The Code aims to protect and support carbon industry consumers (clients), including Native Title Holders, representative bodies, land managers and project owners.

Consumers have rights when choosing or working with carbon service providers. Signatories to the Code of Conduct are held to a higher standard of client engagement, ensuring that consumers are provided with enough information to make informed decisions, are contacted early and appropriately, and are engaged in a meaningful and transparent way.

Consumers and clients may be on the supply-side of the market (dealing with projects on the ground), or the demand-side of the market (purchasing carbon credits). You may also interact with both the supply and demand sides of the market.

Supply-Side Consumers

Examples of supply-side consumers include Native Title Holders, Native Title claimants, farmers, landowners, pastoralists, site owners, business owners, landlords and tenants. These consumers require protections from risks associated with projects being undertaken on land where they have rights or interests.

You may be approached by businesses, which may or may not be Signatories to the Code of Conduct. These businesses may request for you to agree to carbon projects being implemented on your land, sites and/or within your business operations.

Demand-Side Consumers

Examples of demand-side consumers include Government, business or community/other organisations and individuals. These consumers require protections from risks associated with receiving advice on and purchasing carbon credits for either compliance or voluntary purposes.

Signatories to the Code of Conduct have obligations relating to the types of information, advice, and documentation that they provide to their clients. When providing services to clients, Signatories are required to apply best practices to their business activities both before a project commences, as well as during the project’s lifetime.

Make a complaint

All Signatories to the Code have agreed to conduct their business in line with the Code requirements.

Should you need to make a complaint against a company identifying itself as a Signatory to the Carbon Industry Code of Conduct, there are a range of pathways available for you to raise issues directly with a Signatory, with the Code Administrator or other bodies.

Engaging with Signatories

Current Signatories

Signatories to the Code represent a range of carbon service providers, including agents, aggregators or advisers. They may act as scheme participants, or provide advice and services to clients regarding registration, implementation and management of carbon reduction and sequestration (offsetting) projects, and the sale and trading of credits. See which Australian service providers are committed to industry best practice.

Signatory Responsibilities

Signatories to the Code have agreed to conduct their business with integrity, transparency and accountability, and their clients should dealt with in a manner that befits the best practices outlined in the Code. To comply with the Code, Signatories are responsible for a range of compliance and reporting requirements, appropriate handling of complaints, and effective management of breaches.

Indigenous Engagement

The Code intentionally distinguishes between its requirements for engagement with different types of stakeholders, and particularly notes that appropriate engagement with Indigenous stakeholders is important in this context. The Code now requires stronger levels of engagement with Indigenous stakeholders to support implementation of best practice engagement across the carbon industry.