Here in Australia, we are building out renewable power and storage at record rates, and they now make up more than 40% of our electricity in our main grid – and 36% across the country. We are far from alone in the global renewable rollout: in the first half of 2025, for the first time ever, the world made more power with renewables than from coal. In total, around 90 countries now make more than 35% of their power with renewables. 

Around the world, the “sun is rising on a clean energy age” with more than 9 out of 10 renewable power projects being cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.  Renewables will grow faster than any major energy source in the next decade, making the transition away from fossil fuels inevitable.

Learn more about the global progress on climate action.

Which countries have the most wind and solar power?

Australia, like many countries around the world, is relying mostly on a combination of wind, solar and storage (like batteries and pumped hydro) for its renewable power. Here’s the lowdown on the top 11 wind and solar-powered countries.

The world’s top wind- and solar-powered countries

*Australia refers to Australia’s main grid, the National Electricity Market (NEM). The NEM includes all states and territories except the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

1. Denmark

Denmark is one of the world’s renewable leaders, sourcing 88% of its power from renewable sources in 2024, and racing towards 100% by 2030. Wind alone provides 58% of the country’s power, thanks to more than 50 years of community leadership in wind projects. For nearly 15 years the Danish government has required all new wind projects to be at least 20% community owned. Now, more than half of Denmark’s wind generation capacity is owned by the community, helping to ensure its citizens benefit from the shift to renewables and building social licence for a rapid rollout.

2. Djibouti

In just five years, the Djibouti in northeast Africa has grown its renewable generation from nearly zero to 67% – its first wind farm opened in just 2023. Djibouti has a target to be the first country in Africa to reach 100% renewable by 2035. It is rolling out renewables as a national priority, to reduce power prices, support its industries to grow and increase its energy independence.

3. Lithuania

In recent years as the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted energy supply and prices worldwide, Lithuania has emerged as a renewable leader, ending its reliance on imported Russian fossil fuels in 2022. It has more than doubled its renewable generation since 2018 and is now more than 60% renewable, supported by a boom in rooftop solar. By 2030, Lithuania aims to shift from a net electricity importer to an exporter.

4. Luxembourg

Luxembourg, historically very reliant on fossil fuels, has been rapidly rolling out renewables as part of its plan to cut emissions by 55% by 2030. The country has already reached more than 60% wind and solar power, compared to just 9% a decade ago.

5. Portugal

Portugal is powered by more than 75% renewables, with 45% coming from wind and solar, and the majority of the remainder from hydro. Portugal’s solar generation is growing rapidly – it increased by 440% between 2017 and 2024! Portugal has been coal-free since 2021, and is working to phase down its gas use to reach 93% renewable by 2030. Portugal has a target to completely end gas generation by 2040.

6. The Netherlands

The Netherlands has halved its power sector emissions since 2018 thanks to rapid growth in both solar and wind power which now make up 45% of its power. The Netherlands’ position on the North Sea makes it ideal for offshore wind generation: it has a target to more than quadruple its offshore wind capacity from 5 GW today to 21 GW by 2032 – around 75%of its current electricity needs. Increasing its offshore wind and other renewable generation will enable the Netherlands to completely phase out coal by 2029. 

Want to know more about offshore wind? Read our explainer Australia and offshore wind.

7. Germany

Germany currently makes around 45% of its power from renewable resources, and has targets to grow to 80% renewable by 2030, and 100% by 2035. Germany is a leader in offshore wind, and is also installing solar at record rates: on average, Germany has been installing more than 100,000 solar panels every day!

8. Spain

Spain currently makes around 43% of its electricity from wind and solar, and another 11% from hydro. In 2024, just 1% of Spain’s power came from coal, and its last mainland coal-fired generator is set to close in 2026. Spain plans to reach 81% renewable by 2030.

9. Ireland

Ireland became the sixth country in Europe to end coal generation in June 2025 thanks to impressive growth in its wind generation capacity in the past 25 years – from just 117 MW in 2000, to more than 5 GW now installed across the country. In total, around 40% of the country’s electricity comes from wind and solar.

10. Greece

With help from its abundant Mediterranean sunshine, Greece has more than doubled its renewable generation in the past decade. Renewables now make up 50% of its total generation, with nearly 40% from wind and solar. Like Australia, Greece has a target to reach 82% renewable by 2030. As part of this, Greece will end coal generation by 2026.

11. Mauritania

Mauritania is rapidly transforming its energy systems and economy: before 2008, the share of electricity produced from renewables was less than 1%. Now, it’s more than 50% renewable, with most of this coming from wind and solar, and is aiming to reach 70% by 2030. With fewer than 10% of rural Mauritanian households connected to electricity, renewables are a key part of the country’s goal of achieving universal access by the end of the decade.

The world’s biggest polluter, China, has also  become a renewable powerhouse. Find out how China is shaping the global shift to clean energy.

How does Australia’s shift to renewables compare with the rest of the world?

Australia currently ranks 12th place for the share of wind and solar in our main grid, despite being the sunniest and one of the windiest countries in the world. 

Since our first wind and solar projects started up in the 1980s, they have grown to make up 36% of our main grid, and a further 6% of our power comes from hydro. Rooftop solar is where we really shine: one in three households have panels on their roof, more than anywhere else in the world. Rooftop solar alone makes up 13% of our power! We are also in the midst of a battery boom, with more than one million household batteries expected to be installed between now and 2030 to soak up all the excess solar power from our rooftops. These community-owned energy systems are cutting climate pollution and slashing power bills at the same time – homes with solar and battery can save more than $2,000 every year on average.

We can learn from the successes around the world to make the most of our abundant renewable resources and ramp up our ambition even further to roll out more reliable, affordable clean power.

Learn more about how renewables are the cheapest form of energy for Australia.

How are renewables impacting power bills around the world?

The International Energy Agency has found that reaching net zero by 2050 will lead to a clear decline in total household energy bills (including power, gas and fuel) in advanced economies like Australia.

While power prices are complex and depend on many factors – not just the source of power –  countries around the world are showing that renewables put downward pressure on power bills. For example:

• In Ireland, research has found that wind and solar farms have saved Irish homes and businesses €840 million since 2000 (nearly AUD $1.5 billion). Ireland has a target to reach 80% renewable by 2030, which could cut consumer bills by an additional €610 million (more than AUD $1 billion). 
  
• In Spain between 2021 and 2024, as renewable generation increased by 20%, wholesale power prices dropped by nearly 20%. 
  
• In the United Kingdom, wind power saved homes and businesses £104.3 billion (more than AU$2 billion) between 2010 and 2023, due to its direct impact on electricity prices as well as reduced gas prices due to lower gas demand.

