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  1. #26
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Couldn’t post two videos in one post, but I did want to show what the new Australian PM said about the global nature pledge. Extra,……..see underlined highlight.


    Quote Originally Posted by S Landreth View Post



    The Australian government has active a all-around agreement accustomed by further than 90 countries committing them to abandoning biodiversity accident by 2030.

    The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, alien Australia had abutting the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature at an accident demography abode on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

    In a video message, he answered Australia’s access to ecology challenges had afflicted and the government accepted altitude change and the all-around accident of biodiversity were bifold crises.

    “This highlights Australia’s reinvigorated access to maintaining our ambiance and altitude administration and signals our adherence with added apple leaders in our charge to demography able action on the bifold crises of biodiversity accident and altitude change,” he said.

    The Leaders’ Pledge for Nature is the aforementioned certificate the Morrison government refused to assurance in 2020 because it alleged for commitments which were inconsistent with Australia’s behavior at the time, including greater appetence to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

    The agreement was once developed by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Belize, Bhutan, Colombia, Costa Rica, the EU, Finland, Kenya, Seychelles, the UK and an accord of organisations.

    Countries which have accustomed the agreement have promised accomplishments including stronger all-around accomplishment to decrease deforestation, awkward unsustainable fishing practices, eradicating environmentally adverse subsidies, and alpha the alteration to acceptable aliment assembly systems and a annular abridgement all through the abutting decade.

    The certificate promises action to decrease biodiversity accident and stop human-caused extinctions of added species.

  2. #27
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    The UN Human Rights Committee found on Friday that Australia’s failure to adequately protect indigenous Torres Islanders against climate change impacts, has violated their rights to enjoy their culture, free from “arbitrary interference” with their private life, family and home.

    The Committee issued its ground-breaking decision after examining a joint complaint filed by eight Australian nationals and six of their children – all indigenous inhabitants of Boigu, Poruma, Warraber and Masig, four small, low-lying islands in the country’s Torres Strait region.

    The Islanders claimed their rights had been violated as Australia failed to adapt to climate change through upgrading seawalls on the islands and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, among other necessary measures.

    “This decision marks a significant development as the Committee has created a pathway for individuals to assert claims where national systems have failed to take appropriate measures to protect those most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of their human rights,” Committee member Hélène Tigroudja said.

    Morrison Government failure

    Considering the Islanders’ close, spiritual connection with traditional lands, and their cultural integrity dependence on the health of surrounding ecosystems, the Committee found that Australia’s failure to take timely and adequate measures to protect the Islanders from climate change, had violated their rights to enjoy their own culture and to be free from arbitrary interferences with their private life, family and home.

    “States that fail to protect individuals under their jurisdiction from the adverse effects of climate change may be violating their human rights under international law,” Ms. Tigroudja stated.

    In the same decision, the Committee also indicated that despite Australia’s series of actions – such as new seawalls for the four islands by next year – additional timely and appropriate measures were required to prevent potential loss of life.

    ___________



    A massive $1.93 billion in gas and coal development subsidies promised by the ousted Australian Liberal Party coalition should be realocated in October’s federal budget, and redirected by the Labor Party to the renewables sector to help meet the country’s climate goals, environmentalists say.

    The Parliamentary Budget Office analysis of former Liberal Party gas subsidy announcements under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed $1.9 billion in public funds that were not formally committed for 24 projects in varying stages of development.

    The analysis, commissioned by the Greens Party based on investigations by 350.org will form the basis of campaigns by the Greens and environment groups calling on Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reallocate the remaining funding to renewable investment in the budget.

    For now, these “zombie” subsidies remain allocated to opening up new coal and gas basins, new plants, import terminals, new petrochemical factories and carbon capture and storage programs.

    “Public money should not fund coal and gas,” Greens leader Adam Bandt said.

    “Labor’s first Budget must kill off Morrison’s $2 billion coal and gas zombie handouts, including the $23 million remaining to open up the NT’s Beetaloo basin,” Bandt said, referring to the massive gas fracking project gearing up for development in the Northern Territory.

    Gas subsidies already spent include $7.5 million allocated to Tamboran Resources which, RenewEconomy this week reported has agreed to buy out Origin Energy’s majority financial stake in Beetaloo.

    Origin has pitched its exit from Beetaloo as a major step in the greening of the energy giant, though the sale to Tamboran would see Origin purchase up to 36.5 petajoules of gas from the project annually for 10 years.

    Development of Beetaloo alone could lift Australia’s total emissions by up to 11 percent at a time when the country is striving to meet its net zero commitments, critics warn.

    “Origin’s decision yesterday to withdraw from fracking projects in the Northern Territory is further evidence of the speculative and volatile nature of Australia’s gas industry,” Lock the Gate national co-ordinator Ellen Roberts said.

    “Gas companies are holding out their hands for subsidies for gas projects that will yield only a handful of jobs and damage water and land.”

    The upcoming budget is seen as a chance for the Albanese government to further distance itself from the legacy policies of the previous administration and put a fresh stamp on Australia’s future energy strategy.

    “The Albanese government has an opportunity to put an end to this wasteful spending and make sure no further handouts are given to gas billionaires,” said Shani Tager, senior campaigner at 350.org.

    Australia has committed to slash carbon emissions by 43 per cent under a climate bill this month that passed its final parliamentary hurdle this month.

    Still, government-backed fossil fuel subsidies remain deeply embedded in Australia’s resources sector.

    The Australia Institute estimates that in the 2021-22 budget period, existing Australian federal and state governments’ total fossil fuel subsidies cost A$11.6 billion — up $1.3 billion on the previous year.

    In the waning days of the Morrison government, the total value of future fossil fuel subsidies already committed in federal, state and territory budgets stood at $55.3 billion – more than 10 times the balance of Australia’s Emergency Response Fund.
    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

  3. #28
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Another busy week, so I will be posting a few newsworthy articles before Saturday’s update.




    The new target is for 70% of Queensland’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2032, compared to the previous target of 50% renewables by 2030.

    When announcing plans for the largest publicly-owned wind farm in Australia on Monday, Palaszczuk said renewable projects currently made up about 21% of Queensland’s energy market.

    Queensland is expected to release further details of its plans to reduce emissions later today. It’s currently aiming for a reduction of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030, well below targets of 50% in Victoria and New South Wales.

    _____________


    Annastacia Palaszczuk - Queensland energy plan to include $4bn of new investment in next four years

    Climate change is real and its impacts are real and its impacts on Queensland are real. We need to act, and act in a revolutionary way.

    Our massive Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is all about cheaper, cleaner energy putting downward pressure on household energy bills.

    _____________




    The Queensland government says its energy corporation Stanwell, a major provider of electricity, plans to build Australia's largest state-owned wind farm in the South Burnett region.

    Key points:


    • The government says the wind farm will power up to 230,000 homes
    • The premier is expected to make another major energy announcement in Wednesday's State of the State address
    • Queensland has committed to achieving 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030
    • The proposal would see the Tarong West Wind Farm built at Ironpot, 30 kilometres south-west of Kingaroy.


    The government has announced a $776 million injection of funds for the project, which will be drawn from the state's $2 billion Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs fund.

    "This project with up to 150 turbines could generate 500MW capacity, enough clean electricity to power up to 230,000 homes," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

    "It's investments like this that will ensure we deliver on our net-zero ambitions and our promise to Queenslanders to become a global renewable energy superpower," she said.

    The government has committed to achieve 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, and zero net emissions by 2050.

    Currently more than 20 per cent of the state's electricity is produced from renewable energy sources — including rooftop solar and solar and wind farms.

    It is expected the project will involve around 200 construction jobs and 15 ongoing jobs when it becomes operational.

    The Premier will today visit the site, in the state's Southern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone, ahead of what she said will be major announcement on energy and climate change on Wednesday.

    A final decision on the wind farm proposal is expected in 2024.

    If approved, construction would begin the same year with the wind farm to become operational from 2026.

    Ms Palaszczuk said there were 50 renewable energy projects operating or committed across Queensland.

    "That's billions of dollars already invested in setting us up to capitalise on the jobs, industries, and exports of the future," she said.

    "We are now focused on what the next decade will look like, and I'll have a lot more to say on this in this week's CEDA State of the State address."

    Treasurer Cameron Dick said the project would boost Stanwell's asset portfolio, and was expected to provide substantial commercial value — giving it dispatch control of significant renewable generation capacity.

    ____________



    Queensland will end its reliance on coal-fired power generation by 2035 – up to a decade earlier than planned – as part of its new energy plan to have 70 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2035.

    Pumped hydro and the creation of “super grids” to connect 2 gigawatts of new renewable projects form part of the plan launched by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane on Wednesday.

    Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the state will turn to renewable energy and away from coal. AAP

    Previously, Queensland’s younger fleet of government-owned coal-fired power stations were due to run into the 2040s. The newer 1445-megawatt Stanwell plant, which was only commissioned in 1993, was not due to close until 2044 to 2045.

    Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland would not be reliant on coal power by 2035, but the stations would remain as back-up until pumped-hydro projects were operational.

    “This plan is all about cheaper, cleaner and secure energy for Queenslanders,” she said. “Renewable energy is the cheapest form of new energy. This plan makes Queensland the renewable energy capital of the world.

    “It also takes real and decisive action on climate change providing the biggest commitment to renewable energy in Australia’s history.”

    Queensland had already committed to a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

    But the coal-rich state is still heavily reliant on black coal which accounts for about 75 per cent of power generation each day.

    Renewable energy currently accounts for about 21 per cent of the state’s total power generation.

    The Queensland jobs and energy plan will include $62 billion of investment in the energy network until 2035, including $6 billion over the next four years.

    The so-called “super grid” will deliver about 1500 kilometres of transmission lines from Brisbane up to North Queensland and west to Hughenden.

    The 500-kilovolt transmission lines will be the largest constructed in Queensland and help support 22 gigawatts of new wind and solar power.

    The plan commits to two new pumped-hydro power stations as well as battery and wind projects.

    Ms Palaszczuk vowed household power bills will be lower under the pivot to renewable power.

    The government will also create a $150 million job transition fund to help coal workers find jobs as part of a low-emissions economy. The new jobs guarantee was negotiated with trade unions.

    “What this plan does is give certainty for workers and certainty for investors,” Ms Palaszczuk told the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia lunch.

    “The guarantee will support workers with access to reskilling, transfer to new opportunities and advice on future career pathways.

    “Under the jobs and energy plan there will be more job opportunities.”

    The government said there should be replacement jobs in maintenance for renewable hubs, technicians for the new super grid and for building new battery technologies.

  4. #29
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Protecting our environment

    Safeguarding our remarkable landscapes and species for future generations

    Reef 2050 Plan

    The Government is investing an additional $1 billion in world-leading marine science to build the Great Barrier Reef's resilience to climate change, remove pest species and improve the reef's water quality. This brings total Government investment in the reef to $3 billion since 2014.

    This investment will also protect jobs at the heart of the reef economy and support Traditional Owner and community-led projects.

    Conserving Australia's ecosystems

    We are investing over $170 million for threatened species and habitat restoration, and tree planting projects, including $53 million dedicated to koala recovery and conservation. A further $26.8 million for our national parks will improve conservation and management. It will also support Indigenous engagement and employment, enhancing preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

    Enhancing our scientific capability in the Antarctic

    The Government is investing $839.9 million to enable exploration of East Antarctica’s inland and to support research and environmental management. This investment will ensure that the Antarctic remains a place of science and conservation, free from conflict and exploitation.

    Improving environmental regulation

    The Government is ensuring that Australia's environmental laws are fit for purpose. A $192 million investment in reforms will protect the environment, speed-up environmental law decisions, and improve transparency in project approvals.

    ReMade in Australia

    Building on the Government's $190 million Recycling Modernisation Fund and the National Waste Policy Action Plan, the Government is spending $83.1 million on Australia's waste and recycling capabilities to help reach our 2030 waste targets.

    This includes $60.4 million to develop new plastics recycling technology and advanced recycling solutions. A further $18.2 million will go towards improving awareness of correct recycling techniques and develop a new 'ReMade in Australia' scheme to certify goods that are recycled and remade here in Australia.

    ____________




    AGL Energy will shut down Australia’s biggest single carbon polluting power plant a decade earlier than planned, changing the closure date of its coal-fired Loy Yang A power station in Victoria from 2045 to 2035.

    The company, Australia’s biggest electricity generator and polluter, is accelerating its exit from coal, according to plan released to the stock exchange on Thursday. . The strategy details its transition to renewable energy after opposition from its largest shareholder, billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, forced it in May to ditch plans to demerge.

    The company will leave unchanged the plan to shut its Bayswater black coal-fired power station in NSW’s Hunter Valleybetween 2030 and 2033, a statement by AGL to the stock exchange on Thursday showed.

    AGL predicted it will have the largest portfolio of renewable energy and storage of any listed company in the country.

    “We have the ambition to supply up to 12 gigawatts of renewable and firming capacity up to 2036 to meet our customer demand, estimated to require up to a $20bn investment,” Patricia McKenzie, the new AGL chair, said in the statement.

    “Our interim target is to have up to 5GW of new renewables and firming in place by 2030, funding from a combination of assets on AGL’s balance sheet, offtakes and via partnerships – with battery, wind and solar priority investments at this stage,” she said.

    Confirmation of the earlier closure of the 2,210-megawatt Loy Yang A in the Latrobe Valley comes days after the Victorian government announced ambitious plans to bring in more storage to the power system.

    Under the targets, Victoria would reach 2.6 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3GW by 2035 – enough to power about half of Victoria’s current homes at their peak energy usage.

    The Victorian plant, which comprises Loy Yang A and B stations, supplies about 30% of the state’s electricity and is the biggest single carbon polluting plant in the country. Nationally, only Origin Energy’s 2,880MW plant – due to shut in 2025 – is larger.

    AGL has already shut one of the four units of its Liddell coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley, and will shut the rest of the 1,680MW plant by next April. Bayswater, at 2,640MW, will operate for another six to nine years after Liddell’s closure.

    ___________


    • The government has released a consultation paper on a national electric vehicle strategy, which has been promised to lift adoption of zero and low-emissions cars. About 2% of new cars sold in Australia last year were EVs, compared with 9% globally.


    The paper calls for views on introducing fuel-efficiency standards. It makes the point Australia sits with Russia as one of the only major economies that does not have these standards, which would set an emissions target for manufacturers, measured in grams of CO2 released per kilometre and averaged across all new cars they sell. The target would be gradually reduced to zero.

    At a press conference today, climate change minister, Chris Bowen, framed the debate about EVs as being one of choice.

