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Climate policy

January

The biggest financial backers of Climate 200 revealed

Two investors donated about $1 million each to the teal fundraising vehicle, while a 94-year-old grandfather matched donations up to $1000 for each year of his life.

  • Tom McIlroy

WA premier lobbies federal Labor to kill EPA, miners cry foul

Roger Cook is pushing his federal counterparts to scrap a renewed move for a federal Environment Protection Agency – ‘If it’s not good for WA, I’m against it’.

  • Phillip Coorey and Tom Rabe

Get moving on charging EV drivers for road use, politicians urged

Having helped kill a Victorian scheme in the High Court, the Commonwealth must step in with a solution for dwindling road-user revenue, says the nation’s peak motoring group.

  • Phillip Coorey
Industry Minister Ed Husic and head of Alcoa Australia Elsabe Muller at the Portland Aluminium Smelter.

Husic bets big on making Australian manufacturing great

The Labor MP from Sydney’s inner-west thinks concern over climate change and the risk of global conflict will win out over traditional market fundamentals.

  • Ronald Mizen
 Shemara Wikramanayake, Rob Scott, Alexis George, Damien Nicks, Leah Weckert, Anthony Miller.

Top CEOs reveal 17 ways to make Australia great again

The executives were asked to think big picture about the risks and opportunities we’re not sufficiently considering. Here are their ideas for a better nation.

  • James Thomson
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Donald Trump has ignited a storm around ESG and DEI.

Investors should forget DEI and ESG wars and follow the money

Donald Trump’s war on woke has quickly washed up on Australian shores. But investors and companies would be smart to block the noise, and stay rational.

  • James Thomson
Political events overseas, including the election of President Donald Trump (pictured) have made a political football of investor sustainability issues.

Big super still supports diversity despite Trump

While political shifts in the US have brought to prominence some loud voices, investments should not be subject to short-term and non-evidential noise.

  • Louise Davidson
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth last week.

Labor plans more green metal industry subsidies

After a successful push for $2 billion to fund the switch from coal-fired power to renewable energy at four aluminium smelters, lobbyists say more support is needed.

  • Tom McIlroy
Wall Street giants are walking away from green finance groups.

Corporate climate action was sidelined in 2024. This year may be worse

ESG and green concerns became relative afterthoughts last year. A Trump presidency may push them further into the weeds.

  • Mark Wembridge
Macquarie has previously announced lofty climate commitments. It would not commit to them this week.

Macquarie refuses to say whether it stands by climate commitments

Other major local financial institutions indicated that they remained committed to net zero goals amid a recent pullback by global financial firms.

  • Joshua Peach and Lucas Baird
ESG is out of favour as Donald Trump returns to the presidency.

Macquarie, IFM-backed net zero group suspends itself as Trump looms

The world’s biggest climate finance alliance cited “different regulatory and client expectations” in starting a review and making its membership list secret.

  • Updated
  • Joshua Peach

Emissions reporting boosts financial sustainability

Readers’ letters on emissions reporting, renewable energy, green-left politics, productivity, government advertising and an idea for state governments.

Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor and  Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

‘Economic madness’: Chalmers slams push to scrap emissions reporting

Business groups have rejected a Coalition push to repeal laws requiring companies disclose their emissions, as the Treasurer warned it would create uncertainty.

  • Michael Read and Mark Wembridge
The Coalition says it will repeal new laws requiring businesses to disclose their emissions, amid expectations the Trump administration will scrap similar rules.

Coalition vows to scrap emissions reporting as Trump prepares rollback

The Coalition says it will repeal laws requiring businesses to disclose their emissions, amid expectations the Trump administration will scrap similar rules.

  • Michael Read

December 2024

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton with Coalition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien, left, and Nationals Leader David Littleproud, right.

No nuclear without Labor’s help: Dutton

The opposition leader admits his nuclear timeline could do with bipartisan support, while critics have panned the policy.

  • Updated
  • Phillip Coorey
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will release his nuclear costings on Friday.

Coalition claims nuclear plan $263b cheaper than renewables rollout

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will release long-awaited costings for his proposal to build nuclear reactors on Friday, ensuring energy is a key election issue.

  • Phillip Coorey
Opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien.

Meet the man on whom Peter Dutton is pinning his nuclear hopes

The opposition leader picked a relatively untested backbencher to create the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy.

  • Ronald Mizen
Andrew Forrest is the executive chairman of Fortescue and owns a sprawling renewables development business in Squadron Energy.

Andrew Forrest-backed wind farm gets taxpayer revenue guarantee

Energy Minister Chris Bowen will on Wednesday announce 19 projects to get the guarantee, but a new report says environmental laws are causing major project delays.

  • Ronald Mizen
Hitting it for six: The minimum standard of six star thermal efficiency ratings set in 2010 was upgraded to 7 stars last year.

Older, ‘cheaper’ houses hide costs that bite owners

More than 80 per cent of Australia’s houses have half the energy efficiency of the latest standards – and that’s going to make them less valuable.

  • Michael Bleby

November 2024

IAG CEO Nick Hawkins.

How IAG boss Nick Hawkins weathered the perfect storm

In the past four years, the CEO of the $20b insurance giant has battled both cyclonic conditions and swirling regulators and politicians.

  • James Eyers

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/climate-policy-1mpo