This Month
- Opinion
- Energy transition
Energy transition will cost much more than politicians are pretending
The brutal reality is that taxpayers and consumers will be on the hook for much higher costs under a renewable or nuclear energy system.
- John Kehoe
- Opinion
- Trump's White House
A resurgent Trump will have consequences for Australia
Trump 2.0 will pile rising expectations in Washington on Australia’s military readiness and on its strategic minerals. But that’s just the start.
- Patrick Gibbons
June
Three big challenges for Australia’s net-zero transition
Addressing the missing middle, allaying community concerns and more government cooperation will all be critical to the future of the net-zero transition, according to energy experts.
- Ronald Mizen
The big equity problem in household EV charging
Gavin Dufty, executive manager of policy and research at the St Vincent de Paul Society, says the current electricity tariff system is not fit-for-purpose when it comes to EV charging.
- Ronald Mizen
- Opinion
- Nuclear energy
Nuclear power deserves a fair hearing
The opposition and the government fail to answer critical questions on their respective nuclear stances. It is time to get the experts in.
- Bruce Mountain
- Opinion
- Energy transition
Coalition’s taxpayer-funded nuclear con a road to ruin
We estimate that the fiscal damage would be in the order of a minimum $100 billion “nuke builder” tax, but likely considerably more given the international experience.
- Tim Buckley and Annemarie Jonson
Why top companies are starting to back away from green targets
In the past year, many of the world’s biggest companies have dropped or missed goals to cut emissions or to loosen ties with polluting sectors.
- Kenza Bryan and Attracta Mooney
- Analysis
- Nuclear energy
Nuclear frisson: get ready for the Ted and Chris show
The latest chapter in the nation’s climate wars pits the little-known and mild-mannered O’Brien against one of Labor’s biggest attack dogs, Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
- Andrew Tillett
Nuclear to wreak ‘catastrophic damage’ on renewable energy
Clean investor groups say the Coalition’s scheme will take too long, cost too much, and is incompatible with timely and cost-efficient energy transition.
- Elouise Fowler
- Opinion
- The AFR View
End the nuclear ban. Don’t stop renewables
There is a case for considering zero emissions nuclear power but as part of a technology-neutral energy approach to generating reliable baseload power and firmed wind and solar generation.
- The AFR View
- Exclusive
- Nuclear energy
Cancelled nuclear talk enrages politicians and engineers
There’s been a revolt against Engineers Australia over cancelling a speech by a nuclear scientist after a pressure from renewables backer Simon Holmes à Court.
- John Kehoe
- Opinion
- Energy transition
No truth in claim Dutton needs net zero to win teal seats
When the reality of the energy transition dawns on the Australian public, the Coalition will be able to get away with leaving the Paris Agreement.
- John Roskam
- Analysis
- Climate policy
Climate targets in doubt but is it a reason to stop trying?
Abandoning the 2030 target is a calculated risk for the Coalition given it lost six blue-ribbon seats to the teals at the last election.
- Phillip Coorey
‘No going back to the climate wars’, business warns Coalition
Business groups have urged the Coalition not to dump the legislated carbon emissions reduction target for 2030 and unleash a new wave of investor uncertainty.
- Phillip Coorey
AFR readers back Dutton’s assessment of climate targets
Almost 70 per cent of readers believe Australia is unlikely to meet its “aggressive” emissions reductions targets.
- Maxim Shanahan
Dutton worse than Morrison on climate change, says PM
Anthony Albanese has accused the opposition of putting Australia’s international reputation at risk by abandoning the 2030 net-zero targets.
- Poppy Johnston
Peter Dutton’s climate move a ‘big mistake’: Labor MP
A pledge by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to dump Australia’s legally binding climate targets has been labelled a “big mistake”.
- Updated
- Tess Ikonomou
Australia is ‘cherry-picking’ sustainability reporting standards
It is one of few jurisdictions that has agreed to apply new reporting standards only partially, says former super fund chief David Atkin.
- Sally Patten
Investors ought to show fossil fuel companies ‘understanding’: TCorp
The journey to net zero is ‘riddled with uncertainty’ and investors need to have some sympathy for companies, ESG executive Alexis Cheang says.
- Ronald Mizen and Joanna Mather
May
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Gas critics are signing up for coal and candles
The climate movement needs to ask itself what is worse: gas in the new energy mix, or coal that lingers for longer.
- Craig Emerson