AgriProve welcomes a pragmatic integrity upgrade that keeps projects moving, protects issued ACCUs and strengthens the pathway to data-led delivery under smart digital twin soil carbon measurement.
The Soil Carbon Method continues under the ACCU Scheme.
The review proposes a crediting cap of 3 tC/ha/year after method discounts - equivalent to about 11 ACCUs per hectare per year.
The cap accumulates over the project life, so carbon stored faster than the annual rate is not lost provided it is maintained.
Existing projects continue, ACCUs already issued are unaffected and new project registrations remain available.
The proposed cap and sampling guidance recommendation is open for a three-week consultation.
28 July 2026: AgriProve, Australia's largest soil carbon project developer, has welcomed the outcome of the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee's (ERAC) periodic review as a vote of confidence in the method, the market and the farmers building carbon in Australian soils.
The review found that the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration using Measurement and Models Method 2021 meets 5 of the six offsets integrity standards (OIS). The proposed improvement to the conservativeness OIS through a hectare/annum ceiling on ACCU issuance means the Method can continue under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme.
Matthew Warnken, Founder and Chair, AgriProve said "Independent scrutiny is how a market earns trust. Australia's soil carbon method has been stress-tested and backed. This is not a retreat from soil carbon; it is a pragmatic integrity upgrade that incentivises farmers and gives the sector a stronger platform to scale.
Assistant Minister Josh Wilson, ERAC and DCCEEW have chosen evolution over disruption. Soil carbon is here to stay as an important component of Australia's agricultural and climate future."
The review recommends:
Introduce a 3 tC/ha/year cap - limit credited soil organic carbon sequestration to three tonnes per hectare per year, equivalent to about 11 ACCUs per hectare per annum, after method-prescribed discounts.
Strengthen sampling and stratification - tighten the protocols underpinning measurement, project design and assurance.
Restrict multiple registrations - limit the registration of multiple projects on the same landholding.
Report method performance annually - publish aggregate project performance to strengthen transparency and confidence.
What this means for AgriProve landholders
AgriProve's preliminary analysis is reassuring. The proposed cap is expected to have limited impact on project viability and potential ACCU yield across its portfolio. The method continues to operate, with no pause to existing projects or new registrations.
"For our landholders, the practical message is straightforward: projects continue, issued ACCUs remain unaffected and our early analysis indicates our portfolio will not experience any material changes. Also, because the cap accumulates annually, gains that are maintained can be recognised over the project life.” Kieren Whittock, General Manager, AgriProve
“These are proposed settings. We will test the detail and, once the final position is confirmed, write directly to every landholder with a clear explanation for their project."
From measurement to intelligence: Smart digital twins and HORIZON
AgriProve also welcomes continued Government support for soil carbon innovation, including the National Soil Carbon Innovation Challenge. The company sees Schedule 2 of the Soil Method - combining physical sampling with advanced modelling into ‘smart digital twins’ of landscape function - as the clear pathway to greater scale, insight and confidence.
"The next era of soil carbon will be built on better evidence and better insight. Measuring soil carbon with smart digital twin technology is exactly why we built HORIZON. We have the platform, the scale and the track record to lead from the front," Mr Warnken said.
AgriProve will engage constructively in the three-week consultation on behalf of its partner landholders and issue a further update once the final position is confirmed.
AgriProve at Scale
