Many industrial sites report under both schemes, and the data often comes from the same fuel, energy and production records. The two schemes are nonetheless separate, with different laws, regulators, boundaries and deadlines.
Key points
- The NPI excludes greenhouse gases
- NGER covers greenhouse gases and energy
- NPI is reported by facility, NGER by controlling corporation
- NPI is due 30 September, NGER 31 October
- Fuel and electricity data feed both schemes
Side by side
| NPI | NGER | |
|---|---|---|
| What is reported | Emissions and transfers of 93 pollutants | Greenhouse gas emissions, energy production and energy consumption |
| Legal basis | National Environment Protection (National Pollutant Inventory) Measure 1998, enforced under state and territory law | National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 |
| Who reports | The occupier of each facility that exceeds a threshold | Controlling corporations whose corporate group, or any facility in the group, meets an emissions or energy threshold |
| Reported to | State and territory environment agencies | The Clean Energy Regulator |
| Due date | 30 September | 31 October |
Same words, different meanings
Several terms appear in both schemes but are defined differently, so a figure prepared for one scheme cannot simply be reused in the other.
| Term | Under NGER | Under the NPI |
|---|---|---|
| Facility | An activity or series of activities involving greenhouse gas emissions or energy production or consumption that form a single undertaking or enterprise, or that the Clean Energy Regulator declares to be a facility | Any building or land, with the plant and equipment used there, on one site or on adjacent sites owned or operated by the same person |
| Operational control | The authority to introduce and implement operating, health and safety or environmental policies for a facility. Only one person can hold it at any one time | Full authority of a business entity, or its subsidiary, to introduce and implement its operating policies at a facility. The entity with it is the occupier |
| Fugitive emissions | Greenhouse gases released in extracting, processing, storing or delivering fossil fuel, other than from burning fuel for useable heat or electricity | Any release of a listed substance to air that does not pass through a stack or vent |
| Emission | A scope 1 or scope 2 emission of greenhouse gas | A release of a listed substance to air, land or water, not including a transfer |
| Reporting year or period | The reporting year is always the financial year | The reporting period is the financial year unless a state or territory approves another annual period |
Where they overlap
Fuel burnt drives the NPI Category 2a and 2b thresholds and electricity use drives Category 2b, and the same records feed NGER energy and scope 1 and 2 reporting. Keeping one governed record of activity data reduces the effort of meeting both deadlines.
Different substances, different purposes
The NPI covers substances such as oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and metals, which affect local air and water quality. NGER covers carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases. NPI data is published facility by facility as a community right-to-know resource, while NGER data also underpins the Safeguard Mechanism.
Duplication
The 2021 review of the NPI NEPM noted a perception among reporters of duplicated effort across jurisdictions and Commonwealth environmental programs.
NGER reports are due by 31 October, or the next business day if that date falls on a weekend or ACT public holiday. The NPI rests on a national environment protection measure made by a council of Commonwealth, state and territory ministers, whereas NGER is established by a Commonwealth Act.
Why it matters
Treating the two schemes as separate data exercises doubles the work and risks inconsistent figures for the same fuel and electricity. A single source of activity data, with each scheme’s rules applied on top, keeps both reports consistent.
References & sources
Primary regulatory documents and authoritative references underpinning this answer.
- DCCEEW: National Pollutant Inventory datadcceew.gov.au
- Clean Energy Regulator: National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Schemecer.gov.au
- Clean Energy Regulator: Assess your NGER obligationscer.gov.au
- DCCEEW: Reporting emissions and transfersdcceew.gov.au
- National Environment Protection (National Pollutant Inventory) Measure 1998legislation.gov.au
- National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007legislation.gov.au
- National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008legislation.gov.au