Australia is considering measures to reduce the compliance burden associated with mandatory climate-related financial disclosures, while maintaining the country’s broader sustainability reporting framework.
The Australian Treasury has opened a consultation on proposed efficiency measures designed to reduce reporting costs for companies and ease the information-request burden placed on businesses within corporate value chains. The consultation is open from 24 August to 2 October 2026.

Among the proposed changes are measures relating to assurance requirements for climate-related disclosures. The government is also considering guidance to help companies determine appropriate boundaries when requesting climate-related information from businesses in their value chains, particularly for Scope 3 emissions reporting.

Scope 3 reporting can require companies to obtain emissions information from suppliers and other value-chain partners, creating additional data and reporting demands across corporate networks. Greater clarity around information requests could help organizations establish more proportionate and consistent processes for collecting climate-related data.

The proposals highlight a growing policy challenge: how to strengthen corporate climate transparency while ensuring that reporting requirements remain proportionate to the size, resources, and role of businesses within a value chain.

For companies preparing climate disclosures, the development reinforces the importance of having efficient data-collection processes, clear reporting boundaries, and reliable systems for managing emissions information across operations and supply chains.

As Australia continues to develop its sustainability reporting framework, the consultation could shape how companies manage climate disclosure obligations and the associated reporting costs in the years ahead.