Have any countries reached 100% renewable?

Several countries including Costa Rica, Nepal, Albania, Ethiopia, Iceland and Norway have already reached, or come very close to, 100% renewable power. 

These countries have unique resources compared to other parts of the world, and are able to make significant amounts of power using traditional technologies like hydro and geothermal generation. However, other countries relying more on wind and solar are quickly catching up, like Denmark and Estonia which aim to be 100% renewable by 2030.

For example, Iceland – the “land of fire and ice” – has built a 100% renewable power system using hydro and geothermal resources. Iceland is making the most of the glaciers which cover 11% of the country, and its location on the volcanic Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland started its renewable journey back in the 1970s as a way of reducing its reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels, and hasn’t looked back! Thanks to its abundant renewable power, Iceland citizens pay “almost nothing” for their electricity.

Want to see Australia in the top 10? Chip in today to keep climate change in the headlines and push for urgent action.

The post 11 countries leading the charge on renewable energy appeared first on Climate Council.

For Pacific nations, climate change isn’t a distant risk – it’s an existential threat, here and now. People from Pacific nations are already relocating to Australia, after losing their homes to rising sea levels and extreme weather fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels. With Australia bidding to co-host the UN climate summit (COP31) alongside Pacific nations in 2026, what happens at this year’s PIF will be crucial for securing genuine collaboration with Pacific nations, and for our region’s commitment to tackling climate change. 

Why is Australia attending the Pacific Islands Forum?

Australia is a founding member of the Pacific Islands Forum, and works closely with Pacific nations to advance their priorities. Australia is the region’s largest development partner, and plays a significant role in aid, security and economic cooperation. 

Australia has a strong interest in remaining the region’s main development partner and security partner of choice. However, in the words of Australia’s Foreign Minister, we are now in a state of “permanent contest” for this position (Wong 2024). 

But at the end of the day, Australia’s credibility in the region ultimately hinges on our climate action at home. Pacific leaders have been clear: unless Australia tackles the region’s greatest security threat – climate change – it cannot be seen as a genuine partner.

With COP31 on the horizon, the Pacific Islands Forum is a chance for Australia and Pacific nations to show the world what working together can achieve, strengthening our region’s security as well as our shared future.

How is climate change affecting the Pacific?

Climate change is a shared threat for Australia and countries in our region. From the Solomon Islands to Sydney, communities are being pushed to their limits by worsening heat, bushfires, floods, storms and rising seas. 

In the Pacific Islands, accelerating sea level rise, increasingly destructive cyclones, and damage to the marine ecosystems upon which their livelihoods and economies depend, are all issues being faced today.

While they are some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Pacific island countries have helped shape global climate action for nearly 50 years. Pacific island leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure that global efforts align with what the science tells us is necessary for their countries’ survival. They have earned a reputation for punching above their weight in global climate action and were instrumental in securing landmark global deals like the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. 

Today, Pacific Island countries are leading a diplomatic campaign for a global phase out of coal, oil and gas, calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. The World Health Organization, European Parliament and thousands of others have already backed the proposal. And, earlier this year, in a case driven by Vanuatu students, the International Court of Justice declared that tackling climate change is a legal obligation for all nations. These moves show how Pacific nations are shaping global rules, and raising expectations for countries like Australia to follow through.

What is COP31 and what does it have to do with the Pacific Islands Forum?

COP31 is shorthand for the 31st “Conference of the Parties” to the United Nations climate treaty – the world’s biggest climate meeting, where governments from around the world negotiate how they will cut pollution and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Australia is currently bidding to co-host COP31 in 2026 alongside Pacific nations. The United Nations will make a decision on next year’s host in the coming months. If successful, it will be the largest diplomatic event ever held in Australia and a defining moment for our region.

The Pacific Islands Forum is directly linked to Australia’s bid to co-host COP31. It’s where Pacific leaders can set shared priorities ahead of COP31, ensuring the summit reflects the voices and leadership of the Pacific. For Australia, how we show up at PIF will shape whether we’re seen as a genuine partner in the lead up to COP31.

What do Pacific leaders want to see from Australia?

Pacific leaders are watching closely as Australia sets our 2035 climate target, and they’re calling on the Australian Government to stop approving new polluting fossil fuel projects that are making the climate crisis worse.

If Australia wants to be seen as a credible partner in the region, we need to set the strongest possible 2035 climate target, back it with credible plans and real investment, and commit to phasing out fossil fuels at home. Anything below a 75% cut is not considered credible by Pacific leaders.

Co-hosting the 2026 UN climate talks is a chance for Australia and Pacific nations to show the world what working together can achieve, strengthening our region’s security as well as our shared future.

The post Why the Pacific Islands Forum matters for Australia, and for climate action appeared first on Climate Council.

A few superstar suburbs are leading the charge when it comes to rooftop solar capacity, and that’s worth celebrating. So let’s give a shout out to our top ten solar suburbs!

The Solar Suburb Leaderboard

#10

Queensland’s Glenwood now has another claim to fame besides the annual ‘Swap Car and Bike show’. Over the past year, residents collectively installed 11.71 MW of rooftop solar capacity, enough electricity to power 3500 homes.

#9

The Burragorang Lookout isn’t the only good view from Camden, New South Wales. Their rooftop solar installations are looking pretty good too, with a combined installed capacity of 14.87 MW in just the last 12 months, which could power 4500 homes.

#8

As if stunning coral reefs, nearby islands and world-famous whale watching wasn’t enough, Hervey Bay in Queensland has harnessed the power of the sun by adding 15.01 MW of rooftop solar between 2023-2024. That’s enough clean energy to power 4500 homes! 

#7

It would be surprising if a town along the Sunshine Coast failed to make it into Australia’s top 10 solar suburbs. Caloundra, Queensland, had an impressive 15.45 MW of rooftop solar capacity installed over the last year, enough to power 4600 households. 

#6

The thriving community of Roxburgh Park, Victoria, has shone over the past year, with 15.79 MW of solar capacity added across the township. That much energy could power 4700 homes!

#5

The unassuming residential suburb of Kellyville, New South Wales, comes in at number five, with 16.08 MW of rooftop solar capacity added throughout the last twelve months.

#4

It’s not just the rum that’s big in Bundaberg, Queensland! The community had 16.34 MW of rooftop solar capacity installed over the past 12 months. 

#3

It might be known as the ‘Sugar Capital of Australia’, but to us it’s the 3rd most impressive suburb for solar installation capacity over the past 12 months! Mackay, Qld added a combined capacity of 16.34 MW. With that much power, they can power more than 6100 homes!  

#2

The small town of Tarneit, just outside of Melbourne in Victoria, had a whopping 22.60 MW rooftop solar installation capacity over the past 12 months, which is seriously impressive. That means they’re producing enough clean energy to power 6800 households! 

