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November 2023
Polling: Climate Change and Health
The Australia Institute surveyed a sample of 1,535 Australians about their concerns regarding the impacts on human health from fossil fuel projects.
Gas Bagging
Despite the claims to the contrary by the Northern Territory government, development of the Beetaloo Basin’s gas resources will be of little benefit to Territorians. Modelling used by the NT government itself shows that the development of the Beetaloo Basin will not diversify the NT economy, aid the transition to net zero emissions, provide cheap
October 2023
The economic impacts of gas development in the Northern Territory
Gas development has few economic benefits beyond those that flow to the gas industry itself. The industry is a small employer, systematic non-payer of tax and crowds out other industries.
Submission: NSW Net Zero Future Bill 2023
The Bill is unlikely to facilitate actions that would result in genuine emissions reductions in NSW, including elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, a moratorium on coal and gas development and decarbonisation of industry and transport. While the goals of the Bill are laudable, fiscal responsibility is a subjective guiding principle and open to creative interpretation
September 2023
Submission: Climate Change Authority Modelling
Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change demands urgent action. This urgency ought to be driven by fulsome and transparent information. Current economic modelling by the CCA could be an important contribution to this task, if done properly and shared with all.
Climate of the Nation 2023
The Australia Institute’s annual Climate of the Nation report provides a comprehensive account of Australian attitudes towards climate change, its causes and impacts, and the integrity of Australia’s current and proposed climate solutions.
NeuRizer underground coal gasification project – economic considerations
The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Syngas and Power Generation, Stage 1 Commercial Development, NeuRizer Urea Project, which is currently open for public comment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act Public Portal.
August 2023
Get Your Skates On: Tasmania’s Next State of the Environment Report
Tasmania has not published a State of the Environment Report since 2009. Nationally, alarming declines of natural and cultural values are underway. Without a state-focused analysis, Tasmanians are in the dark about the scale and detail of concerns and government decision-makers are flying blind.
Emissions from the Tamboran NT LNG facility
The NT LNG facility aims to produce up 20 million tonnes of LNG per year for export using gas fracked from the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin.
Submission on the sea dumping and carbon capture and storage bill 2023
This Bill appears primarily aimed at facilitating the Santos Barossa Project, its related Bayu-Undan carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and other fossil fuel projects off Australia’s northern shores. CCS is a technology that has failed for decades, a fact omitted by public agency submissions relating to this Bill.
July 2023
Submission: Senate inquiry into greenwashing
The Australia Institute made a submission to the senate inquiry into greenwashing.
Polling – Advertising in SA Sports
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 604 South Australians about advertising at sporting events and in sporting broadcasts. Respondents were told that promoting tobacco products in sport is banned in South Australia and were asked whether they agree or disagree with a policy of extending that ban to prohibit the advertising of other goods and services.
June 2023
A Fair COP31
The Australian Government has proposed that Australia host the 2026 UN Climate Conference, in “partnership” with Pacific nations.
May 2023
Lake Vermont-Meadowbrook Coal Mine Extension
The economic assessment of the Lake Vermont project heavily understates its costs and overstates its benefits. At the USA Environmental Protection Agency’s central social cost of carbon estimate, the cost of the direct emissions alone is $4.1 billion, greater than the estimated royalty revenue – $1.1 billion.
The New Safeguard Mechanism and the Santos Barossa Gas Project
The Safeguard Mechanism now requires stronger action to cut pollution from gas projects including full abatement of reservoir emissions.
Submission: Boggabri Coal Mine, Modification 8 Proposal
The Australia Institute made a submission on the Boggabri coal mine’s latest expansion proposal.
Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia 2023
In 2022–23, Australian Federal and state governments provided a total of $11.1 billion worth of spending and tax breaks to assist fossil fuel industries.
April 2023
Community Attitudes to Home and Car Electrification
The transition towards a low-carbon future is a pressing issue, and household electrification has emerged as a critical component of Australia’s ongoing shift in energy use. In response, The Australia Institute commissioned a research report to better understand current public sentiment towards home and vehicle electrification via new community research. This report provides a snapshot
Submission: Tasmania’s Draft Climate Change Action Plan 2023–25
Tasmania’s Draft Climate Change Action Plan is a plan for inaction. Without radical improvement, this plan will do little to reduce emissions or mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Stuck in the Slow Lane
Electric buses are commercially available, economically viable, and popular with commuters. They have multiple advantages over diesel-fuelled buses, including reduced CO2 emissions, noise, and air pollution. Despite this, just 0.2% of Australia’s bus fleet is electric. Most of this fleet is owned by state governments. Their failure to act on electrification suggests their commitments to
Polling – Funding Australia’s nuclear submarines
Key Results: The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,002 Australians about the plan to purchase nuclear-powered submarines. The results show that Australians are not clear about how the submarine program should be funded. Respondents were told that the Albanese Government and the Dutton Opposition have committed to building nuclear submarines, at an
March 2023
In reverse
Australia’s light duty vehicle fleet is among the least fuel efficient in the world, using 24% more fuel per kilometre travelled than the UK. If the UK’s modest standards could be met here, Australian drivers would save $13 billion a year in fuel costs and overall transport emissions would be 17% lower.
Northern direction: If NSW had the Queensland coal royalty system
If NSW had adopted Queensland’s progressive coal royalty system in 2021-22 it would have raised an additional $2.8 billion. For 2022-23 this figure is estimated at between $4.2 billion and $6.2 billion.
Polling: New Gas & Coal, Offsets
Polling across 5 federal electorates reveals a majority of voters support a ban on new gas and coal projects, and very few support unlimited carbon offsets to expand fossil fuels. uComms were commissioned on behalf of the Australia Institute to poll in the seats of Mackellar, Goldstein, Sydney, Bennelong and Moreton between 9-14 of March
New fossil fuel projects in Australia 2023
There are 116 new fossil fuel projects on the Federal Government’s annual Resource & Energy Major Project list, two more than at the end of 2021. If all proceed as estimated, they will add 4.8 billion tonnes of emissions to the atmosphere by 2030.
Polling – Carbon Offsets, New Fossil Fuels, Role of the Senate
Key Findings: 82% of Canberrans believe polluting projects should not be able to offset 100% of their emissions via carbon offsets, only 9% believe in 100% carbon offsets for projects Of those, 56% believe polluting projects should have to directly reduce their emissions, not use carbon offsets And 26% believe projects should be able to
February 2023
Submission – Hunter Valley Operations coal mine expansion
The Australia Institute made a submission on the Environmental Impact Statement of the Hunter Valley Operations coal mine expansion proposal. Our submission focuses on the economic assessment of the project, written by Ernst and Young (EY). EY’s assessment overstates the benefits of the project and understates its costs. It is not suitable for decision-making purposes.
Submission: The Grueen Transfer
The Australia Institute made a submission to the review of the Environmental Claims Code to encourage the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) to drive integrity and best-practice in Australian advertising.
Delay or Decarbonise?
Climate policy can incentivise genuine emissions reduction, or it can delay decarbonisation by expanding the use of offsets.
Polling – Carbon neutrality, net zero and carbon offsets
Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,012 Australians in January 2023, about their attitudes about carbon neutrality, net zero and carbon offsets. • An overwhelming majority of Australians (85%) have heard the term carbon neutral, but just one in three (33%) know what it means. • Fewer Australians have heard