive, however, with a range of corporate and speculative/long buyers continuing to explore the market for both spot deliveries and longer-term offtake. Prices for international voluntary offsets have remained stable across most major categories as market participants remain cautious. Concerns over the integrity of the local offset market continue to grow, placing a brighter spotlight on perennial concerns over the lack of transparency which undermines many aspects of the Australian carbon offset market, including crediting and issuance, auditing, all the way through to account holdings, transactional information and price discovery. While the foundations of the system are fit-for-purpose, a detailed review is timely to support longer-term market efficiency and credibility.
This report analyses current activity in the Australian and international voluntary carbon markets, including spot and forward price dynamics, offset issuance and voluntary cancellations. Analysis considers Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) and voluntary offsets across key international registries including Verra, Gold Standard, the American Carbon Registry, and the Climate Action Reserve.