#1

And finally, coming in at number one…Box Hill, NSW, doesn’t have a box, or a hill, or even a boxy hill! But its community does have 27.69 MW of rooftop solar capacity installed in the past twelve months. This huge amount of energy could power a whopping 8300 homes! Shine on, Box Hill!

The State Leaderboard

When it comes to the state household solar leaderboard, well…it isn’t called ‘the sunshine state’ for nothing. Queensland leads the nation with the highest number of installations in 2023 at 54,365. 

read the full report here

Queensland is also the state with the highest number of solar installations, period. Almost one million homes in the sunshine state now have rooftop solar, adding more capacity than all of Queensland’s publicly-owned coal-fired power generators combined! Trailing in the sunshine state’s wake is:

• Victoria, with 51,104 in 2023. 
• New South Wales comes in third, with 48,470 installations. 
• Western Australia is next, with a total of 44,899 installations. 
• In fifth place is the Australian Capital Territory, with 22,803 installations. 
• South Australia follows, with 20,849 installations. 
• Second to last, we have Northern Territory with 6,734 installations; and 
• Rounding out the list is Tasmania with 6,070 installations. 

Let’s Seize the Sun

It’s time to seize the sun. Rooftop solar is popular around the country because families and communities understand its huge potential to cut electricity bills, give households more control over their energy needs, and slash climate pollution. A renewed push to share these benefits with more households and businesses can directly respond to the cost-of-living and energy pressures Australians are feeling now.

To seize the sun and realise our household solar potential, our governments have an important role to play. They can do this by implementing the following policies: 

• Aussie Solar Drive – a bold national push to double rooftop solar and storage capacity by the end of the decade. This plan will empower millions of Aussies with cleaner, cheaper electricity, while strengthening our national grid and permanently cutting climate pollution across the economy.
• Australian Energy Corps – Australia’s biggest-ever energy training initiative, equipping young people and experienced energy workers with the skills to power up Australia in secure, well-paid jobs. 

Everyone should have the opportunity to access clean, reliable and affordable electricity. If we get the policies right,two in three Australian homes and many more businesses will experience these benefits this decade. For millions more,  clean and affordable solar power will come from a grid boosted by abundant electricity made cheaply during our sunny days, and captured and stored in communities close to home and available to use when it is needed most. This is the bright future that a supercharged rooftop solar and storage plan for Australia offers. So, let’s get on with it!

The post Discover Australia’s Top 10 Solar Suburbs appeared first on Climate Council.

Read the original article. Written by Climate Council Fellow Wesley Morgan

Japan has a very clear vision of what the Asia-Pacific’s clean energy future looks like – decarbonisation, but done slowly and with a longer role for coal, oil and gas.

It was on full display this week as energy ministers from nine South-East Asian nations, Japan and Australia gathered in Jakarta to hash out a shared vision for Asia’s energy future, under Japan’s Asian Zero Emissions Community (AZEC) initiative launched last year.

But there’s a clear problem here. Japan’s vision clashes directly with Australia’s efforts to become a green export superpower. And worse, Japanese investment is a key reason why Australia has emerged as an unlikely gas export giant.

Energy security is front of mind for Japanese policymakers worried about keeping the lights on across their import-dependent archipelago. While Tokyo does have green energy plans, its short-term push is all about prolonging the life of fossil fuels – coupled with carbon capture.

Labor came to power promising to act faster on climate change. By decade’s end, Australia should be largely run on renewables, and Canberra wants to make clean exports a reality.

But Japan is making that harder by financing gas exploitation in Australia. This could lock our fast-growing and energy-hungry region into much longer reliance on dirty fossil fuels and questionable carbon capture plans.

There’s a real danger Australia’s green export plans could be washed away by a tide of new fossil fuels.

So what are Japan’s zero emission plans?

In 2022, the Japanese Prime Minister Kishido Fumio began promoting a triple breakthrough – efforts combining decarbonisation, economic growth and energy security. Fumio launched the Asian Zero Emissions Community to encourage the idea.

While these goals sound reasonable, the devil is in the detail. The world’s fourth-largest economy, Japan has long been dependent on imported coal, oil and gas – and more so after the 2011 Fukushima disaster forced nuclear plant shutdowns. Even as the world belatedly scrambles to tackle climate change, Japanese policymakers are still focused on keeping fossil fuels flowing. Many AZEC projects aim to use fossil fuels for electricity.

The government’s energy policies explicitly aim to secure long-term supplies of fossil fuels and encourage Japanese firms to be involved. Japan is now the world’s second-largest public financier of international fossil fuel projects, spending more than A$7 billion every year.

How does this align with net zero? Japan claims new fossil fuel plants can slash emissions by burning ammonia in coal plants, blending hydrogen with fossil gas in gas plants and ramping up carbon capture and storage.

Each of these technologies is expensive and largely unproven. They cannot cut emissions at anywhere near the scale or speed needed. And every million spent on propping up fossil fuels is a million not spent on renewables and storage.

Japanese funding makes Australian gas flow

Japan sees Australia as a friendly nation with huge fossil fuel resources and longstanding trade links.

Any changes to coal and gas extraction have been met with Japanese lobbying. When Queensland hiked coal royalties in 2022, Japan’s ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, pushed back hard. The move, he warned, could have “widespread effects on Japanese investment beyond the coal industry”.

When the federal government strengthened the Safeguard Mechanism, our main industrial emissions policy, costs increased for some gas projects. In response, Yamagami dialed up his rhetoric, warning the neon lights of Tokyo would go out without Australian energy exports.

Japan isn’t burning it all at home. It on-sells more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to other Asian nations than it imports from Australia. Without Japan’s funding on favourable terms, our LNG producers would not be able to compete with lower-cost producers such as Qatar.

Given a global gas glut is now forecast to arrive by 2026, Australia should be looking to dial down LNG. But Japan won’t let that happen.

Just this year, Japan loaned $2.5 billion to help Woodside develop Western Australia’s massive Scarborough gas field.

Independent and green – or dependent and dirty?

Domestically, Australia is greening. Coal is retiring as renewables and storage rush in. Last year, 40% of the power in our main grid came from clean energy and more than 80% of Australia’s total power needs should be provided by renewables by 2030. But internationally, we’re now the second-largest exporter of carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

With major reserves of critical minerals (essential for renewables and batteries) and world class renewable resources, Australia is ideally placed to export green commodities to the region.

The Albanese government is promoting Australia as a “renewable energy superpower” and will invest public money through the Future Made in Australia plan to give local green industries a chance of global success.

