Welcome to the January 2020 issue of the NEEA Report, updated to the end of October 2019, and for electricity to the end of December 2019 emissions. Details on data sources and methods are included in the appendix.

This issue looks first at total energy combustion emissions to the end of October. Petroleum emissions have again begun increasing, approaching the scale of NEM emissions, which continue to fall. The trend of falling diesel consumption seen during the first half of 2019 has now ended, as foreshadowed in the December NEEA Report, however the renewed growth is modest. In addition, there appears to be a more rapid fall in natural gas consumption. The overall consequence is energy emissions are continuing to fall.

This issue then examines the emissions associated with extracting and processing coal and gas for export from Australia. Domestic emissions caused by Australia’s large coal and gas exports are estimated to have been 13% of Australia’s total emissions in 2016-17. The significant emissions from gas consumed in the Queensland LNG projects are shown in the context of other gas consumption.

Turning to electricity, data to the end of December 2019 show the continued steady growth in renewable generation and associated fall in emissions. Two new graphs are included, showing the ten-year trend in total renewable generation by state and the consequent renewable share of total generation in each state. These data allow ready assessment of how states with formal renewable targets are progressing towards their targets, and makes it easy to compare their performance with those of states without targets.