Varying Environmental Planting Project Start Dates

We recently reported that the Reforestation by Environmental and Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) method is due to ‘sunset’, or expire, on the first of October this year. This means that projects can no longer be registered against the method from that date.  

The sunset has two main impacts: 

• For projects under development but not yet registered – applications need to be submitted to the Clean Energy Regulator by no later than the 2nd July to ensure they can be assessed prior to the sunset date. 
• For registered projects – you will not be able to apply to add additional areas to your project after the 2nd July, and your crediting period must not begin after the expiry date.  

We contacted the Regulator to better understand the constraints around crediting periods and the sunset date. Under the Environmental Plantings method, the crediting period is a 25-year timeframe over which you are issued carbon credits. The crediting period start date will either be the date you nominated at registration, or, if no date was nominated, the date your project was ‘declared’ by the Regulator. As the per the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Activity) Act 2011, you are permitted to ‘defer’ or change your start date – but only once. This deferral date can be no later than 18 months from your declaration date.  

Deferring your start date can be beneficial to your registered Environmental Plantings project, as it allows you to strategically time your crediting period to ensure maximum carbon credits are earned. For example, your project may have been declared in August 2023, but not planted until May 2024, so it may be beneficial to vary your start date to May 2024, rather than have 7 months within your crediting period where there are no trees sequestering carbon!). 

Whilst this start date deferral can generally be at any time before your first offset report, the sunsetting of the Environmental Plantings method means applications to defer must be submitted no later than the 2nd July. If an application is not submitted, your project will proceed with its existing crediting start date.  

We appreciate this is a kinda tricky topic! If you think your project may benefit from a ‘start date variation’, or just want to understand what this all means, feel free to book in for a no obligation chat here: https://bit.ly/3ym3ZRj