    To those who say we shouldn’t be encouraging electric vehicles into Australia, they’re really saying they want electric vehicles to continue to be the preserve of those who are well off. We want those choices available to all. And that’s the discussion we are having with the Australian people.

    1.3 Our plan

    Our Powering Australia plan sets out how we will meet our climate targets. It includes our commitment to develop Australia’s first national electric vehicle strategy.

    The National Electric Vehicle Strategy will:


    • Build on the strong platform that governments and industry have already started
    • Deliver a nationally consistent, comprehensive and overarching framework
    • Enhance existing actions to ensure greater alignment to the Strategy Raise the pace and scale of change
    • Address national gaps so all Australians can access the benefits of EVs
    • Be dynamic and adapt over time to reflect the rapidly evolving nature of the sector
    • Make sure we are on track to meet our emissions and transport electrification goals and proposed objectives.


    The Strategy will also include our commitment to consider:


    • Further possible measures to increase EV sales and infrastructure
    • Policy settings to encourage Australian manufacturing of EVs, chargers and components
    • Ways to address the implications of future declining fuel excise revenue.


    The Strategy will also include measures to speed transition across all road transport segments. This includes measures relating to micro-mobility, motorbikes, light and heavy vehicles.

    __________




    Victorian Labor will legislate the largest renewable energy storage targets in Australia if it secures a third successive term in office.

    Just under two months before the state election, Premier Daniel Andrews has set targets for the state to reach 2.6 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3 GW by 2035.

    The latter storage target would be enough to power half of the state's households.

    "We will set and legislate Australia's largest energy storage targets," he told reporters in Bayswater on Tuesday.

    "This is all about giving certainty to industry, underwriting private sector investment. This important change will see some 12,700 jobs created, and will underpin $1.7 billion worth of investment in storage projects right across our state."

    Victoria has legislated a renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030 and aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

    Mr Andrews said the storage targets would be legislated sometime in 2023, if Labor is granted another four years in government.

    Advocacy group Environment Victoria described the targets as a "groundbreaking step" and another example of the state leading the nation on energy policy.

    It is urging the federal government and other states to work with Victoria to develop a national storage target and for the Victorian coalition to commit to implement and improve on the goals if it returns to office.

    "Sensible environmental policy shouldn't belong just to one side of politics," Enviromental Victoria chief executive Jono La Nauze said.

    In addition to the targets, the Andrews government has allocated $119 million towards a 125-megawatt battery and grid-forming inverter between Bendigo and Red Cliffs, along with $38 million for battery and renewable projects in Terang, Gippsland, Barwon and Wollert.

    Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said some renewable storage batteries can discharge power for up to eight hours, dispatching energy when the sun isn't shining or wind isn't blowing.

    "The more storage we have in our system ... the cheaper power bills will be," she said.

    Unlike Labor, the Victorian coalition has vowed to legislate the state's 2030 emissions reduction target and Opposition Leader Matthew Guy questioned how effective the storage targets would be.

    "It's not a bad suggestion but, at the end of the day, Victorians need cost of living relief today. They can't afford to wait until 2035," he said.

    _____________




    The coalition has moved to strip a ban on nuclear energy in Australia.

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called for a discussion on whether nuclear power can become part of the energy mix as the nation faces higher electricity prices.

    His Nationals colleagues have gone further, calling for an overturning of the current ban.

    Nationals senator Matt Canavan has moved to repeal the ban in the Senate with a private bill co-sponsored by coalition colleagues.

    Senator Canavan said the repeal doesn't mean nuclear power would start tomorrow, with significant regulatory frameworks still in place.

    But the industry needed to be given the green light so it could be operable before Australia faced a similar energy crisis to Europe, he said.

    "You don't want to ... be making these decisions at the same time you're facing a massive crisis," he told Sky News.

    "That's why we should do this today."

    The Queensland senator said there was a much larger appetite in Australia for nuclear energy after the government signed on to buy nuclear-propelled submarines.

    "When we announced nuclear submarines last year, there was basically zero controversy," he said.

    "People realised, given the geopolitical situation we faced, whatever hang-ups we had on nuclear energy, we needed them in our submarines.

    "Likewise here given the energy situation we face ... we cannot afford to take options off the table."

    Energy Minister Chris Bowen laughed at the suggestion, saying it was the most expensive form of power Australia could invest in.

    Mr Bowen said industry groups had stated Australia would need about 80 nuclear plants to produce the electricity it needed.

    "That is one (for) every second MP. Put your hand up if you would like one," he told the parliament.

    "You get a nuclear power plant. You get a nuclear power plant and you get a nuclear power plant. There is plenty to go around!"

  5. #30
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    A few articles before the update tomorrow.




    With the federal budget less than two weeks away, the Climate Council is calling on the Albanese Government to replace $11.6 billion spent on fossil fuel subsidies with "structural" environmentally friendly investments that could lower costs for households.

    In a report released on Friday, the Climate Council claims the government could use money from fuel subsidies to install more than 72,000 electric vehicle charging stations - one for every 12 kilometres of road - or install solar panels to power 1.5 million low-income households.

    Climate Council chief executive Dr Jennifer Rayner said the organisation based its figures on fossil fuel subsidies paid in the 2021-2022 financial year and five projects it considered "better bets".

    In addition to solar panels and EV charging stations, Dr Rayner said the government could use the funds to replace all diesel buses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, create 138 renewable energy storage facilities similar to Victoria's Big Battery in Geelong, or fund another 15 pumped hydro projects to shore up the energy grid.

    Dr Rayner said each of the projects was environmentally friendly and some would offer cost savings to households under financial pressure.

    "If we're giving solar panels to lower-income families, that's going to help with their bills and reduce the cost of living," she said.

    "This is an opportunity to make big structural changes."

    Climate Council economist Nicki Hutley, who prepared the report, said investing the funds in electric vehicle charging sites could also make it easier for Australians to avoid rising petrol prices.

    Australia has a network of more than 3000 public electric vehicle charging stations but, with an $11.6 billion investment, Ms Hutley estimates the country could roll out 72,500 EV chargers - one for every 12km.

    By comparison, Norway has an EV charger for every 50km of roads at 17,000.

    KPMG has flagged climate change as a key concern in the October budget.

    Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged a "responsible" budget about "difficult decisions in difficult times".

    "If there's going to be one defining feature in this budget ... it's going to be responsible economic management in the midst of high and rising inflation and persistent structural pressures," he told a press conference this week.

    The budget will be handed down on Tuesday.

    ____________



    Former competition tsar Rod Sims has called for higher taxes on fossil fuels, carbon, minerals and land to fund the services Australians want.

    The renowned economist and former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair said the only way to boost the budget's bottom line and underpin higher spending was through taxation.

    "We have a lot of tax spaces out there and we need to have a discussion about what expenditure levels we want," he told ABC TV.

    "If we want higher expenditure, we can only do it through higher taxation. There's no other way."

    Mr Sims said Australia needed to look at a carbon tax if it was serious about transitioning to a net-zero economy, noting 70 per cent of revenue already came from income and company taxes.

    He said offering incentives to boost the take-up of renewable and low-emissions technologies like electric vehicles would only benefit wealthy Australians who were able to afford them.

    "How we expect to achieve our climate change objectives without changing relative prices where carbon intensive activity pays more ... I just don't know," he said.

    But the former ACCC chair declined to weigh in on the debate about stage-three income tax cuts, saying three weeks before Labor's first budget may be too premature to consider new taxes.

    "There is a fair way to go in that discussion that we probably won't get to by the October 25 budget, but hopefully the budgets after that," he said.

    There has been speculation the government is considering changes to the legislated stage-three tax cuts, which will largely benefit high-income earners, although government ministers have consistently stood by the plan.

    Labor Party president and former federal treasurer Wayne Swan said the government would be naive to not consider international factors ahead of the upcoming budget when weighing tax changes.

    He told Nine's Today program the government had not broken an election promise to keep the state-three tax cuts, scheduled to be introduced in 2024-25, as no decision had been made.

    "But any government that sat down in this environment and said they weren't going to review all of the policy settings in light of what has gone on, would be sticking its head in the sand," he said.

    Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on Wednesday said the government hadn't shifted its policy but did not deny that a shift was being discussed.

    Former Reserve Bank of Australia governor Bernie Fraser said he was surprised Labor committed to the stage three tax cuts and ensconced them in legislation.

    "There is no honour in the government standing by what is really a very dodgy commitment and hardly an unbreakable one," Mr Fraser said.

    He urged the government to repeal the stage three tax cuts and consider other ways to boost tax revenue to help fund its reform agenda.

    _____________




    Australia will be in the hot seat over its finance for less developed countries at next month's global climate talks as a leading charity casts doubt on rich nations' contributions.

    Oxfam Australia says climate finance is a lifeline for some of the world's poorest people and is a vital component of the yearly international negotiations that are meant to keep the world safe.

    Ahead of the next UN Climate Change Conference, Australia has passed new climate laws to accelerate its contribution to curbing global warming by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030.

    But new commitments on climate finance to help less developed countries reduce emissions and adapt to climate change are yet to be declared.

    Rich countries including Australia pledged in Copenhagen in 2009 to raise US$100 billion a year in climate finance by 2025 to help less developed economies - a promise ditched under the coalition government.

    Instead, last year Australia announced an "increase" in international climate finance commitments to $A2 billion over the next five years to support developing countries in the region.

    But research by Oxfam Australia and ActionAid Australia has estimated Australia's fair share at $A4 billion annually, or approximately 10 times the contributions expected between 2020 and 2025.

    Further, existing climate financing has been questioned by Oxfam in a recent report that found figures may be dodgy and countries may be short-changing some of the world's most vulnerable communities.

    Oxfam audited the World Bank's reported $US17.2 billion 2020 climate finance portfolio and found it could be off by as much as 40 per cent, or $US7 billion.

    Stricter reporting rules and clear definitions are demanded in the lead-up to the United Nations summit in November, with Australian politicians, business leaders and charities to gather in Cairo after last year's Glasgow session.

    A spokesman for Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told AAP Australia is committed to working with the international community to make the upcoming climate negotiations successful.

    "Australia determines how much of our development funding can be attributed as climate finance in line with the OECD climate change guidance, and like-minded country commitments and reporting," he said on Wednesday.

    Quizzed about Oxfam's claims, he said Australia supports transparency and accountability in climate finance, including by multilateral institutions such as the World Bank.

    But Australia is "supportive of international efforts to develop clearer, credible and globally comparable climate risk disclosure standards," he said.

    The latest Oxfam report, Unaccountable Accounting, says rich countries have broken their $100 billion promise.

    To make matters worse, more than 70 per cent of capital mobilised was in loans, placing even more strain on poor countries' budgets when they have to pay it back, Oxfam said.

    "This audit exposes the danger that some climate finance claims could simply be greenwashing, which would lead to a dangerous under-investment in poor countries' mitigation and adaptation efforts," Oxfam's climate change policy lead Nafkote Dabi said.

    "Without better disclosure, the World Bank is asking us all to take too much on faith. These funds are too important for that," she said.

    _____________




    The federal government has outlined its plan to arrest Australia's disturbing environmental decline with a plan to prevent any further extinctions and pull imperilled species back from the brink.

    Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is in Sydney to release a 10-year action plan to save some of the species in danger of vanishing forever.

    It initially targets 110 priority plants and animals, and 20 places of extraordinary natural value including Kangaroo and Norfolk islands and Kakadu.

    It's hoped that aiding the recovery of those species, and building resilience into those places, will also boost the fortunes of other threatened species.

    The plan comes less than three months after Ms Plibersek released the five-yearly State of the Environment report, which laid bare what's already been lost and what could follow.

    It found the environment is sick and getting sicker with almost every ecosystem ailing. It said Australia was the mammal extinction capital of the world.

    And it warned some of the nation's flagship species could vanish without profound changes to environmental safeguards.

    Ms Plibersek has promised to radically rework the nation's environmental protection laws, while acting to prevent any further losses.

    But the release of the threatened species action plan came with a sting - news that 15 more species and three ecological communities have joined the threatened list.

    The plan's ambitions include the prevention of any further extinctions and the recovery of imperilled species, including through the protection and conservation of at least 30 per cent of Australia's land mass.

    Independent scientists were responsible for choosing the 110 priority species, including koalas, wombats, multiple species of possum, the red-tailed black cockatoo, the Australian sea lion and the brush-tailed rock-wallaby.

    Fish, frogs, reptiles and 30 plants are also on the list, and the list of 20 priority places includes the Blue Mountains, the Australian Alps, Kakadu and West Arnhem, Tasmania's giant kelp forests and Kangaroo and Norfolk islands.

    "Our current approach has not been working. If we keep doing what we've been doing, we'll keep getting the same results. Australia is the mammal extinction capital of the world," the minister said on Tuesday.

    "The need for action has never been greater. By prioritising 110 species and 20 places, the plan will drive action where it is needed most and will deliver flow-on benefits to other threatened plants and animals in the same habitats."

    New species added to the threatened list include the parma wallaby, a small rock-dwelling species found along the Great Dividing Range and the western beautiful firetail, which took a huge hit in the Kangaroo Island bushfires.

    The three new threatened ecological communities include the Mount Kaputar land snail and slug community, which is now listed as endangered.

    Only known to be found at Mt Kaputar in northern NSW, the community features the iconic Kaputar giant pink slug.

    It is threatened by feral pigs, climate change and was extensively affected by the 2019 bushfires.


    ___________



    BHP Group Ltd. is seeking approval from Australia’s government to extend the life of a metallurgical coal mine in Queensland for almost a century, drawing the ire of climate groups.

    The development application, via a joint venture with Mitsubishi Corp., would ensure the continuation of the Peak Downs Mine “for up to approximately 93 years,” according to a filing published by the Australian government. Both BHP, the world’s biggest miner, and the Japanese company couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

    The move comes even after Australia’s center-left government vowed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The nation’s biggest customers for fossil fuels -- including Japan and South Korea -- have also made similar pledges to dramatically cut their greenhouse gas emissions, while Queensland’s government has promised to close all coal-fired power stations by 2035.

    “BHP’s move to extend the Peak Downs coal mine for 93 years to 2116 is delusional,” Harriet Kater, climate lead at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility, said in a statement Friday. “What part of net zero by 2050 does it not understand?”

    Still, both the Queensland and federal government have continued to back the expansion of coal mining, expected to be the nation’s biggest export earner this financial year. Thirty major coal projects are now awaiting approval from the federal environment minister.

    Producing More

    Output from Australia's coal mines is forecast to continue to rise

    Excluding the Peak Downs extension, coal from those mines would emit around 17 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over their lifetimes, according to recent estimates by activist group Move Beyond Coal. That’s more than half of all global emissions in 2021 and and would use up 4% of the world’s remaining “carbon budget” before atmospheric concentrations of CO2 reach a level where 1.5 C degrees of warming becomes the most likely scenario, the Global Carbon Project has said.

