Real estate will be the new currency of AI power: But environmental concerns loom over centres’ significant water usage and supply of electricity to fuel them. Sustainability experts such as Tim Buckley, Director of Climate Energy Finance, are calling for simultaneous investment in renewable power sources. “Data centres can be a win-lose for investors-consumers, or converted to a win-win by enabling the financing of firmed renewable energy as part of the approval process, ensuring that location chosen has then enabling grid infrastructure to allow development, along with the associated water infrastructure,” he writes on LinkedIn. Read more

Tim Buckley supports net zero but emphasises the need for urgent, large-scale collective action grounded in climate science. He argues for a rapid transition away from fossil-fuel-intensive industries, practices and lifestyles towards low-emissions alternatives, prioritising firm renewable energy such as wind and solar backed by storage, demand response and batteries rather than offsets. Read more

In the latest Energypreneurs episode with Tim Buckley, the discussion explores why Australia’s energy transition is outperforming expectations: ☀️ 50.2% renewables across the grid — without instability 🔋 World-leading battery uptake (1,000 installs per day) 📉 Wholesale power prices down ~28% year-on-year ⚡ How batteries reduce curtailment and defer grid costs 🤝 Why equity matters — ensuring renters benefit too Tim Buckley’s takeaway is clear: renewables, batteries, and smart policy together deliver cheaper, more resilient power. Read more

BYD’s Brazil factory marks a clean-tech power shift: where China builds, countries reindustrialise and plug into the future of mobility. As Beijing anchors global net-zero supply chains, Australia faces a stark choice – integrate with Asia’s clean-energy ecosystem or watch the next industrial wave pass it by. When BYD launched its largest EV plant outside Asia in October, in Camaçari, Brazil, the symbolism was profound. It was the very site Ford abandoned four years ago. Where a US internal combustion engine giant exited, a Chinese EV leader stepped in – reviving industry, upgrading technology and embedding Brazil into the future of mobility. Read more

Rapid deployment creates immediate economic benefits through early employment generation and infrastructure improvement. Quick project completion demonstrates tangible results that build political support while generating early returns on invested capital, according to recent analysis from the Climate Energy Finance Centre. The speed advantage particularly benefits countries with urgent energy access needs or economic development pressures. Fast project delivery addresses immediate challenges while building foundation for longer-term industrial development. Read more

Climate Energy Finance (CEF,) an Australian-based think tank, says that Chinese firms have committed more than $180bn of investment in clean technology overseas, since the start of 2023; $80bn was over the past year. The majority of these projects are in the Global South. According to the report, these include: In Nigeria, China’s LONGi secured a deal with the Nigerian government and a local developer for a $8.3bn green hydrogen project. In Chile, China Southern Power Grid undertook the $4bn acquisition of Transelec SA and will build a new $1.5bn 1,300km grid transmission line. In Peru, China Three Gorges has commissioned its $560m, 209MW hydro-electricity project. In Brazil, Envision Energy will develop Latin America’s first Net-Zero Industrial Park, focusing on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), green hydrogen and ammonia. Read more

China dominates new clean energy plants. From 2018 to 2024, it controlled 80% of new solar, wind, battery, and hydrogen facilities worldwide, per the CEF report. Companies such as CATL and BYD set the pace, exporting billions in technology yearly. Read more

Since early 2023, Chinese companies have pledged more than $180 billion for clean energy projects outside China, according to a report by Climate Energy Finance. These firms produce most of the world’s solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles. They invest in full supply chains, from mining to recycling, helping other countries build green power systems. Read more

The amount of outward direct investment Chinese companies have committed to cleantech projects overseas since 2023, according to a new report by thinktank Climate Energy Finance. Read more

The clean-tech economy represents a flourishing form of South-South cooperation, where national development goals meet China’s techno-industrial might,” Caroline Wang, analyst at Australian-based think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF) said in a report. “While the US sees China’s rise as a threat, many developing countries are inspired by its success and aim to emulate it.” According to CEF, Southeast Asia is China’s top destination for clean energy investments, led by Indonesia and Malaysia. Major projects here include a $6 billion battery plant in Indonesia being jointly developed by Indonesia Battery, Aneka Tambang and China’s EV battery giant, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL). Read more

Beijing’s overseas clean energy investments have surged 80 per cent in a year, according to a recent report, drawing emerging economies into deeper industrial and diplomatic ties and accelerating a broader reordering of global supply chains. Read more

Chinese foreign investment in green power jumped to $80 billion in the past year as Beijing leveraged its dominance in energy transition technologies, according to Climate Energy Finance. The funds were pledged in the year through November 2025, the Australian-based think tank said in a report released on Sunday, and compare with $100 billion of investment over the previous two years. US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade tariffs and shifting geopolitical policies have prompted many developing countries to deepen ties with China, while Washington’s hostility to clean energy has also played into Beijing’s hands. Even before the US’s pullback, China already dominated sectors like wind, solar and electric vehicle batteries. Read more