Critical minerals
AGL | Banking sector & Emissions | CEF NEWS UPDATES | CEF SERIES ON CRITICAL MINERALS | China | Critical minerals | Decarbonisation | Energy Crisis | Hydrogen | India & Adani | Monthly China Energy Updates | Submissions | Taxes & subsidies |
OP ED | “Truly momentous:” Solar is changing everything, and Australia must seize the occasion
CEF sees unprecedented trade and investment opportunities, in the order of hundreds of billions of dollars, for Australia to “ship sunshine”, embodying decarbonisation in its exports by using its solar and wind energy to process its world-leading critical minerals reserves, and to power manufacturing of energy transition materials. Australia has a once in a century opportunity for investment in renewables, exports, technology and employment, including in and driven by solar. It should seize it. Read more
POSITION PAPER | Five urgent reforms to boost Australia’s climate finance in a rapidly decarbonising world
In this new position paper, Janaline Oh, executive director of Diplomats for Climate Action, and CEF director Tim Buckley identify 5 urgent finance reforms the federal government should put in place so as to mobilise capital at the scale and speed needed to secure Australia’s opportunity to position itself as a critical minerals and energy transition leader in a rapidly decarbonising world – including leveraging our world leading super capital pool and our nation-building, infrastructure and energy transition funding authorities such as the Future Fund and Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. Read more
MONTHLY CHINA ENERGY UPDATES | China remains massively ahead in global cleantech investment during slow economic growth
China remains ahead in leading global cleantech investment during its domestic renewable energy expansion. While the investment in renewables is unevenly split across the world, China continues to mobilise capital to the Global South to help developing countries in energy transition. 2023 is the tipping point for China to peak its coal use as well as its emissions. Australia should seize this opportunity to work with China, as well as other countries, in order to become a renewable superpower. Read more
CEF ANALYSIS | LANDMARK AUS-US CLIMATE, CRITICAL MINERALS AND CLEAN ENERGY COMPACT
Overnight, US President Biden and Australian PM Albanese announced a groundbreaking bilateral agreement which will increase cooperation between the two countries on energy transition, with a focus on critical minerals and cleantech supply chain. Read our initial analysis of what this means for Australia, especially in the context of the massive $800bn US inflation Reduction Act turbocharging energy transition there. Read more
DEVELOPING NEW GAS PROJECTS IS 100% THE WRONG ANSWER: Response to Australian Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King’s address to APPEA conference
As APPEA members and lobbyists gather for the annual gas shills’ jamboree and talkfest, we take a forensic look at Resources Minister Madeleine King’s keynote address, and deconstruct the baseless claim that we need more gas – when what we need is a fast, dramatic and wholesale pivot to value-adding critical minerals and energy transition materials onshore, backed by a landmark injection of public investment. With the world responding to the game-changing $1tn US Inflation Reduction Act, we delay, we lose. And the train is leaving the station. Read more
PRESENTATION | Argo Investments Board
Tim Buckley’s presentation to the board of Argo Investments takes a deep dive into global energy transition, looking at major policy initiatives and capital inflows accelerating decarbonisation in the US, China, India, the EU, Canada and Korea, with a focus the implications for Australian policy and investment. Read more
ANALYSIS | Federal Budget 2023/24
The Federal Budget is a mixed bag for climate and energy with a serious case of underreach on fixing the failed PRRT gas tax, but some good policy and funding progress on a National Net Zero Authority, energy bill relief and home and business electrification, and measures to respond to the global race to renewables, such as $2bn for a green Hydrogen Headstart program – all in the context of a massive surprise $4.2bn surplus. However, we need to see more fiscal ambition to respond to game-changing international policy and funding reforms such as the US Inflation Reduction Act that are turbocharging global energy transition. Read more
PRESENTATION | The US IRA, Australia’s response and the Budget
Tim Buckley’s presentation to the Smart Energy Council conference looks at the massive global acceleration of decarbonisation, including via the funding and policy reforms of Biden’s IRA which has turbocharged the transition in the US. What are the implications for the imminent Federal Budget if Australia to position itself as a global leader in the new cleantech world economy? Read more
UPDATED ANALYSIS | Global EV Growth in 1QCY2023
CEF’S Matt Pollard updates his analysis of global EV sales in the first quarter of 2023, to include newly released figures from VW, as momentum accelerates globally. Read more
ANALYSIS | Global EV Growth in 1QCY2023
CEF’S Matt Pollard takes a close look at global EV sales in the first quarter of 2023, and finds the industry is booming off the back of a massive acceleration in decarbonisation momentum globally. Read more
Global sustainability: The critical minerals opportunity in Australia
CEF’s Tim Buckley told UBS analysts of Australia’s potential to be a renewable energy superpower, given abundant critical minerals, scope to value-add and minimal supply chain risk. Read more
Australian Lithium Export Market Review
As the federal government’s Resources and Energy Quarterly released today projects lithium export earnings of $18.6bn in 22/23, CEF’s Matt Pollard reviews growth in and investments by key Australian producers as we start to leverage our once in a century opportunity to lead the world in value-added critical minerals. Read more