Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024

The majority voted in favour of a motion that the bill, as amended, be agreed to. This means they can now decide on whether to pass the bill in the House of Representatives.

What does this bill do?

According to the bill homepage, the bill was:

Introduced with the Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Charges) Bill 2024 and Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024, the bill: establishes the voluntary Guarantee of Origin scheme to certify renewable electricity and products such as hydrogen; and provides for the creation of certificates that contain information about the attributes of the renewable electricity or product that they represent.

According to the explanatory memorandum (which is a political document produced by the party introducing it):

The Future Made in Australia (Guarantee of Origin) Bill 2024 ( the Bill ) would establish the voluntary Guarantee of Origin ( GO ) scheme to track and verify attributes associated with low-emissions products, starting with hydrogen, and establish an enduring certification mechanism for renewable electricity. Participants that opt in to the GO scheme who produce low-emissions products or renewable electricity, would be able to create certificates that contain information about their emissions or renewable attributes that would be tracked through a public register providing greater certainty and trust to domestic and international customers. Green metals, low carbon liquid fuels, and other products would be able to be incorporated in the future.

The GO scheme is a foundational policy underpinning the Australian Government’s policies and priority actions necessary to achieving its climate change commitments.