But Japan has a different vision. Funding flows from Tokyo have already distorted Australia’s energy market and boosted demand for gas in the region. Worse, it has made it harder for Australian leaders to create future-focused industries. New gas projects pull investment, workers and supply-chain capacity away from clean energy industries.

It’s not that Japan is anti-renewable. It’s just slow to move. Tokyo has ambitious plans to become the world’s top producer of energy from offshore wind.

Recent modelling shows Japan could achieve 90% clean energy by 2035, gaining far greater energy independence and slashing reliance on expensive fossil fuels. If Japan took this route, we would likely see its Australian investments shift from gas to green exports.

But right now, Japan’s focus is on keeping fossil fuels flowing.

Australia has to help shape Asia’s energy transition. If we don’t, we risk our future being made in Tokyo.

The post Which future? Japan’s net zero vision for the region boosts gas and threatens green exports in Australia appeared first on Climate Council.

Read the original article. Written by Senior Researcher Wesley Morgan

The current visit to Australia by China’s Premier Li Qiang may have taken the heat out of recent tensions between the two nations. But Australia remains embroiled with China in a tussle for influence in the Pacific – a fight in which climate ambition is key.

That’s why, at a diplomatic level, we should be concerned about Opposition leader Peter Dutton’s suggestion the Coalition would abandon Australia’s 2030 emissions target should it win the next election. Such a move would be damaging on many levels. Not least, it would undermine Australia’s relations with our Pacific neighbours – nations that regard climate action as vital to their survival, and for whom Australia aims to be the security partner of choice.

Winding back Australia’s 2030 target – a 43% reduction in emissions, based on 2005 levels – would go against the spirit of the 2015 Paris Agreement. The deal requires countries to communicate national targets to cut emissions, and to set stronger targets every five years. No other country has wound back their climate targets.

Even if the Coalition wins office, Dutton is unlikely to have the Senate numbers to scrap the 2030 target. But the potential implications of such a move for our standing in the Pacific are well worth considering

How is China travelling on the Paris Agreement?

When it comes to climate action, China is a paradox. It is the world’s biggest consumer of coal and the largest carbon emitter. But it is also leading the world’s shift to clean energy.

Renewables in China are booming – especially solar. China installed more solar capacity in 2023 than the whole world did in 2022, and is expected to install even more this year. China is also a world leader in electric vehicles. Battery and hybrid cars make up almost 40% of all new cars sold there.

Under its current Paris Agreement target, China plans to reach more than 1,200 gigawatts of installed wind and solar power by 2030. It’s on track to achieve the target next year – five years ahead of schedule.

China also pledged to reach peak emissions before 2030 and there are signs this target has already been met. Now, China has indicated it may strengthen its 2030 target, and at the same time will set a new 2035 target.

Such a move by China would help strengthen global cooperation on climate. All parties to the Paris Agreement are expected to set new, stronger, targets every five years and the next round of targets are due before the United Nations climate meeting, COP30, in Brazil next year.

China’s growing presence in the Pacific

At the same time as making good progress on its climate commitments, China has been expanding its presence in the Pacific. This has changed the dynamic of a region that has long been aligned with the West – notwithstanding concerns such as France’s role in New Caledonia and the impacts of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands.

In recent years China has become a major provider of aid for Pacific island countries, especially for much-needed infrastructure projects.

China is also seeking new security arrangements in the Pacific. In April 2022, for example, it signed a security deal with Solomon Islands. The details were not made public. However, a leaked draft contains provisions allowing for Chinese military presence and ship resupply. China has also sought regional security arrangements with Pacific island countries.

Defence officials in Canberra are increasingly concerned about the prospect of China using infrastructure loans as leverage to secure a naval base in the Pacific, or even to station missiles in the region. This would critically undermine Australia’s long-held strategic interest in denying access to our maritime approaches for powers with interests different to our own.

For our Pacific neighbours, climate action is crucial

In light of all this, what would happen if Australia weakened its 2030 emissions targets? We would be isolated on the global stage and branded as a climate laggard. And island nations in our Pacific region would be paying close attention.

Pacific island countries have long been clear that climate change is their greatest security threat. As Fiji’s then-defence minister Inia Seruiratu told a regional security dialogue in 2022:

machine guns, fighter jets, grey ships and green battalions are not our primary security concern. Waves are crashing at our doorsteps, winds are battering our homes, we are being assaulted by this enemy from many angles.

In Australia, successive governments have expanded coal and gas exports and have been slow to cut emissions. For this reason, Canberra has struggled to convince our Pacific neighbours it is serious about regional security.

Since the current Labor government legislated a 2030 emissions target, there has been something of a rapprochement. However, Pacific leaders want a stronger target still, and remain concerned about the approval of new fossil fuel projects.

The Coalition’s foreign affairs spokesman, Simon Birmingham, knows climate ambition is important for our regional relations. During a tour of the Pacific in 2022, he said the Coalition should have heeded Pacific calls to set a stronger 2030 target while it was in office.

However Dutton, should he become prime minister, would have a tough time convincing Pacific leaders he is serious about their main security threat. Who could forget that low moment in 2015 when, as immigration minister, he was caught on a hot-mic making jokes about island nations disappearing beneath the waves?

Winding back Australia’s 2030 emissions target would undermine our standing in the Pacific, and damage Australia’s prospects of countering China’s influence.

Ultimately, Pacific island countries want both Australia and China to shift to renewables and move away from fossil fuels as fast as possible. Expectations are high that Australia will do its part. That’s only fair, if Australia wants to cement its place in the Pacific family.

The post Peter Dutton’s plan to cut the 2030 climate target would be an own goal for Australia’s Pacific ambitions appeared first on Climate Council.

Experts in their fields, these leaders are playing a huge role in pushing for action on climate change in Australia. They appear frequently in the media, contribute to Climate Council publications, write landmark reports and speak at keynote events. 

True inclusion and belonging require equitable action, and we see how important this is in the face of climate change. We need to move fast this decade to prevent catastrophic climate change, but we need to move together, and in ways that leave communities stronger, healthier and more equal. We cannot solve this crisis with the same approaches and power structures that have caused it. Empowering women and girls needs to be at the heart of climate action.

Dr Kate Charlesworth, Councillor

Dr Kate Charlesworth MBBS (Hons), MPH, FAFPHM, PhD is a public health physician in Sydney. After working as a hospital doctor in Perth and Sydney, Kate completed much of her training in public health medicine in the UK.

She worked as a Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and then at the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) in Cambridge. The SDU is a world-leading unit tasked with reducing the carbon footprint of England’s National Health Service. Kate has also completed a PhD in low-carbon healthcare, and has authored 15 peer-reviewed papers. Kate now works in the NSW public health system as a medical specialist in environmentally sustainable healthcare – the first such role in Australia.