    Earlier this year, BHP applied to open a nearby mine, Blackwater South, that could operate for around 90 years. Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry has previously said that application didn’t necessarily mean the project would go ahead, or continue for that period.

    BHP has pledged to reach net zero emissions from its operations by 2050. Still, that figure doesn’t include carbon dioxide released when overseas customers burn coal from the company’s mines.

    No Alternatives

    Metallurgical coal such as that mined at Peak Downs is crucial to the steelmaking process. It’s widely regarded as more acceptable than thermal coal used in electricity generation, because unlike power generation there are no commercially-viable coal-free alternatives for manufacturing steel.

    However, green steel technology, which replaces coal with hydrogen in the iron ore reduction process, has been proven to work, albeit on a smaller scale. HYBRIT, a Swedish joint venture of steelmaker SSAB AB, miner LKAB and power company Vattenfall AB, has already produced fossil-free iron pellets, and plans to have a green steel demonstration plant ready by 2026.

    German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp AG is working with BP Plc to develop green steel technology, while iron ore miner Rio Tinto Plc is involved with Australia’s Bluescope Steel Ltd. on a similar project.

    But BHP has focused on other methods, such as energy efficiency technology and carbon capture and storage, to help customers reduce their emissions, and has said metallurgical coal will be used in steelmaking for decades.

  6. #31
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    _____________




    Six solar farms to power 300,000 homes across Victoria will be built, as the state pushes on with plans to power all government operations with green energy.

    Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said six new solar farms and four big batteries were approved as part of Victoria's second renewables auction.

    The projects in Bridgewater, Fulham, Ouyen, Traralgon, Horsham and Glenrowan will generate 1460 gigawatt hours of energy each year, enough to power 300,000 homes.

    Victoria aims to power its entire public sector infrastructure, including government schools, hospitals and the entire Melbourne train and tram network, with renewable energy by 2025.

    "The projects will also deliver $1.5 billion in investment and will create almost 1000 jobs right across the state," Ms D'Ambrosio told reporters in Glen Waverley.

    It comes a week after energy giant AGL announced it would close its brown coal-fired Loy Yang power plant by 2035, up to 10 years earlier than planned.

    _____________




    Hundreds of coal companies around the world are developing new mines and power stations, according to a study. The researchers said the plans were “reckless and irresponsible” in the midst of the climate emergency.

    Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels and its use must be quickly phased out to end the climate crisis. However, almost half the 1,000 companies assessed are still developing new coal assets, and just 27 companies have announced coal exit dates consistent with international climate targets.

    The new mining projects could increase the production of thermal coal, used in power stations, by more than a third, the report found. The bulk of these projects are in China, India, Australia, Russia and South Africa.

    Australian companies are planning the most new coal mining after China and India

    The analysis was produced by the German environmental group Urgewald, which said it was the world’s most comprehensive public database on the coal industry.

    “Pursuing new coal projects in the midst of a climate emergency is reckless, irresponsible behaviour,” said Heffa Schücking, the director of Urgewald. “Investors, banks and insurers should ban these coal developers from their portfolios immediately.”

    The world’s nations agreed at the UN’s Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow last November to “accelerate efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal”. However, the International Energy Agency said in July that coal burning was set to rise in 2022, taking it back to the record level set in 2013. The rise is due in part to high gas prices as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, making coal relatively cheaper.

    The IEA said in May 2021 that no new coal-fired power stations could be built if the world was to stay within safe limits of global heating and meet the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Some progress is being made, with only 4% of new power capacity in 2021 coming from coal, down from about 30% in 2016. In contrast, 75% of new power came from renewables, which are often cheaper and increasingly challenge the economic viability of new coal plants.

    Nonetheless, Coal India aims to double the amount of coal it mines to 1bn tonnes a year by 2025, according to Urgewald’s analysis, making it the biggest mining company on the list. “The coal mining rush is testament to the industry’s complete denial of climate reality. The writing is on the wall, but coal miners refuse to read it,” said Schücking.

    The report found 476GW of new coal-fired power capacity is still in the pipeline worldwide, equivalent to hundreds of new power stations. If built, the projects would increase the world’s coal power capacity by 23%. China is responsible for 60% of all the planned new capacity.

    __________


    • Fracking in Lake Eyre the ‘height of folly’, report suggests


    The enlargement of fracking in the Lake Eyre basin can be the “absolute height of folly” and its ​​excessive value, excessive emissions unconventional fuel might quickly create stranded property, a report has discovered.

    The basin – residence to 1 of the world’s final main free-flowing desert river techniques – sprawls over practically one sixth of the Australian continent, protecting components of the Northern Territory, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

    Much of the unconventional fuel reservoirs which can be but to be tapped lie in the sunshine state, the place the Palaszczuk authorities is poised to make a closing choice on whether or not fracking needs to be permitted in the flood plains of Lake Eyre.

    Within the Lake Eyre basin, the Cooper basin is already residence to a mature typical fuel business and is taken into account extremely potential for unconventional fuel, main some fossil gas firms to discover the risk of fracking these reservoirs.

    But financial evaluation by Pegasus Economics’ Alistair Davey, launched on Monday, contends carbon dioxide content material from unconventional fuel in the Cooper Basin averages about 30%, placing it at “a distinct competitive disadvantage” in contrast with different fuel fields with a lot decrease CO2 content material of uncooked fuel.

    “Any requirement to offset emissions from the production of unconventional gas from the Cooper basin in the Lake Eyre basin will further erode its competitiveness given the high CO2 content of raw gas,” Davey states.

    “Rather than pose the risk of becoming stranded assets, the commercial production of unconventional gas from the Lake Eyre Basin would be the absolute height of folly if it were ever to be commenced.”

    Lock the Gate, which commissioned the unbiased evaluation, mentioned that apart from the social and environmental causes to guard the Lake Eyre basin’s fragile flood plains, the report confirmed it was not commercially viable, making it “economically foolish to sacrifice” the basin to the fracking business.

    A spokesperson, Ellie Smith, mentioned Origin Energy had in all probability arrived at related conclusions when the firm introduced it was withdrawing from gas exploration in western Queensland’s channel country. She referred to as on the Queensland authorities to stop these permits being acquired by different firms.

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    “We now need the Palaszczuk government to extinguish Origin’s tenements and ban fracking on the flood plains so that smaller, less transparent or less experienced companies can’t go in, fail, and leave polluting, stranded assets for future generations of Queenslanders to clean up,” Smith mentioned.

    “This part of far western Queensland supports a sustainable beef industry and thousands of tourists flock here during flood events to witness the remarkable transformation of the landscape.”

    Last week the Palaszczuk authorities left energy policy wonks aghast when it introduced Queensland would finish its reliance on coal-fired energy by 2035 beneath a 10-year $62bn vitality plan to create a clear “super-grid” of photo voltaic, wind and hydroelectric energy.

    In that historic announcement, the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, mentioned a daring imaginative and prescient was wanted to deal with the “climate emergency”. She dedicated an additional $4bn to remodel the state’s vitality system and mentioned that by 2030 there can be no less than 2,000 extra wind generators and 35m extra photo voltaic panels in the state.

    In January the Queensland tutorial Ian Lowe calculated the potential emissions that will be created if the Origin’s exploration permits in the channel nation led to the Lake Eyre basin being opened as much as fracking and located that will “blow out of the water” the Queensland authorities’s emission targets and make it tougher for Australia to adjust to its worldwide obligations.

    Fracking in Lake Eyre the ‘height of folly’, report suggests - Pehal News

    _____________




    Today the Federal Government’s Native forest biomass in the Renewable Energy Target consultation paper was released with submissions open to the public on some key questions.

    This comes after the Greens secured a commitment from the government to look at removing a Coalition loophole from the Renewable Energy Act, which allows the destruction and burning of native forests to be classified as renewable energy.

    Quotes attributable to Greens forest spokesperson, Senator Janet Rice:

    “The Greens welcome the release of this discussion paper which is now open for public submissions. This discussion paper is an acknowledgement that classifying the burning of native forest as renewable is a real concern. We look forward to a positive outcome for precious native forests and a just transition of affected workers.

    “Burning native forest wood is a disaster for the environment. The evidence heard by the Senate committee made clear that native forest biomass should not be classified as renewable energy.

    “If the means used to generate energy results in harm to threatened forest ecosystems and more carbon being emitted than coal, it simply cannot be classed as renewable or clean.

    "This process is a clear opportunity to reverse an Abbott-era change that Labor opposed at the time. The Greens will be working with the government to seek the action we need to end the farce of classifying native forests burning as a 'renewable' energy source.”

    https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/08...9339.jpg?w=640

    ______________


    • Telstra dials up wind power generation


    Telstra has signed a deal to use wind power in Queensland to meet a quarter of its energy needs.

    Ark Energy announced on Tuesday it would supply the telecommunications giant with renewable electricity from the 923.4 megawatt MacIntyre Wind Farm being built 50 kilometres south-west of Warwick.

    Telstra has bankrolled more than $1 billion of renewable energy projects across Queensland, Victoria and NSW as it targets 100 per cent renewable energy use by 2025.

    Telstra's technology boss Kim Krogh Andersen said the major power purchase agreement (PPA) with Ark would also help insulate the telco from spikes in wholesale electricity prices.

    "Our annual power bill is equivalent to 300,000 household power bills, so signing long-term renewable energy agreements helps us to manage our costs," Mr Krogh Andersen said.

    Set to be the largest in Australia when it opens in 2025, the MacIntyre is also one of the world's biggest onshore wind farm projects.

    Mr Krogh Andersen said backing renewable energy projects would not only reduce Australia's reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels, but also made economic sense as investments.

    He said Telstra had more work to do to achieve the 2025 target and planned to partner with other high-quality generators.

    Ark Energy owns a 30 per cent stake in the wind farm, which is part of a 180-turbine precinct being developed by Spain's ACCIONA Energia.

    Daniel Kim, CEO of Ark Energy, said the deal with Telstra was part of a commitment to support large commercial and industrial customers to go carbon neutral and speed up Australia's transition to renewable energy sources.

    Ark's share will also be used to power the Sun Metals zinc refinery in Townsville.

    The PPA agreement with Telstra is subject to Ark finalising financial arrangements.

    https://www.mandurahmail.com.au/stor...eration/?cs=12

    ____________


    • Vic Greens plan for $15k to help buy EVs


    Victorians will receive a $15,000 "eco-bonus" to switch to electric cars and petrol-powered vehicles will be banned by the end of the decade under a plan by the Greens.

    Subsidy payments of about $3000 would also be made to electric car owners for bi-directional chargers, enabling them to charge their vehicle through solar panels in an effort to drive down greenhouse gas emissions.

    Under the Greens' Electric Vehicle Rapid Uptake Plan, the sale of petrol cars would be banned from 2030 and Labor's electric vehicle tax would also be scrapped.

    Victorian Greens MP and transport spokesman, Sam Hibbins, said transport is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Victoria and electric vehicles are the way of the future.

    "Electric vehicles are essential to the clean energy revolution," Mr Hibbins said. "Bi-directional charging will allow people to use their car as a clean energy battery and help stabilise the grid as more rooftop solar is installed."

    https://www.therural.com.au/story/79...buy-evs/?cs=12

  7. #32
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by S Landreth View Post
    Subsidy payments of about $3000 would also be made to electric car owners for bi-directional chargers,

    "Electric vehicles are essential to the clean energy revolution," Mr Hibbins said. "Bi-directional charging will allow people to use their car as a clean energy battery and help stabilise the grid as more rooftop solar is installed."
    I'm a huge fan of bi-directional chargers.

    It makes the whole supply/demand system so much more efficient because the car battery becomes the house battery and, when required, a mini generator for the neighbourhood.

    Plus some coin for the car owner selling into the grid when demand is high @ a high tariff rate and recharging later at night in the off-peak times when the tariff is lower.

    Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago ...


  8. #33
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, the Hon Manasseh Sogavare MP, to Australia for bilateral talks in Canberra today.

    Prime Minister Sogavare welcomed Australia’s stronger action on climate change and commended the Australian Government on the recent legislation of new ambitious climate targets.

  9. #34
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    Not sure we can blame Albanese, but.....

    AUKUS was a tough sell already, and now it seems local industry will miss out

    by Rex Patrick | Sep 26, 2022


    When Australia signed up to the AUKUS pact, it committed to enormously expensive nuclear-powered submarines. And if rumours of the US taking over their construction are true, there will be little if any benefit to Australian workers, writes Rex Patrick. As for strategic benefits …
    In the past 12 months Australia has gone from a $90 billion Attack class submarine project that wasn’t meeting industry involvement expectations, to a $170 billion nuclear sub with limited local content, to a now even more expensive proposition where taxpayers will directly fund US defence industry expansion.
    Reports are emerging that Australia will seek to acquire nuclear submarines earlier than would otherwise be possible by taking the first few submarines from a US production line; an expanded US production line funded by Australian taxpayers.
    Did we learn nothing from Covid? Did we learn nothing about the importance of having local capability?

    A national fiscal disaster that may bankrupt our Navy is pending, a national security disaster is pending, and the death of a sovereign submarine industrial capability is pending. And the average Joe and Jill Australian are the ones paying for it.

    We went through a lot of pain to get our Collins Class submarines to their operational state, supported in their full-cycle docking with a local involvement score of 92%. If there are problems with our Collins boats in time of conflict, we have an onshore capability to deal with them.
    Since 2009 the Defence Department has spent $4 billion on our future submarine capability … and delivered nothing. They’ve wasted a decade that we didn’t have to waste. Now the same department is advising us to steer into a strategic danger zone.

    Nuclear v the new breed

    Nuclear submarines are good. I say so from the informed position of having spent time at sea on USS Santa Fe, a Los Angeles Class submarine, in the 1990s.
    One of the most impressive capabilities of a nuclear submarine is their ability to submerge down to couple of hundred metres, crank the speed up to about 30 knots, and stay at that speed for as long as required. Nuclear submarines are great for power projection. They also enjoy the ability of carrying a lot of missiles, torpedoes, special forces etc.
    But they have some limitations over non-nuclear submarines. The latest Air Independent Submarines (AIP) out of Germany and Sweden can stay underwater for extended periods without having to return to just below the surface to run their diesels. When operating on battery or AIP, they are quieter than nuclear submarines. They can operate in shallow water with advantages over their larger nuclear cousins.
    Eight nuclear submarines for Australia have a price tag of $170 billion.
    The Senate Economics Committee inquiry into Australia’s sovereign naval shipbuilding capability priced Japanese lithium ion powered submarines at $958 million per boat and a German fuel-cell powered submarine at $807 million per boat.
    Twenty AIP submarines, with supporting elements, would have price tag of $30 billion.

