Reports

Electricity generated by burning Australian timber is no longer classified as renewable energy, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced in a statement. This change means that native forest biomass is no longer an "eligible renewable energy source" for the purposes of Australia's Renewable Energy Target. The electricity it generates is also no longer compatible with tradeable large-scale generation certificates, the government has confirmed.  This decision revokes the Abbott government's controversial move in 2015, which incentivised burning Australian forest [...]

An MP has made a speech in the Federal Parliament claiming leaked documents prove that Australian companies have been lying for years about the quality of Australian coal. An industry whistleblower provided thousands of documents revealing that companies have been creating fraudulent quality reports for their coal exports and paying bribes.  Andrew Wilkie, an independent MP, said that this misconduct involves coal exports to Japan, South Korea, China and India. The companies involved include TerraCom, Anglo American, Glencore, Peabody and [...]

Tiwi Islanders are celebrating another historic legal win against oil and gas giant Santos. This month, the Federal Court dismissed Santos' appeal to drill offshore in Tiwi Sea Country for its Barossa gas project. In September, the Federal Court agreed with Dennis Tipakalippa, Tiwi Island Senior Lawman, that Santos had failed to consult First Nations peoples on the project, as required under legislation. Mr Tipakalippa argued that NOPSEMA, the federal offshore gas regulator, should not have approved Santos' drilling permit [...]

Renewable energy capacity in Australia will almost double in the next five years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This outlook is on par with the global forecast and would result in renewables overtaking coal as the largest source of electricity generation by early 2025. This sharp acceleration in the clean energy transition helps to keep the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C alive, the report finds. The IEA's 'Renewables 2022' report increases its global [...]

In a victory for climate justice, COP27 closed with a deal for a loss and damage fund, which developing nations have been calling on for decades. The fund will compensate those countries hit hardest by climate disasters. These countries have limited resources to rebuild and have contributed little to the crisis. "This COP has taken an important step towards justice", said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in response to the news.  Reaching an agreement on a deal has been a long battle. [...]

Software billionaire and climate activist Mike Cannon-Brookes has succeeded in shaking up the board of AGL, signifying a new era for climate accountability and action from the energy giant. Shareholders approved all four of Mr Cannon-Brookes' proposed candidates to join the company's board at the 2022 Annual General Meeting on 15th November. This sweeping leadership change could see Australia's biggest climate polluter become the centre of the country's renewable transition, says Greenpeace Australia Pacific. The new board members are Dr [...]

Australia has joined the Forests and Climate Leaders Partnership (FCLP) as a founding member. The new international group will enhance global cooperation in forest-based initiatives and drive climate action. The partnership launched at the inaugural Forest and Climate Leaders' Summit at COP27 in Egypt, in November 2022. The FCLP is a voluntary partnership of 26 countries, co-chaired by the United States and Ghana. The partnership will help deliver on the commitment to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, [...]