Kate regularly appears in the media and has contributed to several Climate Council publications including:

A new guide for parents: managing eco-anxiety in your kids

Kicking the gas habit: how gas is harming our health

Hollie Cheung, Researcher

Hollie’s research has investigated climate-related financial risk for banks and levers to transform decision making, such as defining the public interest and enabling constructive discourse. Hollie is passionate about social and climate justice, and creating a more equitable world for people and the planet. At the Climate Council Hollie’s research focuses on clean transport and shifting our system toward public and active travel, alongside electric vehicles.

Hollie has contributed to several Climate Council publications including the following:

Shifting gear: The path to cleaner transport 

Dollars and Sense: Mitigating climate risk in a warming world

Dr Annika Dean, Senior Researcher

Annika has a PhD from the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and previously worked as a lecturer on climate change and energy policy at the University of New South Wales. Her research has mainly focused on climate change impacts and adaptation in Australia and the Pacific Islands, including climate change impacts on human health

Annika has contributed to several Climate Council publications. including:

Mission zero: How today’s climate choices will reshape Australia

Australia’s Clean Industry Future: Making things here in a net zero world

Cheryl Durrant, Climate Council Fellow

Cheryl has more than 30 years’ experience in the national security sector, including specialist Army intelligence and Defence capability and preparedness roles. Cheryl led the Defence Department’s Global Change and Energy Sustainability Initiative from 2013-2016 and established the position of the Australian Defence Force’s Climate and Security Advisor in 2016. She was the lead author for Defence’s submission to the Senate Inquiry on the implications of Climate change for Australia’s national security.

Cheryl is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales, an executive member of the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, and a member of the Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change. She serves on the Boards of Climate Subak-Australia and Resonate Together-UK

Cheryl regularly appears in the media and has contributed to several Climate Council reports, including:

Rising to the challenge: addressing climate and security in our region

Climate change is a security threat the government keeps ignoring. We’ll show up empty handed to yet another global summit

Dr. Joëlle Gergis, Councillor

Dr Joëlle Gergis is an award-winning climate scientist and writer. She is an internationally recognised expert in Australian and Southern Hemisphere climate variability and change who has authored over 100 scientific publications.

Between 2018 and 2021, Joëlle served as a lead author on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on the Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report – a global, state-of-the art review of climate change science. 

Joëlle was the recipient of the 2019 AMOS Science Outreach Award, a national science communication prize awarded by the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (AMOS), Australia’s peak professional body for climate science. 

She is author of Sunburnt Country: The future and history of climate change in Australia and Humanity’s Moment: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope.

Joelle has contributed to the following Climate Council publications:

Mission zero: How today’s climate choices will reshape Australia

Climate Whiplash: Wild swings between weather extremes

Prof. Lesley Hughes, Director and Councillor

Professor Lesley Hughes is a Distinguished Professor of Biology and former Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Integrity & Development) and Interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Macquarie University. Her research has mainly focused on the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems.

She is a former federal Climate Commissioner and former Lead Author in the IPCC’s 4th and 5th Assessment Report. She is a founding Councillor with the Climate Council of Australia, a former Director for WWF Australia, and a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. She is now a member of the Climate Change Authority.

Lesley regularly appears in the media and contributed to several Climate Council reports, including:

Climate Whiplash: Wild swings between weather extremes

Code Blue: Our Oceans in Crisis

Nicki Hutley, Councillor

Nicki Hutley is a highly experienced economist, with expertise in macro and microeconomic forecasting and analysis gained over three decades of practice in financial and investment markets and in economic consulting. Nicki is particularly interested in the intersection of economy, society and environment. Nicki is also a longstanding council member of the Economics Society of Australia (NSW), and a Board member for One Million Women and the Financy Women’s Index. 

Nicki is a frequent commentator in the media and is a regular guest on both The Drum and The Project and has contributed to the following Climate Council publications:

Australia’s Clean Industry Future: Making things here in a net zero world

G’day COP27: Australia’s global climate reset

Amanda McKenzie, CEO

Amanda regularly appears in the media and has been CEO of the Climate Council since its inception in 2013.

Amanda is a prominent Australian environmental leader and one of the best-known public commentators on the climate crisis in Australia.

Previously, she was the Senior Communications Advisor at the Climate Commission and in 2013, alongside Professor Tim Flannery, co-founded the Climate Council following Australia’s largest-ever crowdfunding campaign at the time. 

Previously, she co-founded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and has served on renewable energy expert panels for the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments. Amanda was the founding Chair of the Centre for Australian Progress and is a former Board Director at Plan International Australia and the Whitlam Institute. She holds an Honours degree in Law from Monash University and an Arts Degree from Melbourne University. Amanda has won numerous awards including being recognised as one of Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence and a finalist in the Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year Awards.

Dr Jennifer Rayner, Head of Advocacy

Jennifer is the Climate Council’s Head of Advocacy, leading policy and political engagement across all levels of Australian Government. She has worked as a Chief of Staff and senior policy advisor to leaders across the Australian and ACT parliaments, with a focus on advancing a positive climate climate agenda across the spectrum of government activity.

Jennifer completed her PhD in Political Science at the Australian National University and holds further degrees from Macquarie University, the University of Canberra and the University of New England. She is the author of two books focused on intergenerational inequality and the economic prospects of workers in transitioning industries – both considerations which are central to designing equitable and inclusive actions to tackle the climate crisis.

Jennifer regularly appears in media and has contributed to the following publications: 

Dollars and Sense: Mitigating climate risk in a warming world

Beating around the bush: How Australia’s national environment law is failing climate and nature

Carol Schwartz, Board Chair

Carol is highly regarded as a public commentator and agitator on issues of gender equality, women’s leadership, governance and business.

Carol has been recognised for her leadership via a range of honours including her 2019 appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia, an Honorary Doctorate from Monash University and Queensland University of Technology, induction into the Australia Property Hall of Fame, and a Centenary Medal. Carol was also named one of Australia’s most influential women in the Australian Financial Review and Westpac’s Inaugural 100 Women of Influence Awards and inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll. In November 2020 Carol was recognised with the nation’s highest philanthropic honour, the ‘Leading Philanthropist’ Award by Philanthropy Australia.

Throughout her career Carol has been a passionate advocate for women in leadership, particularly in business, politics and the media. As Chair of the Trawalla Foundation and the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, she has catalysed a range of practical solutions, including the Pathways to Politics Program for Women, the Panel Pledge, and the Women for Media database.

 Dr Madeline Taylor, Climate Council Fellow

Dr Madeline Taylor is a Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University, Deputy Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Innovation and Transformation (CENRIT) at Macquarie University and Honorary Associate at the Sydney Environment Institute.

