Media

Australian Associated Press – Clean energy companies and investors called on the federal government to “hold its nerve” and deliver an ambitious and coordinated package of budget incentives to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. In a joint statement, they urged Treasurer Jim Chalmers to use the May budget to encourage investment, as rival economies throw trillions of dollars into renewable energy and clean tech to secure their national interests. “We urge the government to hold its nerve and deliver an ambitious and coordinated package of budget incentives,” Mr Buckley said. Read more

Climate Energy Finance (CEF) says buildings are the “low-hanging fruit” that make up the lion’s share of the big four banks’ sustainable finance target (SFT) of $385 billion by 2030 – while just 7% flows to financing clean energy and hard-to-abate sectors. There is a green financing shortfall across key sectors including energy, transport and cleantech, the independent think tank says. Report author, CEF analyst Nishtha Aggarwal says the banks’ current strategies rely on investing in “business-as-usual” real assets that “meet minimum energy efficiency regulations” – leaving the banks “open to accusation of greenwashing”. Read more

Responding to criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Made in Australia Act, a group of energy and finance leaders joined forces on Thursday to call for the scale of budget support required for decarbonisation. Australia could not afford to “sit out” the accelerating global transition and needed taxpayer support to unlock the private capital needed for zero-emissions economic opportunities, they said. Read more

The story quotes CEF partner – the Clean Energy Investor Group, representing developers and investors with a combined $38 billion renewable energy portfolio and a project pipeline of almost 50 gigawatts, welcomed the policy, saying it could unlock significant investment through the superannuation system. Read more

The clean energy industry is urging the federal government to “hold its nerve” and deliver an ambitious and coordinated package of budget incentives to win back investors. Responding to criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Made in Australia Act, a group of energy and finance leaders joined forces on Thursday to call for the scale of budget support required for decarbonisation. Climate Energy Finance think tank director Tim Buckley said the “ambitious and visionary” Made in Australia Act sets the nation up for the speed and scale of investment for a place in the global net-zero economy. “We urge the government to hold its nerve and deliver an ambitious and coordinated package of budget incentives,” Mr Buckley said. This would enable Australia to pivot from the “historic over-dependence on fossil fuels” to a zero-emissions global trade and investment leader, he said. Read more

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Nishtha Aggarwal, an analyst at the independent think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF), has roundly criticised Australia’s big four banks for touting sustainability rhetoric without following through with meaningful action. “Trumpeting climate action based on the low-hanging fruit of financing minimally green-rated buildings is not enough, and leaves them open to accusation of greenwashing,” said Aggarwal. “They must put ‘their’ money where their mouth is.” An analysis of the major banks’ sustainable finance target (SFT) allocation to date found that a massive 44 per cent of funding was allocated to green buildings. Read more

Japan’s largest power company and one of the largest thermal power producers in the world has announced the launch of a major new global renewables business, becoming the latest fossil giant to act on the existential threat of net zero to its business model. On balance, however, Buckley and Aggarwal say the transition of another “fossil fuel dinosaur” into offshore wind adds to mounting evidence that they are “belatedly starting to react to the existential threat of net zero to their business models.” Read more

Tim Buckley, director of independent public interest think tank Climate Energy Finance, said the act would lay the foundations to make Australia a zero-emissions trade and investment leader and global clean energy “superpower”. About 27 percent of the Australian economic output came from exports to international partners and this new act would have flow-on effects and help them decarbonise as well, Buckley told AFP. “State intervention is the new competition. We can’t afford to ‘sit it out’. The Future Made In Australia Act puts Australia into the global race. It is the investment signal and de-risking private capital needs,” he said. Read more

Albanese’s Future Made in Australia Act is a much-needed signal to promote competition, resiliency, productivity, and attract capital, investors say. The new on-shore manufacturing laws give the green light for superannuation funds and other institutional investors to reach their billion-dollar climate funding targets, crowding in capital to the nation’s renewable economy. Tim Buckley, director of think tank Climate Energy Finance said the US’s IRA – and China’s response – “change everything”. Read more

The Act could be the foundation for our future as a zero-emissions trade and investment leader and global clean energy superpower, as we inevitably pivot from our historic dependence on carbon exports. Read more

By BLAIR PALESE and TIM BUCKLEY To capitalise on the advantages of our strongly export-oriented economy and our excellent relationships with our partners in an increasingly complex and dynamic global geopolitical context, the government’s Future Made in Australia is focused on collaborating with our Asian trade partners. The government has acknowledged the need for better understanding and tools to determine how Australia encourages and develops an international green premium price signal for trade in decarbonised products. Read more