    The right submarine

    If our objective is to be a deputy sheriff to the US, as the 51st state of the Union, then eight nuclear submarines is the answer.
    If our objective is ‘‘defence of Australia’’, with the ability to forward deploy boats to operating bases in Singapore, Malaysia, Guam or Japan, in support of our allies and friends, then 20 AIP boats is the answer.
    The contrast between a $170 billion nuclear program and a $30 billion AIP program is huge in the context of the huge deficit we have and challenging economic headwinds.
    The contrast between a 2040 first nuclear submarine delivery and 2030 first AIP submarine delivery is striking when the geo-strategic circumstances we find ourselves in is factored into decision making.
    We should, as other countries in the past have done when offered a US nuclear capability, just say “no thanks, it does not suit our strategic needs”.

    The wrong answer

    Sadly, we have a Defence Minister, Richard Marles. captured by a Department, a Department that has failed the Australian public with its past advice.
    The last thing we need to be doing is exporting $140 billion in expenditure difference to bolster the US defence industrial complex, when we desperately need strong and effective local defence industry capabilities.
    One wonders what our Department of Defence leaders will do as our quarries that they sup off are depleted of their resources, or the markets they serve dry up.
    Exporting this money at the expense of supporting local industry is an anti-self-reliance move that will tie all future Australian governments hands by institutionalising our dependence on the US for this most important capability. It’s a move that will see us less and less able to exercise our own sovereign decision making as to which conflicts we participate in, and which conflicts we don’t.
    We may find we have to participate in the conflicts that are not in our best interests and can’t participate in the conflicts we absolutely must.
    A national fiscal disaster that may bankrupt our Navy is pending, a national security disaster is pending, and the death of a sovereign submarine industrial capability is pending. And the average Joe and Jill Australian are the ones paying for it.

    AUKUS was a tough sell already, and now it seems local industry will miss out - Michael West

  10. #35
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    ^Your problems quickly solved. Move to China.

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Switch View Post
    ^Your problems quickly solved. Move to China.
    He did say he would like to live there . . . until he denies ever having said it.

    Beijing is lovely this time of year

  12. #37
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    While I could easily live there, it sure wouldn't be in a sub.
    Last edited by sabang; 10-10-2022 at 05:40 PM.

  13. #38
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Another week with so much news. And it’s only Wednesday




    A forecast of a 35% rise in power costs by the boss of Alinta Energy, Jeff Dimery, has triggered a burst of inquiries about photo voltaic panels, in keeping with the founding father of SolarQuotes.

    “One of our traffic guys came to tell me, ‘traffic is off the charts’,” Finn Peacock mentioned. “It’s completely driven by the media.”

    Dimery, whose firm runs the Loy Yang B coal-fired power station in Victoria, gave the estimate to the AFR’s power convention on Monday. A day later the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, described rising power prices as the most “problematic aspect of our inflation problem over the course of the next six or nine months”.

    SolarQuotes noticed the same spike in curiosity in June, usually a quiet month for the photo voltaic business, after regulators announced looming electricity tariff increases of as a lot as 20%. The firm fielded greater than 10,000 inquires, roughly double the degree of June 2021 and the most for any month ever.

    That spurt in inquiries was an early indicator of an upturn in the photo voltaic PV business. Installations picked up in August and significantly September, in keeping with Tristan Edis, a director at the consultancy Green Energy Markets.

    He mentioned knowledge for the two months was nearer to the growth interval of 2020 and 2021, marking “a notable recovery from the prior months of 2022 where numbers were substantially down from the levels for the two previous years”.

    Total put in capability in Australia in September was 253 megawatts, or about 17% increased than the year-to-date common, Green Energy Markets knowledge exhibits. The bounce-back in demand shall be welcomed by an business that had begun to retreat from document numbers for brand new capability added in recent times, Edis mentioned.

    Residential demand was up 13.8% in capability phrases, whereas industrial demand rocketed by a few third.

    “It does seem to indicate there’s a recovery,” he mentioned. “If anything, [companies] were cutting back staff before the surge in interest.”

    Australia has the highest proportionate uptake of photo voltaic PV in the world, partially due to comparatively excessive ranges of sunshine but additionally due to excessive power costs. Fluctuating insurance policies have additionally contributed to what Dylan McConnell, a contributor in new e-book The Superpower Transformation, dubs a “solar coaster” of booms and busts in the sector.

    With photo voltaic panels already on a few third of homes in some states, an growing quantity of power is being generated at dwelling. Last month, the area of WA together with Perth noticed rooftops provide nearly three-quarters of demand, nudging general grid demand to a document low.

    Edis mentioned that whereas there have been nonetheless many appropriate rooftops for photo voltaic, demand could cool once more. One drag shall be the rising value of latest techniques – partially due to provide chain points in China – and the “pittance” being paid to households for the surplus power provided again into the grid.

    _____________




    Don’t blame renewables for energy price hikes, Bowen says

    Chris Bowen, the federal energy and climate minister, is speaking this morning at an AFR conference in Sydney.

    As is usual, Bowen tees off at the “lost decade” of energy policy, and the fact there are only 86 months to achieve an “energy revolution” before 2030.

    He also has a crack at those blaming renewable energy for the looming energy crisis in Europe and rising energy prices everywhere.

    I’ve seen plenty of right-wing commentators in Australia say that what we are seeing in Europe is the result of moving to renewables too quickly.

    This is the latest catch-cry of those who seek to deny and delay action in Australia, like we haven’t had enough denial and delay in Australia over the last ten years.

    He says this was one of the risks from the European crisis: “That this fundamentally dishonest narrative takes a hold.”

    “The European energy crisis wasn’t caused by renewables – it was caused by the withdrawal of one source of fuel from one country,” Bowen says, aiming a barb at Russia and its leader, a certain Vlad Putin. “Run by one war criminal.”

    The price of gas in Europe is around nine times that of renewables, and yet some geniuses argue the problem is too much reliance on renewables.

    ___________

    From Chris Bowen




    We are seeking views on the exposure draft of legislation to enable reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism to help industry reduce emissions in line with Australia’s climate targets.

    You can access the recently completed first phase of the consultation on options to reform the Safeguard Mechanism along with the submissions.

    This is the second of three formal consultation opportunities on the reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism.

    The Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022 and the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Amendment (Safeguard Facility Eligibility Requirements) Rules 2022 would:


    • allow for the creation of tradeable Safeguard Mechanism credits
    • ensure appropriate interactions for Emissions Reduction Fund projects at Safeguard Mechanism facilities under the new reforms
    • provide for increased transparency of unit holdings and consistent frameworks for protection of information, in response to previous advice from the Climate Change Authority.


    The Safeguard Mechanism is legislated through the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007. Consistent with the current legislative framework for the Safeguard Mechanism, the details of the reformed scheme will use subordinate legislation. The Government will consult on the proposed final detailed design of the reforms late 2022.

    Read more about the proposed changes and submit a response on our consultation hub.

    Submissions close 5:00pm AEST on Friday 28 October 2022.

    ____________



    Executives at Australia’s large 4 banks will face anger over funding fossil fuels this annual assembly season, with shareholder activists renewing efforts to drive them to account for investments that improve international heating.

    At their annual assembly on Wednesday, shareholders at Australia’s greatest financial institution, the Commonwealth, will think about a decision lodged by activist group Market Forces that was aimed toward stopping it from financing new fossil gasoline tasks or the enlargement of present ones.

    Market Forces has lodged an identical shareholder resolutions with the opposite three large banks – ANZ, NAB and Westpac – forward of their conferences in December.

    It has lodged comparable resolutions yearly since 2019 with out success.

    Nevertheless, banks are underneath rising strain from regulators to behave on local weather points.

    In August, the Reserve Financial institution warned banks and insurers they could face authorized motion if they didn’t take motion. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority started surveying large banks, insurers and tremendous funds about their administration of climate-related monetary dangers in March, after issuing a regulatory normal on the subject final November.

    Market Forces mentioned that continued funding of coal, oil and fuel by the banks was incompatible with their public dedication to achieve internet zero carbon emissions by 2050 and their help of the worldwide Paris settlement, which aimed to restrict international heating to 1.5C.

    CBA mentioned it won’t present finance for brand new thermal coalmines and can cut back its present direct financing of thermal coal to zero by 2030. It additionally promised to not present company finance to new shoppers who derive 25% or extra of their income from thermal coal, and cut back that publicity to zero by 2030.

    Nevertheless, it is going to finance new oil and fuel tasks which are “in step with the targets of the Paris settlement”, and had an analogous carve-out for brand new company lending.

    David Grice, a CBA shareholder and retired CSIRO environmental scientist, mentioned that if international heating couldn’t be curbed trendy civilisation must be put into “palliative care”.

    “We’ve had a civilisation on the high of this peak that we’ve been in a position to preserve and now we’re about to drive it manner past that high of that peak like two to 3 occasions past that peak.”

    He mentioned this is able to have devastating penalties for meals manufacturing, which depends on a steady local weather, in addition to rising the chance of fireplace and floods.

    “Any new infrastructure which they’re funding provides to the carbon funds, which provides in direction of going in direction of two levels. So that you simply can’t put something extra in.”

    Will van de Pol, asset supervisor campaigner at Market Forces, mentioned it was “unacceptable to a rising variety of retail shareholders and institutional buyers that Commonwealth Financial institution, ANZ, NAB and Westpac are exposing themselves to heightened threat by financing firms which are worsening the local weather disaster”.

    “The science is evident that we can not develop new coalmines or oil and fuel fields, but Australia’s main banks are lending to firms doing simply that, together with Woodside, Santos, Whitehaven Coal and Glencore,” he mentioned.

    CBA has urged shareholders to vote towards the Market Forces decision.

    __________




    Energy efficiency – the money saving and emissions slashing no-brainer that is referred to by the International Energy Agency as “the first fuel” in climate action – has finally got a foothold in Australia’s policy agenda, although only just.

    The Albanese government has flagged the launch of consultations on the development of a Commonwealth-led National Energy Performance Strategy, starting with a soon-to-be published discussion paper on how to deliver energy efficiency improvements across the economy.

    The first steps to the national strategy were announced on Thursday at the 2022 Energy Efficiency Summit in Sydney, where the federal assistant minister for energy Jenny McAllister conceded Australia lags well behind its international peers on efficiency.

    Australia lags shamefully behind

    According to the latest Climate Change Performance Index, an independent monitoring tool presented at the annual UN Climate Change Conference, Australia ranks a lowly 54 out of 64 countries for energy performance per capita.

    Australia’s energy inefficient homes, in particular, have earned the nation’s existing housing stock a reputation as “glorified tents,” that their cost their inhabitants dearly on thermal comfort and at bill time.

    Speaking at the Energy Efficiency Summit on Thursday, McAllister said that while Bowen was steering Australia’s emissions reduction and renewable energy efforts, he had asked his deputy to take up the challenge of the demand side of the energy market.

    “Federal leadership on managing energy demand has been missing,” McAllister told the Energy Efficiency Summit on Thursday.

    “We have languished for a decade as the international community has left us in the dust. And Australians are paying more for their electricity than they had to.

    “Through no fault of their own, Australian homes and businesses are wasting too much energy.

    “Preventing this waste is a double win on energy prices. For the consumer, who pays less directly. The reduction in demand lowers costs across the system.

    “And energy efficient homes aren’t just cheaper – they are more comfortable and healthier.”

    To this last point, McAllister cites a Victorian study that found a relatively minor home energy efficiency upgrade could save $887 per person in the healthcare system over the winter period.

    Energy crisis brings efficiency into focus

    The huge value of energy efficiency has come into stark relief as a result of the global energy crisis, with many governments around Europe ordering businesses and households to make sometimes significant changes to the way they use power to reduce both overall demand and exposure to high prices.

    Federal energy minister Chris Bowen says setting federal energy efficiency policies promises cut energy costs for households and businesses – some have suggested by up to $600 a year – reduce pressure on the grid and help Australia meet its newly boosted emissions target.

    “We’re acting to put in place a strategy that will help us create a high energy performance economy, meet our emissions reduction targets, and enable us to put downward pressure on energy prices,” McAllister said.

    “And we’re doing this important work in consultation with state and territory governments, businesses, households and community groups across the nation.”

    A discussion paper on how to deliver energy efficiency improvements across the economy and help Australia meet its emissions reduction targets, will be released in coming weeks.

  14. #39
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    Australia is set to pledge its support to reduce global methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.

    Key points:

    More than 100 countries have signed up to reduce methane emissions by 2030

    When Labor was in opposition it supported not signing up to the pledge

    The federal government says Australia has no plans to introduce a methane tax

    The move is in contrast to the former Coalition government, which refused to sign up to the target, which is already supported by the United States and the European Union.

    At the time, the then-deputy prime minister suggested the methane commitment would see farmers being forced to kill their cattle.

    "The only way you can get your 30 per cent by 2030 reduction of methane on 2020 levels would be to grab a rifle and go out and shoot your cattle," Barnaby Joyce said in October last year.

    At that time, the decision not to sign on to the pledge was publicly supported by the Labor opposition.

    Now in government, Labor Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said he supported the target.

    "This methane pledge is an aspirational goal from the world to bring down our methane emissions, which is something not only that I support but that most farm groups support," Senator Watt said on Thursday morning.

    "We're certainly considering it … I'm certainly comfortable if we sign up to it.

    "We haven't made that announcement at this point, we are still consulting with groups."

    The minister's comments pave the way for a formal commitment by the federal government ahead of a global climate summit in Egypt in November.

    Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and about half of Australia's methane emissions come from the agriculture sector.

    _____________


    Several City of Fremantle councillors have thrown their support behind a proposal to investigate ridding council buildings and events of fossil fuel promotion.

    At a meeting last night, a motion was put forward calling for the chief executive to investigate ways to control or restrict advertising and sponsorships from companies whose main business is the extraction or sale of coal, oil and gas.

    Councillors on the Finance, Policy, Operations and Legislation Committee voted in support of the motion, six to one.

    A formal position will be reached when the full council meets later this month. With a majority of councillors already indicating their support, the motion is likely to pass.

    Councillor Adin Lang, who put forward the proposal, said he believed it was an important move for the City to make as a part of their commitment to addressing climate change.

    "While this action itself won't stop climate change, it's about the transition away from fossil fuels," he said.

    "Allowing fossil fuel companies to advertise, promote themselves, greenwash or buy social license in our community makes it harder to transition away from fossil fuels."