Madeline specialises in issues at the intersection of energy and natural resources law within the energy transition, as well as property and commercial law. Her research centres on the transitioning energy regulation and energy policy from comparative and socio-legal perspectives. Her current research focuses on the law concerning renewable energy development and energy justice.

Natalie Walker, Director

Natalie Walker is a Kuku Yalanji woman from the Daintree Rainforest who lives and works on Gadigal land in Sydney. Professionally, Natalie has more than 20-years experience across various leadership and non-executive roles in the human services and Indigenous economic development sectors. Natalie has tackled every role with her social purpose spirit – always being driven by the desire to make the world a better, fairer, more equitable place.

She is the founder of Inside Policy which advises governments on social and economic policy with the aim of changing the world one policy at a time. Prior to founding Inside Policy, Natalie had various roles including inaugural CEO of Supply Nation, CEO of the Aboriginal Employment Strategy, and management consultant within KPMG’s government advisory group

Natalie is a member of Women for Progress – a group of leading Australian women seeking positive, substantive policy change to improve the lives of all women in Australia. In 2018, Natalie was appointed by the Prime Minister as Australia’s representative to the Business Women Leaders Taskforce of the G20. In 2012, Natalie was named as one of Australia’s 100 Women of Influence

Annette Zou, Solutions Research Director

As Solutions Research Director, Annette develops and implements research and policy development activities to give effect to the organisation’s strategy and objectives. Her expertise lies at the intersection of sustainability policy, integrative and systems approaches, and innovation methodology.

Before Climate Council, Annette worked on developing methodologies and applied research on decision making in complex and uncertain systems at Stanford University in California, United States. She has worked with organisations such as UNDP, Dow Chemicals, The Nature Conservancy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and various federal and state government departments in Australia.

We asked five other inspiring women, from doctors to those impacted first hand by climate impacts, to tell us one thing that they’d like to see women and girls achieve as we work to solve the climate crisis.

The post International Women’s Day: Inspirational Women of the Climate Council appeared first on Climate Council.

Find out more about the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action here.

Fifteen years on from Victoria’s worst bushfire disaster, the wounds still run deep. They run deep for friends and loved ones of the 173 people who died that day, for the more than 2,200 families made homeless and for the traumatised communities and firefighters who faced what, until then, was an unprecedented disaster. Together with our agencies, we learnt painful lessons about how fires need to be managed in this changed environment.

Back in 2009, we knew that climate change, caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas, was driving more intense extreme weather events. We had been warned of this since the mid-1990s. But during Australia’s political climate wars, as community leaders our concerns about this were given only cursory acknowledgement. 

The Canberra firestorm of January 2003 was a foretaste. We saw the first large-scale fire tornado and the fastest rate of spread of a bushfire ever recorded worldwide.

A sense of dread started to take shape for those of us serving in Victoria, which is acknowledged as one of the most fire prone places on earth. What if we were to get similarly off-the-scale weather conditions her

Sadly, on 7 February 2009, we found out. 

In the hot, dry lead-up to Black Saturday, fires were bigger and harder to fight. On Feb 7 we faced the worst fire conditions we could’ve imagined. Our crews were up against blistering temperatures, as well as storm-force winds that caused them to seek shelter wherever they could and stopped water-bombers from flying. Our traditional fire fighting systems and our communications simply could not keep up.

Once rare (but now common) fire-generated storms blasted communities like Kinglake with more energy than dozens of Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. The fire danger index, with a theoretical maximum of 100, recorded figures greater than 200.

Things clearly needed to change. The resulting Royal Commission and other investigations created fundamental changes to national fire service doctrine. Leaders around the country embraced evacuations and emergency warnings, so that people would know when to get out and stay out, or when it was too late to leave.

More active landscape management including enhanced prevention through a broad area forest fuel management program was recommended. We all hoped these lessons had been learnt and things would be better with improved systems but as extreme weather events continue to become more frequent and more intense, we are playing a deadly game of catch-up.

Fast forward 10 years to Black Summer and some of those fundamental policy shifts probably saved hundreds of lives. Yet many died and more than 3,000 families were made homeless.

Nobody can say we weren’t warned. Decades ago, scientists explained how the relentless burning of fossil fuels was warming the planet. They told us it was making our weather more extreme, that it was worsening fire conditions, and that it was driving wild swings from hot and dry to storms and floods and back again.

But because of political ideology, the financial might of the fossil fuel industry, and determined campaigns of misinformation, the experts were sidelined. Governments sat on their hands for nearly a decade. The necessary moves to slash climate pollution by shifting towards cleaner and safer energy sources like solar and wind are finally taking hold, but still at an insufficient pace to protect families, communities and nature.

If Australia and the world at large leave polluting fossil fuels in the ground, we will substantially limit the severity of these disasters over the longer term. Australia, with its abundant solar and wind resources, has a major role to play. We have a shot at limiting fires like those of Black Saturday, sparing communities’ grief and giving the next generation hope – but we are running out of time.  

Today, many tears will flow across the nation. Together with many others who tried in vain to battle the brutal blazes that overtook our state, we will recall things that we wish we could forget, and those painful lessons learnt on that day.

We will also remember the loved ones lost, the firefighters who faced scorched landscapes, and the millions of animals killed.

We will be thinking about the future we want for our children and grandchildren – and hoping we don’t squander another second on climate inaction.

The post To avoid another Black Saturday, let’s focus the next 15 years on taking climate action appeared first on Climate Council.

During our time, we met with a host of inspiring organisations from non-profits, innovative companies, federal agencies and local governments alike. One initiative which really stood out to us was NREL’s Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program.

The C2C is a technical assistance program for supporting communities to achieve clean energy systems. The program connects local governments, native tribes, electric utilities and community-based groups with experts from across the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) system. This partnership brings innovative cutting edge technology and analysis from the NREL to support the development of clean energy systems customised to reflect the needs of local and regional priorities. 

The C2C concept originated in 2021 from an initiative by the NREL in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, LA100: The Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study. The initiative revealed the power of working directly with the local government, industry, academia and communities to determine pathways for Los Angeles, the second largest city in the US, to achieve a 100% renewable by 2045. After realising that communities across the US needed similar support, the Federal Department of Energy provided US$40-50 million in funding for an ongoing program. Within the first year of its launch in January 2023, the C2C program has worked with about 200 communities to provide support services on a range of project types including renewable energy, energy efficiency, electrification planning and transport electrification.

Central to the C2C’s offerings is a cross-sectoral modelling program that spans power, mobility and building technologies to provide a view of how a community can shift over time as it incorporates more clean energy infrastructure. This program is called Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES). Community stakeholders can use the model to analyse their options and de-risk their investment decisions.

