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This interest could mean the Whyalla Steelworks remains reliant on gas, Climate Energy Finance (CEF) director Tim Buckley told InDaily. A recent report from CEF warned that a gas-led transition for the Whyalla Steelworks could benefit South Australian oil and gas giant Santos with billions of dollars in taxpayer funds; a “grave strategic misstep” for the state and nation, the think tank said. “Beach is definitely an alternative supplier to Santos for gas,” Buckley said. Read more

“This is the first time Australia has generated more than 50% of its electricity nationally from renewables in a quarter,” he said, describing it as clear evidence the country was “making strong progress” towards the federal government’s clean energy targets. The surge in renewables comes as climate and energy minister Chris Bowen pushes towards Labor’s goal of reaching 82% renewable electricity by 2030, a target he has described as “ambitious and achievable”. Buckley agreed the task would be challenging but said the latest figures showed Read more

Whitehaven Coal’s growing coal mining operations in Australia are pushing its methane and fuel emissions up, raising concerns over its long-term climate liability, according to a new report. CarbonBridge and Climate Energy Finance (CEF) released the report highlighting Whitehaven’s rising regulatory risk, estimating it could face $129 million to $221 million in cumulative government liabilities by 2030. Read more

Multibillion dollar federal diesel rebate a perverse disincentive for Whitehaven to reduce emissions A new report released today by CarbonBridge and Climate Energy Finance highlights that Whitehaven Coal’s growth trajectory is structurally misaligned with Australia’s climate legislation and emissions targets, exposing Whitehaven, its shareholders and the community to mounting climate, regulatory and financial risks. Read more

Whitehaven’s growth trajectory is contrary to Australia’s climate legislation and emissions targets, exposing the coal mining company, shareholders and the community to climate, regulatory and financial risks, according to a report by CarbonBridge and Climate Energy Finance (CEF). Using the NSW Treasury shadow carbon price, the report finds that the social cost of Whitehaven’s Scope 1 emissions to 2030 could reach A$4.7 billion in today’s dollars, excluding the global Scope 3 emissions from customers burning its coal. Read more

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