    He said while the motion did not mean the city would implement a ban, researching what restrictions might look like was a crucial first step, and something no other council in WA had done.

    "Rather than just jumping straight into a ban, we want to know what we'd be banning and the consequences," he said.

    Sophie McNeill - And the motion was successful: https://twitter.com/Sophiemcneill/st...58895213146113

    ___________



    A group of 100 Australian, Indigenous and South Pacific faith leaders have demanded the federal government stops approvals for new coal and gas projects and end subsidies for fossil fuels.

    Multi-faith services for climate justice are being held across the country today with Catholic, Anglican, Islamic, Uniting Church, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist leaders united in their call that “Australia is a wealthy country that profits from exports that are causing the crisis”.

    In an open letter to the Prime Minister, faith leaders said “we hear the cries of anguish from those most vulnerable in the human family who are losing their lives, livelihoods and homes through climate-fuelled disasters”.

    “The current level of warming is not safe. This moment in history calls for an urgent, courageous, visionary response, especially from those in power,” the letter said.

    “Australia’s leadership in this response, as part of its first [at]nations foreign policy, is vital for the vulnerable communities and ecosystems who depend on it.”

    Religious leaders including Cardinal Archbishop of Port Moresby Sir John Ribat, Anglican Primate of Australia Geoffrey Smith, Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, Uniting Church Australia president Sharon Hollis signed the letter.

    Townsville Bishop Tim Harris and Darwin Bishop, Charles Gauci and National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council chairperson, John Lochowiak are also signaturies.

    The push by the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change group comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lifted Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction target to 43 per cent and pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century. However religious, environmental and activist groups want the government to move faster.

    Faith leaders have called on the federal government to restart contributions to the UN Green Climate Fund, which they said was “widely viewed in low-income countries as a crucial test of how seriously wealthy countries take their responsibilities”.

    Pacific Conference of Churches general secretary, the Reverend James Bhagwan, welcomed the “willingness of the new Australian government to listen to the peoples of the [at]Pacific” but said coal and gas were a “threat to our survival”.

    Open letter

    ____________

    • The Australian government begins crackdown on companies for ‘greenwashing’


    ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) has begun a crackdown on “greenwashing” by Australian companies, surveying the internet for companies making false claims about environmental action after a global investigation found as many as 40% may be fraudulent.

    Gina Cass-Gottlieb, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, told a House of Representative hearing on Tuesday that “increasingly large proportions of consumers” were making decisions based on products’ sustainability credentials.

    Ensuring claims are truthful will be an enforcement priority for the ACCC this year, and an enduring one, Cass-Gottlieb said, adding international estimates from consumer protection groups put the level of false environmental claims at 40%.

    The ACCC is also planning to lay down guidelines so that companies only make statements about their products that are “clear, defined, limited in their claims, and always have strong verification materials”, “Scientific and rigorous processes” would need to be behind those claims, Cass-Gottlieb said.

    https://nopolluting.com/accc-begins-...mental-claims/

    ____________

    • Renewables report calls for farm subsidies


    A new report into renewable energy in Australian agriculture has called for a national audit of its use by farmers, as well as more incentives to encourage take up.

    The "Farm Powered: Opportunities for regional communities" report, commissioned by Farmers for Climate Action, is being launched on Tuesday by economist and climate expert Ross Garnaut.

    The report calls on the state and federal governments to provide a mechanism for annual rent to be paid to producers for transmission lines, and subsidies to be made available for batteries.

    Farmers for Climate Action chief executive officer Dr Fiona Davis said the report highlights the need for a national climate change and agricultural policy that includes renewables.

    "We know that there's a lot of untapped capacity here ... delivering those on farm renewables is critical to the success of our farms into the future," Dr Davis told AAP.

    She said the report outlines the case for subsidies and renewable energy incentives, and ensuring existing solar panels work well on farms.

    "Boosting on farm batteries with a subsidy will mean local energy is used locally, reducing strain on the grid and saving farmers money," she said.

    "Australia's renewables rollout has not been a smooth process ... we want to ... make sure that farmers can play that key role they have the potential to."

    Australia is looking to build almost 135 gigawatts of renewable energy and more than 10,000kms of transmission lines by 2030 to meet its emissions reduction targets. https://au.news.yahoo.com/renewables...163233688.html

    Farmers for climate action: https://farmersforclimateaction.org..../farm-powered/

    ____________

    • Earl Grey stirs solar into lithium project


    A lithium mine half-owned by Wesfarmers is a step closer to joining the global battery supply chain after adding a renewable energy source to its plans.

    Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority on Tuesday backed changes to plans for the once abandoned Mt Holland mine site, about 105km southeast of the historic gold-mining town Southern Cross.

    The changes to the Earl Grey Lithium Project will add a solar plant, alter the air strip, include the disposal of refinery waste, and modify exclusion areas for vulnerable banksia and ground-dwelling malleefowl by clearing an extra 56 hectares of bushland.

    Mine proponent Covalent Lithium - 50/50 owned by Australian industrial giant Wesfarmers and Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile - is developing the mine and a refinery in Kwinana that will take the raw material and produce battery quality lithium hydroxide.

    The EPA said the amendment could go ahead, with environmental protection and restoration during and after mining a key part of the decision.

    EPA chair Matthew Tonts said the authority noted the importance of lithium as a critical mineral.

    "The proposed amendment includes critical infrastructure and renewable energy sources," Professor Tonts said.

    The latest federal data has lithium on track to overtake wheat and beef as a leading export, as global automakers lock in secure and sustainable supplies of the critical mineral from Australia rather than China.

    The new refinery is forecast to start in 2024 and produce 50,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide a year.

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/earl-grey-...051457887.html

  15. #40
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Just a preview of tomorrow’s update.........


    • Singapore, Australia sign Green Economy Agreement with 17 initial projects


    SINGAPORE and Australia signed a bilateral Green Economy Agreement (GEA) on Tuesday (Oct 18), paving the way for closer cooperation in areas ranging from green finance to clean energy – with 17 joint projects already agreed upon – while aiming to boost job opportunities and growth in green sectors.

    With the GEA being the first of its kind, the hope is that it will “be a pathfinder” for other countries, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a joint press conference in Canberra with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

    Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell signed the agreement in the presence of both prime ministers, as part of the 7th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting that Australia is hosting. Both prime ministers also agreed to include the green economy as a new sixth pillar of the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, under which these annual meetings are held.

    By promoting green trade and investment, the GEA will “catalyse green growth opportunities and good jobs, while promoting decarbonisation and supporting our smooth transition into a green economy”, said Gan.

    The GEA sets out green economy principles and scope for cooperation in seven areas: trade and investment; standards and conformance; green and transition finance; carbon markets; clean energy, decarbonisation and technology; skills and capabilities; and business engagements and partnerships.

    As laid out in a joint press release by the Ministry for Trade and Industry and the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment, the initial 17 joint projects span those seven areas. In trade and investment, for instance, both countries are supporting international efforts in reducing barriers to trade for environmental goods and services by drawing up lists of 372 such goods and 155 such services.

    Singapore launches S$16m particle accelerator programme; signs access agreement with Australia

    Another joint project is a digital verification platform that aims to reduce environmental costs by moving to a digital and thus paperless trade environment, which is part of both the newly-signed GEA and the existing Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement.

    Both countries will explore bilateral and international cooperation on standards and regulations, to reduce compliance costs for exporters; and similarly cooperate on frameworks for climate-related financial disclosures and other aspects of green finance.

    On the green energy front, Australia and Singapore will establish a joint working group to develop architecture for cross-border electricity trade, and enhance regional energy connectivity.

    The countries will also establish partnerships for green shipping corridors; a joint working group for cooperation on sustainable aviation; and a technical working group on environmental-economic statistical measurements.

    The Australia-Singapore Green Skills Roundtable will be set up to bring together policy, technical and subject matter experts from both countries’ government agencies.

    The 17 projects also include several agreements signed in line with the GEA: for research, business partnership, and eco-labelling.

    Ahead of PM Lee’s visit, Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research signed a Master Research Collaboration Agreement with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation on Oct 14.

    This involves an initial joint grant call with funding of S$500,000 from each side, for projects in four areas: circular economy and low emissions technology; food; digital environment solutions; and the future of materials in advanced manufacturing, including lithium battery recycling.

    Enterprise Singapore and its counterpart Austrade signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for green business partnership. This will promote and facilitate business-to-business engagements between both sides, aiming to expand trade and investment in areas such as renewable and clean energy; hydrogen; agribusiness and food; infrastructure; and the circular economy.

    An MOU for cooperation in eco-labelling was signed between the Singapore Environment Council and Good Environmental Choice Australia. It includes promoting global best practices and standards, working towards mutual recognition of select eco-labels; and facilitating green procurement by broadening the types of products and services with eco-label certification. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/gov...itial-projects


    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

    If this project can be made to work – and I believe it can be – you will see the world’s largest solar farm, you will see the export of energy across distances, but the protection of many jobs here in Australia, including manufacturing jobs and the prospect of some cable is just one part of what I talk about when I say Australia can be a renewable energy superpower for the world.

  16. #41
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Environment groups have welcomed a Federal Government commitment to spend a further $204 million on the Great Barrier Reef.

    Announced by environment minister Tanya Plibersek on Friday, the funding will form part of the government’s 2022 budget.

    "We are taking strong and immediate action on climate change and investing a record $1.2 billion to 2030 to protect, manage and restore the Reef," she said in a statement.

    The money will largely be targeted towards improving water quality by remediating land to reduce sediment run-off into the reef and restoring mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses.

    Helping corals adapt to the changing environment and fisheries management will also receive a funding boost.

    Concern Labor's embrace of gas will continue to harm reef

    The Australian Conservation Foundation’s chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy said the additional money was welcome as environment funding had been cut by 40 per cent over the last decade.

    But she urged the Albanese government not to "cancel out the funding for reef restoration" by honouring the previous Morrison government’s support of new gas projects.

    "It would make no sense at all if the federal budget also includes money to support the growth of fossil fuels, which are driving climate change and inflicting repeated bleaching events on the reef’s corals," she said.

    ___________




    Victoria’s Labor government has jacked up its targets for clean energy and emissions reduction, setting the state on course to reach a 95 per cent share of renewables on its electricity grid by 2035 and a 75-80 per cent reduction in emissions by the same date.

    The Andrews government unveiled the new targets on Thursday, one month out from the state election, also boosting its 2030 renewables target to 65 per cent and setting a goal for net zero by 2045, five years ahead of most of the rest of the country – and world.

    The new targets boost the existing interim VRET from 50% to 65% by 2030, and the emissions reduction target from 50 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030 to 75-80 per cent by 2032.

    The announcement follows, and trumps, the Queensland state government’s new target of reaching 80 per cent renewables by 2035, and appears to be more or less in line with the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan, which assumes brown coal will leave the grid by 2032.

    AGL has advanced the proposed closure date of Loy Yang A to 2035 at the latest, while Alinta has set no early date yet on Loy Yang B.

    To deliver on the new targets, the government has announced that it will, if re-elected in November, set up a up a state-owned energy company to build new wind and solar projects – a re-boot of the State Electricity Commission.

    This is likely to be the most controversial part of the package, given the friction between state and private investment, and could raise questions about the future of some private retailers.

    Labor says it will invest “at least” $20 million to revive the SEC and set it up as an energy market proponent, with its headquarters in Morwell, in the Latrobe Valley – giving the state’s coal centre a key role in the clean energy future.

    Under a 10-year plan, the government will hold a controlling interest an initial rollout of 4.5GW of new zero emissions power generation – enough to replace Loy Yang A, the government says.

    Victorian premier Daniel Andrews says the SEC will replace all of that capacity with renewables projects that will be 51% owned by the Victorian taxpayer. He says the government is looking to super funds as its preferred investment partner for the other 49%.

    And while the new SEC will focus first on generation, a government fact sheet says it will consider all options – like becoming a state-run retailer, partnering with an ethical retailer or remaining in the wholesale market only – “to get the electricity it generates to Victorians.”

    “Renewables will replace coal, and these new ‘power stations’ will be owned by every Victorian to benefit every Victorian,” a statement from Andrews said on Thursday.

    “Big energy companies want to offshore profits – we want to offshore wind. Renewable energy is the future: it’s good for our climate, good for lower power bills and good for jobs.”

    The coal companies are leaving

    In a press conference on Thursday morning, the premier was more than happy to hammer a few more nails into the coal power sector’s coffin.

    “The [coal generation] companies are leaving. They have made their money and they are going, they’re also not particularly reliable.

    “We’ve seen in periods of peak demand, all manner of maintenance that has to be done all manner of breakdowns; it’s not unlike the petrol prices going up every long weekend,” he said.

    “The State Electricity Commission was owned by all of us and benefited all of us and that’s exactly what we are going to deliver if we are reelected on the 26th of November.”

    In a Tweet on Thursday, state energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the government-owned energy company would ensure the Victorian public benefit directly from the projects, including through lower power prices.

    “Today, we cement Victoria as a global climate action leader,” said D’Ambrosio.

    “We’ll have 95% renewable electricity in Victoria by 2035 – bringing an end to polluting, coal-fired electricity. This will slash emissions and our power bills while supporting 14,500 jobs.”

    Labor says the new targets and clean energy initiatives will increase Gross State Product by about $9.5 billion and support 59,000 jobs through to 2035.

    ____________




    Santos has backed out of its sponsorship of Darwin competition, preempting a transfer by a cohort of philanthropists, artists and First Nations representatives, who had been providing a $200,000 funding deal on the situation the competition minimize ties with its fossil gasoline companion.

    The deal was scheduled to be mentioned at a gathering late on Tuesday, however earlier within the day, Jane Norman, Santos chief of employees and vice chairman of technique, contacted the chair of the competition board, Ian Kew, to tell him the corporate wouldn’t be searching for to resume its sponsorship deal, which expires on the finish of the yr.

    The competition has declined to reveal how a lot the Santos sponsorship was value. The Guardian has sought remark from the competition board, and it stays unclear if the $200,000 supply remains to be on the desk.

    The assembly between the delegation and competition board nonetheless went forward afterward Tuesday. It included a consultant from the 5 philanthropic organisations providing to place up the cash: the McKinnon Household Basis, the Graeme Wooden Basis, the Lenko Household Basis, the Oranges & Sardines Basis, and the Ethinvest Basis.

    Anna Weekes, spokesperson for Fossil Free Arts NT, who additionally attended the assembly and solely learnt of the Santos determination at that time, stated afterwards: “The Darwin competition board is but to decide to assembly the circumstances on which the cash is being provided and the foundations await response to their letter.”

