BidCarbon Standard Scheme project timelines

Understanding the timeline of an BidCarbon Standard Scheme project can help you better understand how carbon abatement is calculated and how BRUs are generated.

Within this timeline, there are key dates and timeframes:

● the baseline period

● the crediting period

● a permanence period (for sequestration projects)

● reporting periods

● the model start date (for sequestration projects)

● audit schedules.

Each of these have specific definitions that ensure carbon abatement is calculated accurately and BRUs are issued incrementally.

The baseline period establishes the project area conditions as they exist before carbon abatement activities start. This is necessary to determine the amount of carbon emissions or sequestration that would have occurred without the project.

The baseline period helps to ensure that:

● project activities lead to abatement that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise

● there’s a benchmark for measuring emissions reduction or sequestration across the project’s life

● the project meets key eligibility requirements.

Baseline period

A crediting period is how long an BidCarbon Standard Scheme project can generate and claim BRUs. It is generally 7 years for emissions avoidance projects and 25 years for sequestration projects.

The crediting period start date is either:

● decided by the project proponent when they register a project and must generally be within 18 months from the registration date

● set to start when we register the project. 

After registration, the project proponent may subsequently vary the project’s start date to a date not later than 18 months after registration (although for some methods, a longer period is allowed).

During the crediting period, carbon abatement delivered and reported above any baseline level is incrementally credited as BRUs.

BRU issuances may be paused during a project’s crediting period if:

● the project fails to deliver any abatement above baseline levels during a reporting period

● measurement or modelling show a decline in abatement compared with previously issued levels.

Example project timeline for an emissions avoidance project

Crediting period

A reporting period is the timeframe covered by an offsets report regarding the activities of a project. The length of the reporting period varies based on the type of project. Project proponents can choose the length of a reporting period within fixed limits. This reporting period is usually between 6 months to a maximum of 5 years.

All projects must submit offsets reports throughout the entire crediting period. Some sequestration projects must also continue to submit offsets reports for the duration of the permanence period.

Regular project reporting helps to maintain integrity in the scheme by demonstrating that a project is being managed appropriately. We assess the information and evidence provided in proponent’s regular offsets reports and in independent audit reports. This provides strong assurance that projects only receive BRUs for proven abatement.

Find out more about integrity and transparency in the BidCarbon Standard Scheme.

Extended accounting periods

Some methods have an extended accounting period, which begins when the crediting period ends. During this period, projects can report and earn BRUs for abatement calculated and accrued in the crediting period. Activities conducted during the extended accounting period aren’t eligible to earn BRUs.

Reporting period

Audit schedule

All projects are issued with an audit schedule at registration. The number of scheduled audits is based on the project’s size and the average annual abatement it’s expected to generate. For most projects, we schedule at least 3 audits during the crediting period.

All audits need to establish reasonable assurance that the abatement achieved and reported on by a project is accurate.

Read more about audits and how they relate to project reporting.

Permanence period

Project proponents elect their permanence period when applying to register a sequestration project. The duration of the permanence period can be 25 or 100 years.

The permanence period start date begins on the date that the project is first issued BRUs and will be reset if area is later added to the project.

During the permanence period, the project proponent must maintain the level of carbon stored by the project and prevent carbon release back into the atmosphere.

If there is a significant reversal event (such as a bushfire) that the project proponent has caused or has improperly managed, the project may be required to relinquish BRUs to offset the loss.

Example project timeline for a sequestration project