This Month
Britain calls time on coal power, steel mills
On a single day, the UK closed its last coal-fired power plant and its largest carbon-munching steel mill.
- Hans van Leeuwen
September
Australia favourite to host COP31 climate talks
A growing coalition of countries is backing Labor’s plans for the 2026 summit to be hosted in concert with Pacific countries.
- Tom McIlroy
US climate change targets threatened by tech energy surge from AI
The latest assessment puts the US trajectory even further from its national target to cut its emissions by 50-52 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels.
- Amanda Chu, Jamie Smyth and Aime Williams
Dutch bank ING to ditch climate laggards as clients
ING’s stance is in sharp contrast to many other financial institutions, especially in the US where banks such as Bank of America have loosened some climate targets.
- Attracta Mooney
Why Rio Tinto has bought 3000 hectares of grazing land
The mining company will plant 750,000 pongamia trees on the property near Townsville as it attempts to create a renewable replacement for diesel.
- Peter Ker
High Court blow to Australia-backed coal mine in UK
Mining entrepreneur Owen Hegarty has spent a decade backing West Cumbria Mining’s controversial plan to mine coking coal in England. His bet is looking shaky.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Friend or foe? Europe’s big Chinese EV dilemma
Bad news hasn’t been enough to get European carmakers and politicians to rethink their anti-China strategy. But that’s exactly what might need to happen.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Farmers slam call to create huge forest to reduce emissions
The Climate Change Authority review sparked criticism from the agricultural sector over a call for large-scale forestation.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith and Ronald Mizen
How changing your diet can help get to net zero
Eating more chicken, pork, kangaroo – and even algae and insects – could be necessary to get to net zero by 2050, according to the Climate Change Authority.
- Ronald Mizen
- Updated
- Renewables
Matt Kean unveils plan to achieve net zero by 2050
The Climate Change Authority’s landmark report downplayed the Coalition’s nuclear ambitions and said wind and solar generation needs to move faster to ensure Australia’s net zero ambitions are not derailed.
- Ronald Mizen and Angela Macdonald-Smith
- Explainer
- Energy transition
How much water does nuclear really need?
The Coalition’s plan for atomic energy has raised concerns about the amount of water that reactors will use in a hotter and drier Australia.
- Christopher Niesche
This man’s $168k annual saving gives hope for net zero
Household rooftop solar has taken off, but small and medium firms have barely started. The huge reduction in the cost of solar panels and batteries may change that.
- Ben Potter
With tax reform, there’s too much diagnosis and too few solutions
Readers’ letters on a better tax system; mortgage brokers; climate change; tradies’ pay; unpaid super; David Rowe’s cartoons; and the best auction tip.
August
South32 warns WA carbon emissions limits ‘way above’ reasonable
South32 has warned that the carbon emissions limits proposed by the WA government would far exceed those demanded by the federal government.
- Peter Ker
- Exclusive
- Electricity
Garnaut-backed Zen Energy sinks to $35m loss as volatile prices bite
Zen Energy, backed by Ross Garnaut, suffered volatile early-winter electricity prices and a near-$100 million loss on hedging contracts.
- Ben Potter
- Opinion
- Opinion
The new wave of climate claptrap
Misleading, misinformed or just plain baffling utterances continue to gush forth in the face of an increasingly evident problem.
- Pilita Clark
Evie Networks puts foot down on EV chargers
The company isn’t letting concerns about grid capacity constraints or a slowdown in EV sales derail plans to have almost 1100 chargers at 372 sites next year.
- Ben Potter
Coal miners go it alone with first lobby group in more than a decade
But the companies say the emergence of Coal Australia will not lead to a split of the powerful resources association Minerals Council of Australia.
- Peter Ker
Super funds look to take advantage of energy transition
The biggest question for the $3.9 trillion super sector is not whether to invest in the energy transition’s unlisted asset boom, but rather which opportunities are best.
- Hannah Wootton
Tim Bishop’s Wollemi Capital hires former NSW treasurer Matt Kean
The former state Liberal deputy leader and energy minister was appointed chairman of the federal government’s Climate Change Authority less than two months ago.
- Kylar Loussikian