    On 12 October the philanthropic coalition despatched a letter to the competition board making the formal supply of $200,000 unfold over two years, designed to permit the competition time to develop a “new, moral, sponsorship framework which excludes fossil gasoline firms”.

    This implies the competition should additionally sever ties with Japanese oil firm Impex to adjust to the phrases of the supply. It additionally included a proviso that the competition board reward the naming rights of its opening night time live performance in Darwin amphitheatre, at present rights held by Santos, to the Larrakia nation, the normal house owners of the higher Darwin area.

    Santos wouldn’t touch upon its determination to stop its sponsorship deal, however supplied the Guardian with a duplicate of the letter emailed to the competition board’s chairman earlier on Tuesday.

    “As we perceive it, the board now have different sponsorship choices for the Darwin competition, which had not been the case in earlier years and as such Santos advises that it’ll not be searching for to resume or prolong the sponsorship contract past the present phrases,” the letter stated.

    Fossil Free Arts NT described Santos’s determination to tug out as a “big win” for conventional house owners and native communities impacted by Santos tasks.

    “[This is] a transparent acknowledgement that its makes an attempt to greenwash its fuel tasks not wash with artists, audiences or the broader group,” stated Weekes in assertion.

    “It’s now time for Darwin competition to point out management and make a transparent dedication to finish all ties with fossil gasoline cash and develop an moral sponsorship coverage to keep away from these controversies sooner or later and set an instance that prioritises first nations tradition, native communities and a secure local weather within the territory.

    “It’s additionally time for a shake up of the present board which has allowed these dangers to our competition to persist for therefore lengthy, with extra artists and cultural staff appointed to interact and hearken to our communities and our sector.”

    Santos has been a significant sponsor of the Northern Territory’s annual August arts competition for greater than 20 years.

    Vocal opposition in opposition to the partnership was reignited in June, a number of months earlier than this yr’s competition. Since then, nearly 300 artists and artistic producers have signed an open letter calling for the termination of the Santos sponsorship, describing it as “artwashing” and calling for extra moral alternate options.

    Santos’s withdrawal comes amid renewed scrutiny over fossil gasoline partnership with main occasions. Earlier this month, Perth competition introduced it could stop its decades-long sponsorship take care of Chevron, after being subjected to related grass roots stress.

    On Tuesday, Netball Australia publicly acknowledged it could deal with and resolve with “absolute precedence” considerations raised by Noongar group member of the Diamonds, Donnell Wallam, after the organisation signed a multimillion greenback sponsorship take care of Gina Rinehart’s mining firm Hancock Prospecting final month.

    ___________




    The federal Labor government has rolled out the first of its $20 billion Rewiring the Nation program, including a multi-billion package to support offshore wind, pumped hydro in Tasmania, two major transmission links and new renewable energy zones.

    The big ticket items from the two deals – negotiated with the Tasmania Liberal and Victoria Labor governments – include $1 billion in low cost finance to support of the contested Marinus Link, along with pumped hydro development and local network upgrades.

    Victoria will contribute equally with the Tasmanian and Commonwealth Governments to provide a total of 20 per cent of the project equity needed to deliver Marinus Link.

    There will be a further $1.5 billion of concessional finance from Rewiring the Nation available for renewable energy zones in Victoria, including offshore wind, where the two governments will fast track regulatory processes to support the rapid development of the Victorian offshore wind industry.

    The $1.5 billion includes a concessional loan of $750 million for the VNI West transmission project to ensure it is completed by 2028.

    Both Marinus and VNI West are part of the essential grid expansions cited by the Australian Energy Market Operator in its Integrated System Plan, the 30-year blueprint that maps out the path to an initial 80 per cent of renewables by 2030.

    However, both transmission links have faced criticism from environmental groups, including former Greens leaders Bob Brown and Christine Milne in Tasmania, and some energy analysts about their environmental impact and their value for money.

    Other analysts say Australia has little hope of reaching those ambitious renewable targets without the investment in multiple major transmission projects, particularly given the logistical and supply challenges, along with connection and integration.

    “This is the biggest announcement of a Commonwealth investment in energy generation and transmission since the original snowy mountain skiing back in the 1940s,” federal energy minister Chris Bowen said in an interview on ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.

    “And this is really important because we have 86 months to 2030 to reduce our emissions.

    “Marinus is really important because it means that Tasmania which is currently at 100% renewables will now have the opportunity to get to 200% renewables and share that extra capacity with the mainland.

    “This is a big deal. It’s been talked about for a long time, but we’re actually getting on with it.”

    __________


    • Business recognises need for ambition, but cost and integrity issues rise: Climate Survey


    As Australian climate policy development enters its most constructive phase for over a decade, the Carbon Market Institute’s (CMI) annual business survey revealed a growing view that net zero emissions will need to be achieved earlier, and that a stronger focus on negative emissions should be central to Australia’s ambition. However concerns about cost and integrity have risen alongside uncertainty about looming policy changes as business grapple with the scale of medium term urgency needed.

    Now in its 9th year, the Australian Business Climate Survey provides the latest insights into Australian business leaders’ views toward climate policy, as well as the actions of the business community in leading the transition to net zero and beyond. This year’s was completed by 262 respondents, 60% of which were Senior Executives, C-Suite or Board members, and 48% were CMI members.

    In a year which has seen Australia’s upgraded Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted to the United Nations and its 2030 target enshrined in law for the first time, the 2022 survey reflected a significant shift in long term business ambition. 71% of respondents now say 2050 will not be soon enough and almost two-thirds (61%) calling for Australia to set a target for net negative emissions.

    https://carbonmarketinstitute.org/20...limate-survey/
    Last edited by S Landreth; 23-10-2022 at 02:15 AM.

  17. #42
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    The trouble with our resident graphologist Slandreth is that he doesn't understand the relationship between carbon output and climate change. The per capita output is irrelevent as Climate change is coupled to the actual atmospheric quantity of CO2. It is important to also note that CO2 can also be linked to GDP and land area. The higher the GDP and corresponding industrial output the higher the CO2 emissions. The bigger the land mass the more energy required to transport output. The only relevant is not per capita, but overall output. It is blindingly obvious that without drastic cuts by China USA and India CO2 levels will continue to rise. Using per capita examples is a distraction and removes the spotlight and pressure from the only countries that can make any kind of difference to CO2 levels. The truth is they will do little to nothing until continual climate catastrophies are costing them more than reducing their carbon footprint will.
    Australia will reduce its CO2 emissions but no one should be in any doubt that it will make absolutely no difference to climate change. The only reliable low emmission base load power currently is Nuclear and Australia will need to modify its legislation to do this. Hydro can have negative environmental outcomes and but more importantly is still reliant on regular rainfall.

  18. #43
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Cow View Post
    It is blindingly obvious that without drastic cuts by China USA and India CO2 levels will continue to rise.
    We lead so others will follow

    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Cow View Post
    Australia will reduce its CO2 emissions but no one should be in any doubt that it will make absolutely no difference to climate change.
    You have never been accused of being the sharpest tool in the shed

    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Cow View Post
    The only reliable low emmission base load power currently is Nuclear and Australia will need to modify its legislation to do this.
    Nuclear waste



    https://www.lazard.com/media/451419/...ersion-140.pdf

    _____________



    The science minister, Ed Husic, has questioned the priorities of Australia’s premier science body, warning it against “renting out” its brand to huge gas companies that could easily fund their own decarbonisation efforts.

    Husic told the Spark festival on Monday that a “very major gas company” had approached CSIRO to support its claims of working towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions. While emphasising CSIRO’s independence, Husic said it should focus efforts elsewhere.

    “Gas firms at the moment are making enough money to ensure that the mint could blush,” Husic said.

    “I do wonder why we need to have gas firms renting out the brand – [for] CSIRO to do decarbonisation work – that I’m sure they could get a lot of others to do.

    “I would rather the CSIRO work with a lot more particularly smaller or extensively Australian firms on that [decarbonising] effort.”

    It is understood the company seeking to partner with CSIRO is gas giant Santos, with the work involving carbon capture and storage. Guardian Australia approached Husic’s office and Santos for comment.

    Husic made the comments after being questioned about Guardian Australia’s report on Sunday that CSIRO had ceased funding for its decadal forecasting program five years into its $37m funded plan. The project’s inability to attract additional external funding was one reason for CSIRO abandoning the work, insiders say.

    One senior researcher on Monday said CSIRO had made it clear it did not want scientists to enter into ventures on projects valued at less than $500,000. The Climate Science Centre, for instance, could have helped close a funding hole of more than $4m if such projects had been permitted.

    “They want us to work with fewer and bigger companies,” the researcher said, requesting anonymity. “They cut off a lot of smaller projects.”

    A CSIRO spokesperson said the organisation “works with government, industry large and small, and the community on a wide range of research and technological solutions aimed at reducing emissions and helping decarbonise Australia’s economy”.

    They declined to confirm whether Santos was the proposed partner, saying any specific agreements being considered were commercial-in-confidence.

    The spokesperson dismissed the claim of a $4m funding hole as “incorrect”, as was the comment that scientists were restricted to collaborations worth more than $500,000.

    “We work with a range of organisations small, medium and large, on a number of projects with a focus always on ensuring the maximum impact can be achieved through the dedication of important science resources,” they said.

    CSIRO had “facilitated” 339 research projects for 249 companies nationwide as part of its SME Connect program. These injected more than $35m into research and development of these projects, they said.

    Husic said CSIRO had “gone to great lengths” to say they were doing “other things” with the research gleaned from decadal forecasting.

    “CSIRO is an independent body and they make their own decisions,” he said.

    “There might be some other ways in which they can bring their considerable research weight to bear on national problems and work locally. I do think with that national issue of decarbonisation, we do need to align a lot of our work.

    “This is a government that’s committed [to] net zero, and everything that we can do – from government through all the agencies, harmonised on this effort – will go a very long way.”

  19. #44
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Just one article before Saturday’s update.




    The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has become the first Aussie regulator to issue a fine for false claims of environmental credentials.

    ASIC hit energy company Tlou Energy with a $53,280 fine over allegedly misleading statements made to the ASX last October that suggested its Lesedi power station would produce carbon-neutral energy from day one of operations.

    ASIC said the company said “it was equally concerned with producing ‘clean energy’ through the use of solar and hydrogen as it was with developing its gas-to-power project”.

    ASIC said it has “reasonable grounds” to believe these claims were misleading.

    “Tlou’s plans to develop clean energy in the form of solar and hydrogen were at an early stage and were not planned to be significantly advanced until sometime after Tlou was earning revenue through the sale of electricity generated through the combustion of natural gas.”

    “[Tlou had] not undertaken any substantive modelling of the likely carbon dioxide emissions that would be generated by the Lesedi Project and would be required to be offset via sequestration for the electricity generated to be ‘carbon neutral via sequestration’,” the ASIC notice reads.

    The company also neglected to work on “the feasibility of the Lesedi project producing carbon neutral electricity via sequestration” and had “not undertaken any meaningful investigation as to whether it would be possible to obtain carbon credits or offsets in relation to any sequestration activities undertaken at the Lesedi project.”

    Both ASIC and the ACCC warned Australian companies they would be targeting such greenwashing practices.

    “As entities promote sustainability and green practices as part of their value proposition, they must ensure they can support those statements and have a reasonable basis for doing so,” ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court warned.

    “ASIC is currently investigating a number of listed entities, super funds and managed funds in relation to their green credentials claims.

    “Companies are on notice that ASIC is actively monitoring the market for potential greenwashing and will take enforcement action, including court action, for serious breaches.”

    Tlou paid the fines but denies any guilt.

    22-294MR ASIC acts against greenwashing by energy company | ASIC
    Last edited by S Landreth; 27-10-2022 at 03:30 PM.

  20. #45
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Going to make this update two different posts. So much information/news from last week.

    ______

    David Shoebridge - The Independent Planning Commission has REFUSED the Glendell Coal Mine expansion citing "significant irreversible and unjustified impacts" - this is an incredible victory for the local community!: https://twitter.com/DavidShoebridge/...10817282240513

    ______




    A NSW planning panel has refused mining giant Glencore's application to expand its Glendell coal mine, citing irreversible damage to Aboriginal heritage.

    The NSW Independent Planning Commission said "the site is not suitable for the development" because the Ravensworth Homestead complex, comprised of colonial buildings and historic gardens in an agricultural setting, would fall in the middle of the expansion project.

    The commission said the mine expansion would not be in the public interest because "the removal of the complex and associated heritage from the site would constitute a significant loss to future generations".

    Glencore, which operates 17 coal mines in Australia making it the largest coal producer in the country, had proposed to continue extracting 135 million tonnes of coal by 2045, near Singleton in the Hunter Valley.

    The company said it was extremely disappointed with the IPC's decision.

    "It is particularly disheartening considering that Glencore has invested more than six years and $25 million in studies as well as consulting with the community to produce a viable and environmentally sustainable project," the mining firm said on Friday.

    Glencore previously said the expansion would have provided job opportunities for up to 690 people and add $282 million in royalties to the state government.

    The commission conducted a site inspection, held a public hearing in March 2022 and received nearly 900 written submissions, including more than 280 objections.

    In its 51-page decision, which has been celebrated by the Greens and environmental groups, the commission noted the Ravensworth complex dating back to 1832 is of particular significance because of "its association with frontier conflict between European and Aboriginal people".

    The Plains Clan of the Wonnarua People said massacres of Aboriginal people at the hands of European colonists in the 19th century had taken place in the area near the complex.

    But Glencore disputes that claim, saying in a September statement that a massacre of Aboriginal people in 1826 had occurred 20 kilometres away from the Homestead and six years before it was built.

    Environmental activist group Lock the Gate Alliance said "this decision draws a line in the sand".

    "NSW's heritage cannot be erased just because a multinational mining giant like Glencore wants to dig up coal," it said.

    NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson hailed the decision as a "powerful victory for the Wonnarua people" and the fight against climate change.

    "While communities across NSW continue to suffer under climate disasters, it's shocking that any new coal or gas mines are even under consideration," she said.

    The Environmental Defenders Office, representing Wonnarua Traditional Owners Scott Franks and Robert Lester in lodging complaints with corporate watchdogs against Glencore, described the ruling as an "incredible result ... for all Australians who value First Nations cultural heritage".

    "It would have desecrated Wonnarua lands and destroyed a place of profound significance," the group said.

    "Our clients are very relieved the IPC has rejected this proposal."

    ____________




    New polling reveals the majority of Australians (53%) support a ban on fossil fuel companies sponsoring national sporting teams, with only 32% opposed. The polling also shows three in five Australians (60%) agree fossil fuel sponsorship ‘is the new cigarette advertising’.

