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2023-24 GenCost consultation draft released The drafting considers inputs sourced on real-time engineering and construction cost data points in Australia, as well as overseas parallels, information from equipment manufacturers, software and literature. Key points in the current draft are: Annual change in capital costs: Across the board, new build costs have generally stabilised as the...

The year saw the last of the COVID pandemic-delayed milestones completed. Countries adopted major decisions to improve global chemicals management and protect marine life in international waters. But most of the year was about making all these rules work. Join the globetrotting Earth Negotiations Bulletin team as they review 2023's sustainable development negotiations, draw links...

Restoring and preserving the world's forests are promising natural pathways to mitigate some aspects of climate change. In addition to regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, forests modify surface and near-surface air temperatures through biophysical processes. In the eastern United States (EUS), widespread reforestation during the 20th century coincided with an anomalous lack of warming, raising...

Data centres generate lots of unwanted heat while leisure centres struggle to warm up their pools. A solution has arrived Now here’s a novel solution for cash-strapped councils: use data centres to heat public swimming pools. It’s an idea that’s gaining traction in the UK thanks to the tech firm, Deep Green. It captures excess...

Heads of climate-vulnerable nations gathered on the sidelines of a United Nations climate summit to call for new policies and agreements to manage the millions of people who are being forced from their homes by extreme weather. Click here to read more.

Climate change will have major ramifications for migration at every level: domestic, regional, and international. While most migration affected by climate change will be internal, the international system is unprepared and inadequate for the needs that will arise. This brief reviews issues faced in the governance of climate-affected migration at the internal, regional, and international...

Globally, approximately 184 million people, or 2.3% of the world population, live outside their country of citizenship. This highlights the growing complexity of human mobility, which will increasingly be driven by factors like climate change, conflict, divergent demographic trends, and income inequality. These forces are not only pushing more people to relocate for better opportunities...

Every day, more children discover they are living in a climate crisis. This makes many children feel sad, anxious, angry, powerless, confused and frightened about what the future holds. The climate change burden facing young people is inherently unfair. But they have the potential to be the most powerful generation when it comes to creating...

The European Environmental Agency (EEA) warned on Monday that Europe could suffer "catastrophic" consequences of  climate change if it fails to take urgent action. In its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks, the EEA listed 36 threats related to climate in Europe, 21 of which demand immediate action, while eight were described as "particularly urgent." The dangers include fires,...

In Florida, everything runs on clean water. It keeps our economy afloat, draws tourists to beaches, fuels freshwater springs, delivers drinking water to homes, and sustains Florida’s vibrant fish and wildlife. In South Florida, the health of the Everglades is directly tied to our water quality. Thanks to recent record investments, we are at a...

Imagine a landscape shaped by fire, not as a destructive force but as a life-giving tool. That’s the reality in Australia, where Indigenous communities have long understood the intricate relationship between fire, soil and life. Cultural burning has been used for millennia to care for landscapes and nurture biodiversity. In contrast, government agencies conduct “prescribed...

According to the World Health Organisation, climate change is the single biggest health threat that humans are facing. Even if you don’t feel directly impacted by the effects of climate change, your health may still be indirectly at risk in several ways. Here’s what you need to know about the impact of climate change on...

As Earth’s climate warms, incidences of extreme heat and humidity are rising, with significant consequences for human health. Climate scientists are tracking a key measure of heat stress that can warn us of harmful conditions. Click here to read more.

Key points A home is built to last for many years and provides its occupants with a refuge from the climate. Designing for potential impacts from a changing climate is important. If climate change is considered when a home is being designed or renovated, it is likely to remain comfortable and efficient for longer, and...

The Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas, launched by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S*) on 20 February, is set to be an important new resource for policymakers looking to formulate effective climate policy and for other users needing to visualise and analyse climate change information. This new tool from C3S, which builds on the Interactive Atlas of...

The Actuaries Institute has launched a climate index, an objective measure of extreme weather conditions and changes to sea levels, to help policymakers and Australia’s businesses assess how the frequency of weather extremes is changing over time. To read more click here.

Climate change is expected to intensify the effects of extreme weather events on power systems and increase the frequency of severe power outages. The large-scale integration of environment-dependent renewables during energy decarbonization could induce increased uncertainty in the supply–demand balance and climate vulnerability of power grids. This Perspective discusses the superimposed risks of climate change,...

The Green Electricity Guide is a fully independent assessment of Australia’s electricity retailers. It is designed as a tool to inform consumers about their options to switch to a greener electricity provider. This version of the guide has been researched and created by Greenpeace with advice and support from the Total Environment Centre, who remain...

Climate Action Network Australia members are nonprofit organisations who collaborate to advocate for better climate solutions, to protect people from climate change, to safeguard our natural environment and to build a fairer and healthier Australia for everyone. Click here to read more.

