Everything you need to understand Australia’s largest industrial emissions policy
14 April 2026
NOTE: This version of the guide is based on available data in early April 2026. Insights based on this most recent data are available here.
- In 2026, the Australian federal government will begin its first major review of the reformed safeguard mechanism: Australia’s large industrial greenhouse gas emissions reduction policy. The scheme is complex by design, and this complexity discourages scrutiny and public participation.
- Whichever way you look at it, even after substantial reforms in 2023 the safeguard mechanism is simply not up to the task of driving emissions reduction at the scale that the climate crisis requires. The only way we can fix it – or move past it – is by beginning to understand it weaknesses. This guide seeks to close that gap by providing policy and media-relevant insights into the scheme, its operation and its recent history, with a particular focus on Australia’s major fossil fuel producers.
- The note also handles a number of frequently asked questions about the scheme, including providing responses to a number of proposed reforms to the scheme that may not be all that they seem.
- To collaborate on the 2026-27 safeguard mechanism review, or for other enquiries, please reach out using the form below.