Millicent Mill

Millicent Mill is a other facility operated by Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty. Limited in SA. Like all covered facilities, industrial operations generate significant emissions. Under Australia's Safeguard Mechanism, Millicent Mill must keep its annual emissions below a stepping-down baseline — or purchase carbon credits to cover any overage.

In 2023–24, Millicent Mill reported emissions of 101 kt against a baseline obligation of 100 kt — an overage of 534 t. The facility covered the 534 t overage by purchasing 534 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) — credits generated by carbon abatement projects elsewhere in Australia such as soil carbon farming, avoided land clearing, and landfill gas capture.

Purchasing credits is legal and intended by the Safeguard Mechanism's design — the policy deliberately allows facilities to choose between cutting on-site emissions or funding abatement elsewhere in the economy. Whether credit purchases represent genuine long-term decarbonisation depends on whether the facility's absolute emissions are trending down over time. The chart above shows the trajectory since reporting began. This question applies to all covered facilities under the Safeguard Mechanism, not Millicent Mill specifically.

Across the other sector, 8 of 8 covered facilities reported emissions above their baseline in 2023–24. The table below compares Millicent Mill with other other facilities covered by the Safeguard Mechanism.