Media

Demand for Australian coal from the nation’s biggest customer is heading for long-term decline as China changes course on energy investment, research shows. According to a report released on Thursday by independent think tank Climate Energy Finance, Australia must urgently respond and pursue new partnerships with China to replace jobs. Lead author of the report, Xuyang Dong tracked the investment trends of China’s top five enterprises, which she said pointed to the possibility of the superpower exceeding its energy goals. Read more

China has vaulted ahead of the rest of the world in solar and wind power installations in 2023, accelerating the energy transition for Australia’s biggest export customer and posing a growing threat to future coal exports. “China’s demand for Australian exports of thermal and coking coal is set to decline structurally over the longer term due to the greening of China’s power sector and economy,” said Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley. “The report recommends that to minimise economic risk, Australia urgently comprehends and responds at speed to align with China’s massive investment pivot.” Read more

CEF’s China energy policy analyst, report lead author Xuyang Dong, tracked investment trends of China’s 5 top State Owned Enterprises, reviewing reporting disclosures and corporate data in the original Chinese. Xuyang Dong said: “China is decarbonising the world and the Chinese energy SOEs are playing a significant role in this process, as their massive capital expenditure pivot into renewables and cleantech shows. China’s ambition to lead the greening of the world is evident in its energy policies and climate goals, and reflected in energy SOEs’ capex trends, which highlight the possibility of China exceeding its energy goals. ” Read more

At the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, starting on Thursday, negotiators from around the world will try to thrash out new global commitments to mitigate and adapt to climate change, one of the toughest challenges facing humanity. The world will also be looking to China to signal an intention to put a price on carbon emissions in domestic goods and imports, said Tim Buckley, director at Australia-based think tank Climate Energy Finance. “This would elevate China’s global leadership in all zero-emissions industries of the future and would signal the need for a clear international price on carbon emissions in global trade,” he said. Read more

Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, speaks to pv magazine about the current steep trajectory of solar module prices. He estimates that PV panels prices will end up dropping by 40% this year and predicts the closure of old technology and sub-scale solar manufacturing facilities, both in China and globally. Buckley also noted the likely new climate accord by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden, might see a formal call for a tripling of renewables capacity globally by 2030. “At a time of massive capital investment cost blowouts, to be able to invest in deflationary solar is a massive global boon that will provide cost of living pressure relief as well as improved energy security,” he sai Read more

As Tim Buckley asks: What kind of game is AustralianSuper, the country’s biggest super fund, playing with Origin Energy? It is shaping up to scuttle a bid by Canadian fund manager Brookfield et al to acquire Australia’s largest power company, gentailer Origin Energy, and transition it to renewables and storage with a ~$30bn investment – a mammoth capital injection that will be transformative for Australian decarbonisation. What is AustralianSuper offering as its alternative plan? Higher electricity prices, slower decarbonisation and more climate destruction? If it kills the deal, will it step up and guarantee a $30bn commitment to decarbonising Origin? If not, why not? If it has no legitimate answer to these questions, it should get out of the way. Read more

Oped written by CEF’s China Energy Policy Analyst Xuyang Dong and Ember’s climate strategy advisor Chris Wright on China’s recent methane emissions reduction action plan. China’s recent methane action plan is a game-changer in the global effort to combat emissions. With commitments in its 2026-2030 Five-Year Plan, China is taking a lead in the methane reduction race. This announcement underscores Australia’s lag in implementing a clear methane action plan, despite being a significant emitter. As COP28 approaches, the diplomatic significance and China’s track record of exceeding targets highlight the urgent need for global methane reduction. Read more

Our op ed on PM Albanese’s state visit to the US. While the visit was touted as a platform for major announcements on investment into an Australian response to the game-changing Inflation Reduction Act, there was a lot of talk, but only $2bn for Australian critical minerals – entirely insufficient relative to the scale of our opportunity to lead the world in processing of minerals onshore. Read our full analysis. Read more

A profound investment surge in renewables, heat pump, batteries and EV manufacturing capacity globally is underway, with annual global manufacturing capacities of each due to double every 24 months at the current run rate, Tim Buckley of Climate Energy Finance (CEF) told MWM. Read more

Wong’s team was determined to get the relationship back on track. As the first female foreign minister of Chinese-Malaysian heritage, Wong understands how Australian multiculturalism can influence and shape a highly diverse new world order, notes Xuyang Dong from the Sydney-based think tank Climate Energy Finance Read more

Tim Buckley, Director of Climate Energy Finance highlights the remarkable advancements in renewable energy made by China, with a particular emphasis on solar and wind power. Tim is impressively captivated by China’s prodigious expansion in the energy field, recognising that it has surpassed other nations by installing an astonishing fivefold increase in renewable energy. He draws attention to China’s tactical approach, noting that an impressive 156 gigawatts of wind and solar have been set up within a span of eight months, signifying a substantial 120% escalation compared to the previous year. Read more

References News 参考消息 reports: Dong Xuyang, an analyst at an independent think tank in Sydney – Climate Energy Finance, said that “diversifying away from China in the supply chain would be tough”. “Whether people like it or not, the reality is that China is dominating the global renewable industry as a result of insufficient effort from the rest of the world. And China is producing these products at the scale and speed the global energy transition needs.” [This article is reposted on Tencent, Sohu, 163.com, Sina Finance, Shanghai Observer, Sina] Read more