    Key Points:


    • Three in five Australians (60%) agree that fossil fuel sponsorship is the new cigarette sponsorship, more than double the number who disagree (27%).
    • Majority of Australians (53%) agree that fossil fuel companies should be banned from sponsoring national sports teams, compared to 32% who disagree.
    • Majority of Australians (57%) agree that the Midwinter Ball at Parliament House should not have accepted sponsorship from fossil fuel companies, compared to one in four (24%) who disagree.


    “This research shows fossil fuel corporations are losing their social license to sponsor sporting teams and major events in mainstream society, ” said Richie Merzian, Director of the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program.

    “Australians don’t accept cigarette sponsorship due to the deadly impact on human health and this research shows two in three Australians view fossil fuel sponsorship as the new cigarette sponsorship.

    “Given that gas, coal and oil companies supercharge the deadly impact of floods, bushfires and extreme weather events, it’s unsurprising these companies are losing their social license to sponsor major events in mainstream society.”

    _____________



    9. Critical minerals strategy to power renewable tech sector


    • More than $100 million will flow towards a new critical minerals strategy, designed to capitalise on resources essential to renewable energy technology.



    • Revealed on Friday, the scheme will see $50.5 million over four years flow towards the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development hub.



    • That project, launched in collaboration with CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, will work with industry leaders to counter technical challenges and maximise development opportunities.



    • Another $50 million will go towards grants for early- and mid-stage critical mineral projects.



    • The main game here is lithium — a mineral that is crucial to forward-thinking battery and electric vehicle technology.


    Australia is already the world’s top lithium producer, and the extra funding will “help bring online new sources of supply, support robust supply chains, and create high-paying regional jobs for Australians,” Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said.

    Extra

    Environment

    • $600,000 to support local cafes and businesses near Australia’s busiest beaches in eliminating single-use plastics

    • An additional $204 million to protect, manage and restore the Great Barrier Reef for a record spend of $1.2 billion

    ____________

    Federal Budget October 2022 Federal Budget 2022-23 | CPA Australia

    ____________

    Adam Bandt MP - Budget Reply Speech (partial)

    While people are struggling to cope with the rising costs without a real pay rise, Labor gives fossil fuel corporations at least $40 billion in subsidies.

    While 3 million will still live in poverty, Labor gives politicians a $9,000 tax cut.

    While people live in their cars because they can’t afford a house, Labor’s budget says rents will skyrocket.

    This is not what people voted for.

    People voted for change.

    Together, we kicked the Liberals out. People want this Parliament to tackle the climate crisis and to tackle inequality.

    People voted for change, but after this Budget, people are still waiting for it.

    We wanted change, but sadly we got more of the same.

    The same tax cuts for the wealthiest.

    The same handouts for fossil fuels.

    The same special treatment for big corporations.

    The same higher rents, higher inequality and lower wages and incomes.

    Under Labor’s Budget, you get higher bills, and Clive Palmer gets a $9,000 tax cut.

    But it doesn’t need to be this way.

    We could scrap the Stage 3 tax cuts for the wealthy, put dental and mental health into Medicare and make childcare free.

    We could actually build a million new homes, instead of announcing a Budget-night policy that only contains funding for 10,000 with a hope private developers will do the rest.

    And we could take on these coal and gas corporations that are gouging us.

    It’s time to put people first.

    It’s time to look at capping electricity prices.

    And if that costs money, the coal and gas giants can pay for it.

    Instead, Labor’s budget locks in more coal and gas, and uses people’s money to pay for it.

    Because at the same time as people are forced to wait years for real relief, Labor is giving gas corporations a free ride.

    The Budget showed the existing gas tax - the PRRT - is going to collect almost half a billion dollars *less* than forecast.

    Big gas corporations are making giant windfall profits. We should tax them and use the money to help people and businesses with their energy bills, to help them get off dirty and expensive gas with renewables and electrification.

    Because the climate crisis is here.

    Floods are destroying homes in Melbourne and around the country, in towns on the Loddon and Murray rivers, and ruining crops and driving up inflation further. Insurance is unaffordable. People's entire lives are being dumped out on the street.

    Coal and gas are fuelling floods, but in this budget, Labor continues at least $40b in handouts to fossil fuel corporations, including a staggering $1.9 billion to build a gas project in Darwin Harbour and $30m this year alone to open up the giant carbon bomb in the Beetaloo gas basin.

    It’s really good to see a Budget that starts to take renewables seriously, but Labor is still throwing money at the coal and gas corporations, pouring fuel on the fire and making the climate crisis worse.

    Conclusion

    Yes, international factors are important and the previous government left a mess, but these decisions to work with the Liberals to fund gas and give tax cuts to Clive Palmer are being made right here by Labor.

    https://adam-bandt.greensmps.org.au/...t-reply-speech

  21. #46
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    This is the story of how Australia’s behaviour across decades has made it a climate change outcast. In the first episode we hear how Australia managed to increase its emissions under a climate deal that was supposed to cut them

    Billed as the world’s “best, last chance” to get global heating under control, Cop26 had a big goal: to secure global net zero emissions by 2050 and keep 1.5C within reach.

    Australia’s climate report card is poor, following decades of political squabbling, policy failures, leadership coups, climate scepticism and poor planning. And yet most Australians have a lived experience of the worsening climate crisis – devastating bushfires, floods, extreme weather, and loss of species and habitat.

    Australia v the climate looks at how we got here, what has gone wrong, and what can be done to change course.

    ___________




    Australia's electric vehicle drivers could plug in to hundreds of additional charging locations over the next two years as NSW and Victorian political parties pledge millions of dollars to expand charging networks.

    NSW will add another 500 electric vehicle charging bays in cities and on highways over the next two years in a $39.4 million commitment to powering up Australia's EV network.

    The fast and ultra-fast charging stations will be equipped to boost most electric car batteries by 60 per cent in just 15 minutes.

    The NSW commitment comes as Victoria's opposition parties today pledged to establish 600 EV charging stations in the state in a $50 million election promise.

    If both projects go ahead, they would significantly boost Australia's network of public electric vehicle charging stations, which are currently available in 2147 locations, according to the EV Council.

    NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the $39.4 million funding commitment was the first of three funding rounds from the state's Fast Charging Grants program, with "hundreds more stations to be built over the coming years".

    "This investment will see the largest, fastest and most comprehensive public EV charging network in Australia," Mr Kean said.

    "The ultra-fast chargers will be able to charge modern EVs from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in around 15 minutes and all stations will be fully powered with renewable energy."

    The fast and ultra-fast chargers will be built in 86 locations, with each station offering bays for between four and 15 vehicles. Their locations range from Mildura and Wagga Wagga to Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Newcastle.

    Ampol, BP, Evie Networks, Tesla, the NRMA and Zeus Renewables will build the charging stations over the next 24 months.

    The chargers will add to the NSW network of 347 public EV charging locations, including 118 fast and ultra-fast chargers, according to the EV Council's State of Electric Vehicles report released this month.

    Australia had 2147 public EV charging locations by June this year - up 15 per cent from early 2021 - with most in NSW, followed by Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia.

    But Victoria could close the gap on NSW after the state's Liberal and National parties promised to co-fund 600 electric vehicle charging stations in a $50 million election pledge.

    Victorian Liberal Party Deputy Leader David Southwick said the coalition would work with businesses, local councils and community organisations to establish EV charging stations.

    "By rolling out an extra 600 charging stations across the state, we will boost charging access and reduce the barriers to entering the electric vehicle market," he said.

    "The more electric vehicles we have on our roads, the more Victorians can save on spiralling fuel costs and we can achieve our emissions reductions targets."

    The Victorian opposition also promised to "pause" the state's tax on electric vehicles until 2027 at a cost of $82.2 million.

    The announcements come one week before submissions close to the federal government's National Electric Vehicle Strategy consultation paper.

    __________



    The nation’s top scientists have launched a mission that takes aim at the heart of the challenge facing Australia – cutting emissions while growing the economy.

    CSIRO boss Larry Marshall says regions living with drought, flood and job losses don’t need another challenge, and that’s why the $90 million plan focuses on the farming and resources sectors that Australia is built on.

    “This mission isn’t just about working with the hard-to-abate industries,” he said in a keynote speech to a business summit on Tuesday.

    “It’s done in deep consultation and close partnership within the communities across Australia, particularly regional Australia, where these industries exist.”

    Dr Marshall said cutting harmful methane emissions can be fast-tracked by “future feed” livestock supplements made from seaweed and developing technologies that take carbon out of the atmosphere.

    Low-emission steel and iron ore, sustainable aviation fuel and projects to offset emissions are also part of the plan, with leading companies on board.

    He said CSIRO is “convinced” hydrogen is part of Australia’s future, whether that’s used to create ammonia fuel or other derivatives.

    CSIRO is also working on Australia’s first stocktake of carbon sequestration potential, where soil and vegetation management could be key.

    That includes contentious carbon capture and storage methods that critics say attract more than their fair share of taxpayer subsidies for little result.

    “Countries across the world have shown, despite the criticism, that carbon capture and storage or carbon capture and utilisation is a necessary bet on the future,” Dr Marshall said.

    “There is no silver bullet for this massive two-thirds of our emissions challenge, so we’re looking at everything,” he said.

    But Australia must not only cut today’s industrial pollution, it must also change the way all sectors operate to make sure greenhouse gas emissions don’t grow in the future.

    Dr Marshall said the project would help Australia’s hardest to abate sectors, including agriculture, aviation and steel, halve their emissions by 2035.

    Industry Minister Ed Husic told AAP the mission is “a signal to industry that we want to work together, that there’s been a new government that recognises this is an issue that needs to be confronted”.

    “There’s a lot of opportunity there to build commercial value and jobs,” he said.

    He said the CSIRO mission gave industry a partner to problem solve with on their road to net zero.

    Project lead Michael Battaglia said heavy emitters like the farming sector and iron ore processors needed help to reach their targets.

    “We will specifically deal with these sectors and assist them to reduce their emissions,” he told AAP.

    “In working with them, we will start to develop all sorts of analytic frameworks and collaborative approaches that help us apply it to other sectors as well.”

    Dr Battaglia said the CSIRO was looking at how farmers reducing emissions and increasing sustainability could be rewarded for their work.

    Embedding those into supply chain credentials starts to put a price on sustainability and allows some of the benefits to be passed back to farmers, he said.

    As part of its mission strategy, the CSIRO worked with the Queensland agriculture department on how the farming sector could reduce emissions.

    The report found methods to reduce methane from cattle could be the best way to lower emissions in the state’s $18 billion agricultural food industry, and feed the world with sustainable food.

    The red meat sector, of which Queensland contributes almost half of the herd, has a target of reaching net zero by 2030.

    __________


    • Where’s the pretender?


    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Cow View Post
    The only reliable low emmission base load power currently is Nuclear and Australia will need to modify its legislation to do this.
    Knowledge is a good thing.......

    Josh Burns - A thread on Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy policy:

    The cost and time required to build nuclear energy reactors makes it the most expensive and slowest form of energy to produce.

    1/10 : https://twitter.com/joshburnsmp/stat...75447266074625

  22. #47
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Just a handful today. I’ll finish the update tomorrow.

    ___________




    Climate impacts could block fossil fuel projects under Plibersek change

    The global warming impact of fossil fuels will, for the first time, be factored into the federal government’s environmental assessments as Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek opens the possibility of coal and gas projects being blocked due to climate change.

    Plibersek’s move poses a fresh challenge for fossil fuel industries as the federal government threatens gas companies with unprecedented market intervention as it scrambles to find a mechanism to lower gas prices, deflate soaring energy bills and help struggling manufacturers stay afloat.

    In a break with the policy of the former Coalition government, the federal government announced it would accept public submissions on the climate change impacts of 18 coal and gas projects.

    Until now, federal government assessments only considered a project’s impacts on native wildlife and ecosystems.

    However, prompted by a potential legal challenge being launched by the Environment Council of Central Queensland, the government will now consider public comment on climate impacts on the projects, which are all seeking federal approval for their proposed developments.

    ECCQ president Christine Carlisle said previous ministers had failed to consider climate change impacts of coal or gas proposals and praised Plibersek’s move to factor in global warming.

    “Assessing the risks and harm of new coal or gas should account for all the evidence, including how it would contribute to climate breakdown,” she said.

    Plibersek said she couldn’t make further comment as it was a legal matter, but a spokesperson confirmed the minister received in July a reconsideration request for 18 statutory decisions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

    “After careful examination the [Environment] Department has decided that each request is valid.”

    ___________

    Continued progress.




    The share of renewable energy in Australia's main grid soared to a new record of 68.7 per cent on Friday, easily beating the previous record of 64.1 per cent set on September 18.

    The Australian Energy Market Operator says the new “instantaneous” renewable generation record was set 12:30pm, and was a 4.6% increase from the previous milestone set just a month earlier.

    It also appears to be a new record for variable renewable energy – wind and solar – with an instantaneous share of 64 per cent, according to the table below.

    On top of that, rooftop solar was producing more than all fossil fuelled generation combined, showing the power of household and business consumers. And it is also remarkable that this occurred during a weekday, as such records usually occur on weekends when there is lower demand.



    The AEMO data is based on 30-minute trading period, but on a 5-minute period (within that same 30-minute period), a new peak was set at 69.61 per cent at 12.15pm (AEEDT) on Friday, according to data cruncher GPE NemLog2.That was well up from the 65 per cent share set earlier this month.

    That pushed the share of coal down to a record low of 29 per cent, also well below the previous minimum of 34 per cent set in September.

    At the same time, the output of wind and solar reached a peak of 18,100MW, also well ahead of the previous peak of 16,331MW set o October 15.

    The new benchmarks continues a record-breaking spring for renewables in the main grid, reflecting the continuing growth of large scale wind and solar developments, and the popularity of rooftop solar.

    At the time of the new benchmark on Friday coal provided just 30 per cent of generation on the main grid, and gas just 1 per cent. Five years ago, the maximum instantaneous penetration of renewables stood at 30 per cent, but it is expected to reach 100 per cent within the next three years.

    ____________

    • Malcom Turnbull says Liberal party has ‘lost its way’ on climate


    The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Liberal party has “lost its way” on climate policy as it continues to rail against renewable energy, warning the party needs to win back the so-called teal seats if it ever wants to form government.

    He has also accused the party’s leader, Peter Dutton, of peddling “complete and utter nonsense” by suggesting nuclear power was needed to firm up renewables.

    Speaking at the Australia Institute’s launch of the State of the Nation report on Thursday, Turnbull said there was “overwhelming public support” for action on climate change, pointing to the May election result as evidence.

    “The teal phenomenon is probably the single most important thing that happened at the election,” Turnbull said.