The C2C program offers three levels of support that communities can access to depending on their needs:

• In-depth Partnership (3 year partnership) – This level of engagement offers communities the chance to work alongside national laboratory staff to develop reliable, resilient, equitable and affordable clean energy systems. Communities can use ARIES to validate options and test assumptions tailored to their context. C2C’s project in Fairbanks, Alaska helped the local utility understand the implications of transitioning to renewables and take action on replacing their 50 MW coal plant with a combination of wind generation and storage. 
• Peer-learning Cohorts (~6 months) – Peer-learning Cohorts are designed to help community stakeholders learn from national laboratory experts and from each other. Groups of 10-15 individuals from various communities follow a topic area related to their nominated priorities. The service provides communities with strategic and technical support, tools and materials, and opportunities for peer learning across communities. C2C Peer-learning Cohorts are located across the country: for example, one located in Dallas, Texas, is focused on EV infrastructure; another in Hailey, Idaho, is focused on energy efficiency and decarbonisation of municipal buildings; and yet another in Albemarle County, Virginia, is focused on enhancing resilience at municipal facilities through solar, storage and microgrids.
• Expert Match (40-60 hours) – Expert Match provides a quick way to get rapid assistance for time-sensitive decisions. The service matches community stakeholders with national laboratory researchers and provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for advice and technical assistance. A C2C Expert Match helped Cohoes, a small working class community in upstate New York plan and develop a 3.2 MW floating solar system on its municipal reservoir, the first of its kind in the nation.

Jenny Sumner, Group Manager of the Modelling and Analysis Group at NREL, explained that they are now seeing capability gaps across communities where there is increasing uptake of renewable energy. There are new questions and challenges that utilities are not equipped to deal with on their own and require expert support. We can anticipate new challenges such as this and provide timely support as we build capacity to grow a decarbonised economy powered by renewable energy.

Australia has a wealth of expertise through CSIRO and world leading universities with specialised centres and experts working on the energy transition. With some funding and coordination, it isn’t hard to imagine a similarly impactful program could be set up to help communities here in Australia.

The post Case study: The US’ Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) Program appeared first on Climate Council.

We’ve teamed up to support a new climate award category for the Australian Cartoonists Association Stanley Awards.

The new award is in response to a Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism boycott in August during which a number of high profile cartoonists withdrew their entries in protest against the Walkleys’ major sponsorship with fossil fuel giant Ampol. 

Every Australian deserves to understand how the climate crisis is affecting us, and journalism plays a critical role in this education. This award goes to cartoonists who are fearless in drawing attention to injustices and the political absurdities of the climate crisis – we see you, we support and celebrate your work and we know you are having an impact.

The top 20 climate-themed cartoons of the year were curated by the Australian Cartoonists Association and from those, six finalists have been chosen by an expert panel of judges.*  

The finalists for the Climate Council Cartoon of the Year award are: Megan Herbert, Alan Moir, Glen Le Lievre, Jon Kudelka, Matt Golding and Peter Broelman:

Megan Herbert

Alan Moir

Glen LeLievre

Jon Kudelka

Matt Golding

Peter Broelman

“It is extremely disappointing that the Walkleys Foundation are clinging to their nefarious relationship with Ampol. The cartoonists who walked away from the Walkleys showed great fortitude and bravery in doing so and sent an important message that the media should not accept funding from fossil fuel companies who are driving the climate crisis.” – Climate Council CEO Amanda Mckenzie

The winning cartoonist – to be announced October 28 at an awards ceremony in Melbourne – will take home $5000 and a trophy. 

Check out the People’s Choice Award, where you can vote for your favourite climate cartoon. Vote and have the chance to win a framed, printed version of your chosen climate cartoon here. 

The post Climate Council Cartoon of the year appeared first on Climate Council.

Fast forward ten years and hundreds of thousands more have joined Australia’s leading independent voice on climate science, solutions and action as part of the Climate Council community. Together, we have shifted national attitudes and catalysed climate action at every level of government. 

Over the past decade, the Climate Council has produced 164 reports, its experts have featured in more than 230,000 media reports, the team has trained more than 1,500 spokespeople to set the record straight on climate change, and we have grown our online community to over 550,000 Australians, many of whom have been with us every step of the way. 

Our successes – of which there have been far too many to count – have only been made possible thanks to YOU! On the Climate Council’s tenth anniversary, join us for a stroll down memory lane as we take a look back at ten of the major moments.

10. Hosting the first ever Australian Climate Security Summit

In 2015, Australia’s top defence and national security experts gathered in Canberra for Australia’s first National Climate Security Summit. The Summit, hosted by the Climate Council, occurred as Australian defense forces were expected to soon be called upon to provide assistance to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Papua New Guinea, where a devastating drought had caused widespread crop damage and water shortages. 

The Climate Council’s report, Be Prepared: Climate Change, Security and Australia’s Defence Forces had found Australia’s defense forces were already under pressure from increased need for humanitarian assistance in response to extreme weather events, worsened by climate change. 

Following the coverage of this event, Admiral (Ret) Chris Barrie went on to form the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group and the Australian Government eventually included climate change in its white paper on national security in 2016.     

9. Growing the good

Since 2013, the Climate Council has experienced huge growth and, thanks to our community of donors, we have had the opportunity to branch out strategically, in order to target specific levels of government and utulise strong community voices:

Climate Media Centre:
In 2015, the Climate Media Centre (CMC) was established to localise and personalise climate change impacts and solutions for Australians. Since then, the CMC has supported more than 1500 spokespeople and assisted with tens of thousands of pieces of media coverage. 

The Climate Media Centre (CMC) connects journalists with powerful stories about people and places affected by climate change now, as well as inspiring tales of those taking action to fix the problem. Its creation has allowed us to be at the forefront of highlighting climate risks to things like farming, food, sport and human health. Our Climate Media Centre is also amplifying First Nations and Pacific voices, ensuring first-hand experiences of climate change and knowledge about solutions – and the action that needs to happen to protect communities – are front and centre in the narrative.

Cities Power Partnership:

In July 2017, the potential of local governments to be a huge part of the climate solution in Australia was an idea jotted on the ‘back of the envelope’. This idea quickly turned into action, as the agency and impact of local governments to transform the way energy is used and generated in cities and towns worldwide, became clear. The Cities Power Partnership was soon created to accelerate the emissions reduction action of local governments all around the country. 

Today, through the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership for local governments, we’re driving a ground-up transformation of energy and transport in more than 500 cities and towns across Australia, with 185 councils signed up through the partnership, representing more than 70% of Australians. 

