The Australia Institute welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s announcement to invest into the hydrogen industry. ‘Green’ hydrogen is produced by splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through a process of electrolysis. “Hydrogen has been touted as a renewable energy source, but that is only true if the energy used to create it in the first

New research from the Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program shows that the Australian Summer is getting longer and Winter is getting shorter, due to global warming. The Australia Institute analysis uses Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) data to track changes in daily temperatures that mark the beginning of each season over the sub-tropical and temperate

New Australia Institute analysis shows NT fracking emissions under the NT Government’s own Fracking Inquiry’s high production scenario would be worse than the emissions of Australia’s coal fleet across the National Energy Market (NEM) in 2030, and require more offsets each year than have ever been issued in Australia to date. Key findings: Government documents

“It is disappointing the Government intends to continue using unsuccessful technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage as a smokescreen for the expansion of high-polluting fossil fuel production in Australia,” said Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program Director at the Australia Institute. “The Minister has claimed an indicator of the success of a technology is private

New research shows there is no strong case for building more gas generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM), as the existing fleet of gas power stations are operating below capacity and planning by the Energy Market Operator shows gas generation is likely to decline in coming years. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program

An open letter signed by Australian and international forestry and climate experts, published by the Australia Institute today, has called for the immediate nationwide cessation of all native forest logging in response to the climate, fire, drought and biodiversity loss crises currently facing Australia. The letter, signed by scientists from countries including Australia, USA, Canada, New

The Australia Institute has welcomed reports that Norwegian oil giant Equinor is withdrawing from its plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight and has said that the Federal and South Australian governments should now move towards permanent protection and World Heritage listing for the Bight. Australia Institute research has previously shown that

“A net-zero target by 2050 provides Australian communities and businesses with long-term certainty and direction. The Australia Institute welcomes the announcement, which aligns with the targets of every Australian state and territory,” said Richie Merzian, Climate & Energy Program Director at the Australia Institute. “More policy will of course be needed to work out how

New analysis from the Australia Institute reveals that while the Federal Government is considering taxpayer support for a new coal power station to be built in Queensland, there are currently no coal power plants under construction anywhere else in Australia or North America, and only one plant being built in the Western Europe. Key Findings: 

New research from The Australia Institute has revealed that Victoria’s ageing fleet of coal fired power stations are breaking down more often than power stations anywhere else in the National Energy Market (NEM), jeopardising energy security and pushing up prices. Covering a two-year period from December 2017-2019, the report from the institute’s Gas & Coal

New research from The Australia Institute shows that the New South Wales Government’s attempts to force planners to ignore the carbon emissions of the state’s coal exports contradicts NSW climate policy, the Paris Agreement, corporate expectations and economic opportunities for growth. Key findings NSW coal emissions are bigger than direct emissions from France and the

An urgent, two year extension of funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is required to maintain its critical role in improving energy reliability and reducing costs as Australia transitions to low-carbon sources, The Australia Institute has said. The proposal to provide ARENA $230 million per year for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is outlined in a report and

New national survey research from The Australia Institute reveals most Australians have been personally impacted by the bushfires and smoke, including millions missing work or suffering health impacts. Additionally, the research shows concern about the impacts of climate change are especially high among those directly affected by the fires, as is the wish for the

A National Climate Disaster Fund, financed by a levy on fossil fuel producers, would help South Australia to recover from the current bushfire crisis and prepare for the worsening fire seasons expected in the future, a leading think tank has said. The Australia Institute is proposing the creation of a National Climate Disaster Fund, financed by a

The current bushfire crisis has intensified Australians’ concern about climate change and its impacts, according to new polling from the Australia Institute’s Climate of the Nation. The Australia Institute commissioned YouGov, which surveyed 1,033 Australians between 8 and 12 January 2020 on issues relating to climate change and the bushfires. Climate of the Nation is

New research from The Australia Institute has found that two thirds of Australians believe the country is facing a climate emergency and that the Government should mobilise all of society to tackle the issue, like they did during the World Wars. Key findings; –          Two in three Australians (66%) agree that Australia is facing a

The government has ignored repeated warnings by the insurance industry over many years about the increasing costs of disasters as a result of climate change and the need to prepare. Last year insurance companies slammed the Morrison government’s failure to fund climate change resilience programs in the 2019 Budget. Just some examples of these warnings

The Australia Institute has welcomed the Government’s $2 billion bushfire recovery fund announcement, but has questioned why regular Australian taxpayers are being asked to pay when a levy on fossil fuel producers would be a more appropriate way to raise the required funding. “Regular Australians should not be forced to pay while fossil fuel producers

The unprecedented national bushfire crisis has highlighted the urgent need for a National Climate Disaster Levy to pay for the immense impending costs of these ongoing disasters. Today the Australia Institute is launching a full-page advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald renewing its call for the levy. Damage from the catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in

Calls renew for a National Climate Disaster Fund funded by a levy on the emissions of fossil fuel production. The National Climate Disaster would help fund the soaring cost of Australia’s ongoing national bushfire crisis. Australia Institute modelling shows that the levy, set initially at $1 per tonne of embodied emissions, would raise $1.5 billion per

New research shows South Australia is cashing in from the state’s renewables boom, with monthly average wholesale prices in SA to be the lowest of all five state regions in the National Electricity Market (NEM) for the last two months. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has released their latest National Energy Emissions Audit,

Norwegian oil giant Equinor has been given approval by the regulating body NOPSEMA to drill in the Great Australian Bight, in direct opposition to public opinion, The Australia Institute has said. More than four in five South Australians (84%) want to see the Great Australian Bight given World Heritage Protection and a majority of all

The Australia Institute has today released a detailed proposal for a National Climate Disaster Fund (NCDF), to pay for the escalating costs of natural disasters driven by climate change. Money would be raised for the Fund through a $1 levy per tonne of carbon pollution on fossil fuel production in Australia, which would currently raise

New research shows that the Kimberley region is set to experience a dramatic increase in extreme heat including up to a tenfold increase in days over 40 degrees in Broome if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced in line with the Paris Agreement.   The report, by the Australia Institute using CSIRO and BoM data, shows

According to a new report released today, rather than reduce its emissions today Australia is claiming it can rely on ‘credits’ generated decades ago under old accounting rules in a separate treaty that have no place in the Paris regime. The report commissioned by the Australia Institute from Climate Analytics, examines the nature, scale and

On climate policy Australia scores zero out of 100. As Energy Minister Angus Taylor prepares to address the UN climate talks in Madrid, the latest edition of the annual Climate Change Performance Index has Australia dropping one place to 56th – ahead of only Iran, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Saudi Arabia and the USA –

New Research from The Australia Institute has revealed that a majority (62%) of Australians support a national target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier. While every Australian State and Territory already has a target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, the Federal Government has refused to commit to the policy. The research

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Total Environment Centre and The Australia Institute welcome the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (the Commission) announcement that it will introduce wholesale demand response earlier than planned, but say more work is urgently needed to get the best outcome for households. The Commission has today announced it will postpone a final

The Queensland Government has announced its royalty deal arrangement with Adani, due by Saturday 30th November 2019, has been delayed yet again and no new deadline has been set. “This loan deal should never have been on the table, it is against Queensland’s interests and will be to Queensland’s shame if it is waved through,”

New research shows that coal-fired electricity generation is on the decline across the National Electricity Market (NEM), particularly in Victoria where the continued shut down of the Loy Yang A power station has put Victorian coal generation levels at their lowest since the National Energy Market commenced 21 years ago. The Australia Institute Climate &