    Much more here: Malcolm Turnbull Press Conference Transcript – Climate of the Nation Report Launch - The Australia Institute

    ___________

    • David Pocock While cost-of-living pressures are soaring, fossil fuel war profits are too.


    Australians are missing out on a fair share from the exploitation of our resources.

    Time to update the PRRT (Petroleum Resources Rent Tax).: https://twitter.com/DavidPocock/stat...39410640633857

    Majority of Australians back taxing fossil fuel companies’ super profits, survey shows

    ___________

    Extra

    • Scientists unlock methane-busting seaweed


    Australian scientists have made a major breakthrough on seaweed that can be fed to cattle and drastically reduce their methane emissions.

    The researchers are confident they have cracked the genome code for Asparagopsis.

    The species of seaweed produces a chemical compound called bromoform, which prevents the formation of methane during the digestion of food.

    Feeding the red seaweed to livestock can slash methane emissions by more than 80 per cent.

    An international research team has spent three years studying the genetics of the warm water seaweed, which is native to Australia.

    The team has figured out how to grow high quality crops quickly and in big volumes.

    "So we've got the genome blueprint for us to be able to fast track the development of the seaweed," marine scientist Nick Paul told AAP.

    The research was focused on ways to grow enough Asparagopsis to have a meaningful impact on global greenhouse gas emissions.

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/scientists...033629171.html

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    Volvo Australia has decided to fast-track its switch to electric, vowing to sell EVs only in Australia by 2026, well ahead of the car brand’s global commitment to do this by 2030.

    The new commitment was announced on Thursday by Volvo Australia managing director Stephen Connor, shortly after the official launch in Australia of the new C40 Recharge – its first electric only SUV, adding to the XC40 that is already on the market and the EX90 that is soon to be revealed.

    Connor says the decision has been taken because there is no long term future in cars with internal combustion engines. And despite Australia’s relatively slow take-up of EVs to date, it senses its customers are ready to make the switch.

    there is no long term future in cars with internal combustion engines
    ____________




    The mining industry has been urged to do more to stamp out corruption and respect land and water rights as it expands to meet global demand for critical minerals.

    Limiting global warming to below two degrees is estimated to require a four-fold increase in the supply of minerals for clean energy technologies in coming decades.

    Chair of the global Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, has used her keynote address at a prestigious mining summit to call for more accountability.

    Amid the latest mining boom, she told the International Mining and Resources Conference in Sydney the key risk is around the awarding of mining licences, particularly when they are fast-tracked.

    "Not to put too fine a point on it, bribes may be used to influence decision-making or preferential treatment can be given to politically connected companies," she said.

    Ms Clark said most low-carbon technologies are using far more minerals than their fossil fuel counterparts.

    A typical electric car requires six times the mineral inputs and an onshore wind farm requires nine times more mineral resources than a gas-fired power plant.

    "The more ambitious the world is in its decarbonisation efforts, the more mining it's going to need," Ms Clark said.

    ___________




    An alliance of Australia’s peak medical bodies has warned the burden to hospitals and health services are being compounded by a failure to tackle climate change.

    President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Dr Jacqueline Small, said recent flooding events across Australia “forewarns increased frequency and intensity of all extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change”.

    “This is both an immediate and long-term reality.

    “We urge the federal government to move with urgency and ambition on plans for a national climate change, health and wellbeing strategy,” she said.

    t follows the latest MJA-Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report, an annual assessment of health and climate change.

    The 2022 review found that climate change does impact human health through a range of environmental exposures and extreme events, including life-threatening heat, heatwaves, bushfires and smoke, droughts and floods, as well as other disasters.

    The Australian Medical Association president, Prof Steve Robson, has urged politicians to “read this report and to act urgently on its recommendations”.

    _____________




    Australia has signed a new strategic partnership agreement with Thailand following talks with the Asian nation's deputy prime minister.

    The agreement comes as Australia and Thailand commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations.

    The agreement signed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday includes cooperation on net-zero emissions, health, trade and security.

    Senator Wong met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Don Pramudwinai during a visit to Bangkok.

    She said Australia would continue to work closely with Bangkok on areas like defence and regional security.

    "Some 19 Australian agencies have made commitments to work with Thailand under this partnership on many areas of practical cooperation," she said.

    "As middle-sized countries, what I would say is we share many of the same aspirations for the region in which we live. Ultimately, Australia seeks, and I believe Thailand also seeks, a region that is peaceful and predictable."

    Thailand is hosting the APEC leaders' summit later this month, amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

    _____________

    Extra




    Much like the classic cars it converts, Jaunt Motors is about to undergo a transformation. Today it has announced a merger with Zero EV to become the biggest EV conversion manufacturer in the world.

    The Melbourne-based Jaunt Motors has made a name for itself by converting beautiful old-school 4WD into fully electric vehicles. The startup was founded by Marteen Burger and Dave Budge due to their love of 4WDs and passion for encouraging EV uptake in Australia.

    Now it will enter the next phase of its road trip with the Bristol-based Zero EV to become Fellten. Rather poetically, the name is Welsh for lightning. The news was announced at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

    While Jaunt Motors catered largely for the consumer market, Zero EV has a focus on producing electric conversion OEM parts for B2B and supply chain support.

    The company will operate across three continents, allowing for exponential growth and an international supply chain. Automotive workshops and vehicle restorers across Australia, Europe and North America will be able to use the Fellten electric conversion system to upgrade classic cars to EVs.

    Fellten wants to make EV conversion practical and global

    According to the company, this will enable cars from any era to become a daily driver, rather than a collectible or enthusiast car. Some of the brands Fellten has already created systems for include Classic MINIs, Porsche 911s and Land Rovers.

    “Fellten powered vehicles are re-fitted to improve safety, handling, comfort, usability and performance and sustainability, all without sacrificing the classic style of the car,” the company said.

    The company has also developed approved training programs to help upskill staff to work with electric vehicles — including OEM technicians and mechanics as well as film industry professionals working with cars.

    “We are delighted to launch Fellten — it’s the culmination of years of work from two teams working on other sides of the world, coming together with the shared ambition in shaping the future of electric vehicles,” CEO of Fellten, Chris Hazell, said in a statement. Hazell was previously the CEO and co-founder of Zero EV.

    “The merging of our two companies into the singular Fellten will provide classic vehicle customers with any level of electrification support, and provide automotive experts, mechanics and electric vehicle converters with the technology, tools and training to be a part of the growing global demand for electrification.”

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    The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy

    The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water

    Australia will join the Mangrove Alliance for Climate further strengthening the country’s global leadership on climate action and blue carbon.

    The Alliance aims to increase and accelerate conservation, restoration and plantation efforts of mangrove ecosystems to help combat climate change and support adaption.

    Australia’s announcement that it would join other nations in protecting and restoring mangroves came after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the initiative at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt. The Alliance is a joint UAE and Indonesia initiative.

    The goal of the Alliance is to increase the global area of mangrove habitat by 20 per cent by the year 2030.

    Mangroves absorb significant amounts of carbon and can be a key contributor to global action on climate change.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in September endorsed the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature that is a reinvigorated approach for strong action on biodiversity loss and climate change.

    Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australia was proud to be part of the Alliance.

    “Australia recognises the crucial role mangroves can play in global climate change mitigation and also the broad benefits they bring in climate resilience, biodiversity, tourism, indigenous communities and job opportunities.

    _____________




    Anthony Albanese has avoided a question about Labor’s support for coal and gas projects after he chose to skip a major climate summit.

    Independent MP Zali Steggall asked the Prime Minister during question time in parliament on Thursday if the federal government would stop funding and approving fossil fuel projects.

    Mr Albanese responded by criticising the Coalition and saying Labor’s climate legislation had resulted in Australia being “welcomed back” by global leaders to the fight against climate change.

    He said the world needed to move towards renewables as the “cheapest and cleanest” form of energy production.

    But he didn’t say anything about Labor’s ongoing support for new fossil fuel projects.

    Ms Steggall said the Albanese government’s legislated target of a 43 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 2005 levels by 2030 was “inadequate” and put the planet on track to warm by three degrees.

    Mr Albanese was in Canberra this week after choosing not to attend the United Nations COP27 global climate talks in Egypt.

    Mr Albanese — who savaged Scott Morrison when the former prime minister deliberated over whether to attend COP26 in Glasgow — defended his own decision to snub this year’s event by saying he “can’t be everywhere at once”.

    Mr Albanese said he wanted to focus on passing legislation at home and preparing for next week’s ASEAN, APEC and G20 meetings in Cambodia, Thailand and Bali.

    He told parliament on Thursday he was looking forward to discussing climate policy with world leaders at these summits.

    “I am optimistic that the world can move. I want Australia to be a part of that and my government’s commitment is to do just that,” he said.

    ______________




    Premier Daniel Andrews was ramping up his election rhetoric on energy by promising $42m to install 100 neighbourhood batteries across the state within the next term if Labor is re-elected on November 26.

    "We think about 25,000 households will benefit from this," Mr Andrews said at a bowls club in the seat of Bayswater, held by Labor on a wafer-thin margin.

    Fifteen of the batteries will initially be installed in Melbourne and 13 in regional Victoria, with the location of the rest to be confirmed at a later date.

    The batteries are expected to triple the number of Victorian homes with access to storage, allowing more to return surplus solar-generated electricity to the grid through feed-in tariffs.

    Labor has already vowed to re-enter the energy market with the revival of the State Electricity Commission and set a renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035, if returned.

    _____________




    Traditional Owners from the Torres Strait have built a replica seawall outside Parliament House this morning to call for stronger action from the Government to protect their island homes from climate change.

    The action was led by members of the ‘Torres Strait 8’, a group of Torres Strait Islanders who in September 2022 made international legal history when they won their landmark case against the Australian Government at the United Nations.

    The UN Human Rights Committee found that the Australian Government has violated its human rights obligations to Torres Strait Islanders by failing to act on climate change. The UN decision sets an international precedent, opening the door for further legal actions and compensation claims by those impacted by climate change.

    48,525 signatures

    A petition with 48,525 signatures supporting calling for greater action to be taken will also be presented to Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen today.

    The action coincided with the first day of the United Nations COP27 climate negotiations in Egypt, which is being attended by Torres Strait 8 member Yessie Mosby, with his 12-year-old son Genia Mosby.

    Torres Strait Islanders are on the frontline of the climate crisis, and urgent action is needed to ensure they can remain on their Islands. Rising sea levels, king tides, erosion, inundation and coral bleaching are threatening the homes and cultures of Torres Strait Islander people, and the Australian Government is failing to do enough to address the climate crisis.

    ____________



    Former senator and Greens co-founder Bob Brown has been moved on by police while staging a protest against logging in Tasmania.

    Protesters were staging a "peaceful occupation" of swift parrot habitat near Swansea in the state's north east, where birds have been pushed out of their usual breeding and feeding forests by intensified logging.

    Police attended the timber production zone at Lake Leake following reports a group of people was obstructing the work of logging contractors.

    "Some of the people in the group were moved on without incident, however a man who initially failed to move on from the area will be summonsed to attend court on a trespass matter," a police spokeswoman said.

    Two women who had tied themselves to logging equipment were arrested and charged with trespass and obstructing police.

    They will appear in court at a later date.

    ____________


    • Greens Introduce Bill To Prohibit Logging In Koala Habitats


    A bill to protect Australia’s cuddly koalas in New South Wales will be introduced today in parliament.

    Under the bill, it would be illegal to conduct logging activities in areas of reginal koala significance.

    NSW Greens environment spokesperson Sue Higginson said the bill was critical to help save koalas from becoming extinct.

    “If the government was serious about protecting koalas or any of our native animals threatened with extinction then they could introduce a bill to do so – just like I am doing today,” she said.

    "It would save NSW money and save many of our forest-dependent threatened species from extinction by taking a proactive approach to a looming crisis for industry and nature.”

    With the state’s election coming up in March, it’s currently unknown if the bill will be debated before the end of the year or if it would be introduced post-election.

    However, the Greens confirmed they will reintroduce the bill regardless of who is elected.

    https://www.triplem.com.au/story/gre...abitats-208290

    Quote Originally Posted by Hugh Cow View Post
    The only reliable low emmission base load power currently is Nuclear and Australia will need to modify its legislation to do this.
    nope. not going to happen


    • Small nuclear reactors in Australia ‘not a competitive option’, CSIRO says


    The CSIRO has told Senate estimates that it isn’t investigating small modular nuclear reactors as a viable power option for Australia until at least the end of this decade, noting it isn’t currently “a competitive option”.

    Dr Peter Mayfield, the CSIRO’s executive director of environment, energy and resources, was asked by Labor senator Deb O’Neill about the prospects of nuclear power in the near future. The Coalition has tried to begin a debate about nuclear energy in Australia, as the Labor government pursues clean energy policies in pursuit of a net zero by 2050 goal.

    Mayfield flagged that CSIRO’s ‘GenCost’ report into power generation, released in July, reported “there is no prospect of a [Nuclear SMR] plant being deployed before 2030”.

    We don’t even look at it before 2030 because we don’t think it’s viable in that timeframe. It would need some significant cost reductions for it to become a competitive option.

    Asked about what Australia needs to achieve a reliable power network in coming years, Mayfield listed new clean energy options, better storage, a transition from fossil fuels which includes gas options, and carbon capture & storage technology.

    Keep building out renewables, improve storage options we have, a transition from fossil fuels that makes sense.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australi...n-reserve-bank

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    Ukraine has asked Australia to supply it with coal and energy infrastructure as the war-torn country’s ongoing conflict with Russia nears the nine-month mark.

    The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made the request directly to Anthony Albanese when the pair met at the ASEAN summit in Cambodia over the weekend.

    The Ukrainian Embassy in Canberra issued a readout on Monday of Mr Kuleba and the Australian Prime Minister’s meeting in Phnom Penh.

    Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, described Mr Kuleba and Mr Albanese’s discussion as “very positive”.

    “It shows the mateship of Australia and Ukraine in standing up for democracy and sovereignty against autocracy and illegality,” Mr Myroshnychenko said.

    Mr Myroshnychenko said Russian missile strikes over the weekend had damaged more than 40 per cent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation.

    “This led to blackouts all over Ukraine and big problems with heating, water supply and waste disposal,” he said.

    He said Australia’s supply of coal and infrastructure including transformers and generators would be “invaluable”.

    Mr Myroshnychenko said he looked forward to speaking with the federal and state and territory governments to request energy aid for Ukraine.

    Australia has provided Ukraine with some $655m in support, including $475m in military assistance, since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of his country’s smaller neighbour on February 24.

    Mr Albanese will this week meet with world leaders at the G20 summit in Bali where the war in Ukraine and its ramifications for global inflation and food and energy supplies are set to dominate discussions.

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