Emergency Leaders for Climate Action:

Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) was formed by the Climate Council in April 2019, to call on the Prime Minister and all Australian Federal, State and Territory Governments to take urgent action to address the serious threat of climate change, ahead of what they were anticipating would be a devastating bushfire season. 

Initially, ELCA was ignored, and what followed was the most damaging bushfire season Australia had ever seen – otherwise known as the Black Summer. Over June and July 2020, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) hosted Australia’s first virtual bushfire and climate change summit to coordinate a national response to the Australian climate and bushfire crises. The 2020 National Bushfire and Climate Summit brought together hundreds of participants from across the country, and the world, to share their experiences, and to formulate recommendations to address the worsening risk of devastating bushfires fuelled by climate change. ELCA has added to a lengthy list of wins since then! Just this year, the newly appointed Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, met with ELCA members as his very first act in Parliament, a testament to the incredible impact that ELCA has had since 2019.

8. Launch of the Climate Risk Map of Australia

Ahead of the 2022 federal election, we launched the Climate Risk Map of Australia: an interactive map demonstrating climate vulnerable places in Australia, searchable by postcode or electorate. Tens of thousands of people across the country have used the tool to understand the risks created by climate change to homes within their area. 

On the day of launch, both the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, Barnaby Joyce (see our response here on Twitter), and Finance Minister, Simon Birmingham, were directly questioned about our findings during their media interviews on the election campaign trail. Neither had an adequate response. The Climate Risk Map and accompanying Uninsurable Nation report saw a record-breaking amount of media coverage for Climate Council interventions across online, print, TV and radio, receiving over 2,300 media reports.

7. Fight against misinformation 

Over the past decade, the Climate Council has become Australia’s trusted source of information, on Climate Science itself and also the analysis of mis- and disinformation getting in the way of rapid action. 

Here’s just a few moments from over the years:

• When Scott Morisson addressed world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow with a speech that was light on commitments and credibility, but heavy on spin, we clapped back to set the record straight. 
• We produced a ‘Climate Crap Checker’ ahead of the 2022 federal election to arm Australians with the facts about climate change, and ensure those on the election campaign were being called out for their misleading claims. 
• When the Government promised to start a controversial think tank led by a climate sceptic with $4 million, the Climate Council launched an attack that sparked public outrage and five months later, the idea was dropped for good. 
• The Climate Council also fought back on misinformation surrounding the terrible storms in South Australia in 2016, as a violent storm hit the state with 80,000 lightning strikes and 900,000 South Australian homes losing power. Politicians immediately came out blaming renewables for this outage, and the Climate Council helped to prove that this claim was entirely devoid of evidence. 
• When Scott Morisson tried to claim that Australia had the right set of climate policies to reduce its carbon emissions in a speech to the United Nations, Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie took to national telivision to call him out, coining the move as “colossal bullshit”. 

6. Solutions focused and strategic reports

In April 2021 we Launched Aim High, Go Fast – the Climate Council’s science-backed vision for what Australia’s best efforts to address climate change could look like. 

Watch the full webinar here.

Aim High, Go Fast formed the basis of our communications and strategy in the lead up to the 2022 Federal Election. That election was coined the “climate election”, with Independents who stood for strong climate action enjoying big swings across capital cities, and five winning lower house seats which were strongholds of the Liberal Party. There were also substantial swings toward the Greens, particularly in south-east Queensland and Northern NSW, where extreme flooding had pummelled communities that year.

5. Making renewables mainstream

For a decade, the Climate Council has been working to make renewables mainstream. This video showing the popularity of a solar farm in Broken Hill received over a million views across our social media platforms, and was shared by ABC and Channel 10. 

4. Extreme weather coverage

As extreme weather continues to be worsened by climate change, our role in reminding the media, decision-makers, and the public alike that these are the real time effects of our continued use of fossil fuels, becomes increasingly urgent. 

The Climate Council and the Climate Media Centre’s persistent media work has been instrumental in shaping the national narrative about climate change and extreme weather, and as a result, the conversations we are having about climate change and extreme weather today, are very different to the ones we were having a decade ago. 

Black Summer Bushfires coverage

Prior to the black summer of 2019, it was seen as blasphemous to talk about climate change while bushfires were burning. Greg Mullins and Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) leaders were instrumental in changing the conversation – consistently linking the devastating fires back to climate change. 

2022 floods coverage

The scale and speed of the flooding disaster across Queensland and New South Wales in 2022 was breathtaking. The Climate Council was there on the ground as the situation unfolded, consistently tying these unprecedented weather events back to climate change and demanding better leadership and preparedness for these events. 

3. 2015 Paris Climate agreement

A historic universal agreement at the UN climate talks in Paris was a watershed moment in the global effort to tackle climate change. Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie, and Climate Councillors, Professors Tim Flannery and Lesley Hughes, were on the ground throughout the talks. 

2. Exposing the Great Barrier Reef health cover up

Climate Councillor, Professor Will Steffen, and the Climate Council team, exposed the attempted cover up of the impacts of Great Barrier Reef bleaching on the reef’s UNESCO world heritage listing. The Turnbull Government had lobbied to have the Reef’s mention removed from the UNESCO, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Union of Concerned Scientists report examining the impacts of a warming world on 31 natural and man-made sites in 29 countries.

Professor Will Steffen was instrumental at the Climate Council. Globally respected as one of the most influential thinkers on Earth system science, his legacy and impact driving climate action forward was profound. He fearlessly acted as a shining light for so many throughout his life, including all of us in the Climate Council community, and thousands more across Australia and the world. Will’s work lives on through all of us at the Climate Council. 

1. The launch of the Climate Council in response to the abolishment of the Climate Commission

On September 19th, 2013, the Abbott Government abolished the Climate Commission, an independent body established in 2011 to communicate reliable and authoritative climate information. Just five days later, the independent Climate Council was launched thanks to the biggest crowd-funding campaign of its time: more than 16,000 Australians pitched in over $1.1 million dollars in just 10 days to bring the organisation to life.

Please join us to celebrate 10 Years of the Climate Council! 

Our 10th anniversary online event will be an opportunity to look at what has changed from where we were when the Climate Council was in its infancy, to where we are now. You’ll have an opportunity to hear from some of Australia’s leading experts in climate and energy, emergency management and advocacy, about the challenges and opportunities ahead – politically, socially, economically. We’ll also be making a special announcement you won’t want to miss out on!

Over the past ten years, we have climbed the first mountain, which was developing the public and political will for change. Now we need to climb the second mountain, together – securing emissions reductions targets in line with science, pushing for evidence-based policies to meet them, and guaranteeing urgent climate commitments, like no new coal and gas.

The post A decade of changing the story on climate: the Climate Council turns 10 appeared first on Climate Council.