Our work

China’s renewable leadership offers challenges and opportunities on the path to global decarbonization. In August 2023, China’s renewable energy sector gained momentum with increased hydropower generation after months of droughts. Solar and wind power continued to dominate new capacity additions. Zero emissions capacity is now accounting for 50% of China’s total installed capacity. While China prioritizes economic development over rapid fossil fuel phase-out, EU raises concerns about China’s renewable supply chain dominance due to China’s rapid renewable manufacturing expansion. Nonetheless, this presents an opportunity for emerging markets to accelerate their energy transitions. To meet global net-zero goals, China and other developed nations must invest in emerging economies. Read more

Read more

Tim Buckley of CEF and Climate and Capital Forum founder Blair Palese argue that $100bn of government strategic public-interest capital investment into an Australian Renewables Industry Package and value-adding critical minerals industry development is needed to crowd in $200-300bn of private capital. This would be an appropriately ambitious response to the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), commensurate with Australia’s massive domestic and export opportunity. Read more

Our new report argues Australia’s mining sector should become a global leader in electrification of mine equipment, developing onshore battery, recycling and EV manufacturing supply chains and embodying decarbonisation in our commodity exports as a key competitive advantage. We could do this by capping the diesel fuel rebate to $50m pa per firm, clawing back $14bn in tax revenue to 2030 and investing that money in kickstarting an electrified mining transport industry here Read more

CEF consulted with the NSW Treasury, the NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change and the Sustainable Finance Unit of the Commonwealth Treasury to provide input into their decision on whether a nationally consistent approach to transition planning is needed, what guidance would assist businesses and how efforts can best be coordinated. Read more

Read more

Tim Buckley looks at today’s reporting of explosive new allegations and hard evidence that a web of associates of the Adani Group have engaged in deliberate stock price manipulation and insider trading. An internal document trail details extensive use of tax havens instructed by associates of Gautam Adani’s brother, Vinod Adani, who owns or is associated with multiple offshore companies at the centre of some of the Group’s most high-profile deals. Read more

In an Australian first, the Commonwealth Bank (CBA) – Australia’s biggest mortgage lender with over 25% of the market – has established a 60% emissions intensity reduction target on its mortgage book by 2030. This is a good start aided strongly by efforts to decarbonise the power grid, but also through policy advocacy and a future focus on customer engagement which we look forward to more details on. Read more

As Tim Buckley writes, AEMO’s new 10 year outlook shows expedited approvals of renewables, storage and transmission can offset any reliability risks to electricity supply. Read more

CEF Special Advisor Paul Oosting looks at Australia’s opportunity to reform superannuation benchmarks to support investment in energy transition in light of last week’s release of the Intergenerational Report by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Read more

Not only was it another near record month of 22GW of wind and solar added for July 2023, but it was also another month of 6.3GW of new coal power plants in China. National electricity demand grew 5.0% y-o-y, and hydropower generation continued to decline. Even with strong wind and solar growth, coal power generation continues to grow at above market growth rates of +7.9% y-o-y in July. Read more

A joint statement with the Clean Energy Investor Group, Smart Energy Council and Nexa Advisory responding to news that the NSW government’s electricity review will recommend delaying the 2025 closure of the Eraring coal power station, Australia’s largest. Read more