Repair Cafes are a great way to keep goods out of landfill. For example, Transition Darebin (in Melbourne) runs a bi-monthly Darebin Repair Café (DRC). A team of volunteer fixers help people with items to repair. Items are weighed, and a tally kept of items successfully repaired, information given about how to repair, and irreparable...

Repair Cafés are free meeting places and they’re all about repairing things (together). In the place where a Repair Café is located, you’ll find tools and materials to help you make any repairs you need. On clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, et cetera. You’ll also find expert volunteers, with repair skills in...

World leaders aren't taking the climate threat seriously. Or, they might say they are taking it seriously—but as author and scholar of democracy Dana R. Fisher notes, it’s nowhere near enough. To read more click here.

Information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency click here.

Electric vehicles are an important solution to decarbonizing transport. Electric cars tend to have a lower carbon footprint than petrol or diesel cars over their lifetimes. While more carbon is emitted in the manufacturing stage, this “carbon debt” tends to pay off quickly once they’re on the road.1 The carbon savings are higher in countries...

Why Li-Fire’s collaboration with Fireaway Inc. could pave the way for effect EV extinguishing. To read more click here.

The use of lithium batteries has seen a massive increase over the last five years; it seems that every electronic device now uses this type of battery.  The lithium-ion battery can pack a bigger punch in a smaller package, making it appealing to manufacturers who are trying to concentrate power into smaller packaging. Due to this...

Lithium-ion batteries are found in many products. These products may be used, stored or charged in a workplace or an area under the management and control of an organisation. For more information click here.

Issues paper on Lithium batteries from the ACCC

A new index measures the social vulnerability of communities in the face of climate change in Australia – and finds inequalities across the country. It feels like Australia is in a never-ending cycle of climate-related disasters. In December 2023 alone we saw flooding inundate Northern Queensland, bushfires blaze through north-west New South Wales, and forecasts...

Global energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) hit a record high last year, driven partly by increased fossil fuel use in countries where droughts hampered hydropower production, International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday. Click here to read this Reuters article.

Failing system creates more trauma for flood victims in Lismore. Click here to read more.

The global oil and gas industry encompasses a large and diverse range of players: from small, specialised operators to huge national oil companies. These producers face pivotal choices about their role in the global energy system amid a worsening climate crisis fuelled in large part by their core products. The Oil and Gas Industry in...

CSIRO are developing AquaWatch Australia, a nationwide monitoring and forecasting service for water quality. AquaWatch uses satellite imagery in combination with water-based sensors and data analytics. Satellites can detect water quality issues like algal blooms and sediment plumes using colour signatures visible from space. To read more click here.

The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) monitors woody vegetation extent, and changes to that extent due to clearing and regrowth using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery as its primary monitoring tool. Click here to view the report.

How Big Oil and the plastics industry deceived the public for decades and caused the plastic waste crisis. Underpinning the plastic waste crisis is a campaign of fraud and deception that fossil fuel and other petrochemical companies have created and perpetuated for decades. Through new and existing research, “The Fraud of Plastic Recycling” shows how...

We don’t yet fully understand what global climate tipping points mean for Australia. But we know enough to conclude the impacts of passing one or more tipping points must now be considered. To read more click here.

A new UNSW study shows photovoltaic modules will lose efficiency and cost more to produce in hotter regions in Australia. Industrial large-scale photovoltaic (PV) modules are being rolled out across the country as solar technology is expected to become one of the largest sources of renewable energy worldwide by 2026. However, shifts in temperatures brought...

An on-line tool to understand the climate in your location. Click here for more.

Climate change is affecting prospects for trade and economic development around the world. Extreme weather can disrupt supply chains, damage the transport infrastructure necessary for trade in goods, and restrict people’s ability to travel. Changing climatic conditions and the policies introduced to address them are shifting the patterns of comparative advantage, creating risks for countries...

The impact of the Covid pandemic on the global supply chain has been widely reported. But extreme weather, from floods to wildfires, is increasingly hammering ports, highways, and factories worldwide, and experts warn these climate-induced disruptions will only get worse. To read more click here.

Brands are selling all sorts of new products that are supposed to help consumers lead more sustainable lifestyles. How big of a difference can consumers make? To read more click here.

When considering climate change mitigation and reducing your carbon footprint, you probably think of driving less and turning out the lights. But did you know that organic and inorganic waste is also a massive contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions? A zero-waste lifestyle keeps material out of landfills and reduces your carbon footprint. To read...

Many communities in Queensland face a significant, ever-present risk of flooding; 16 of the 20 most flood-prone Federal electorates in Australia are located across the state. Suncorp has long advocated on behalf of our customers and communities for greater investment in flood mitigation; reducing the risk of damage from natural disasters such as floods can...

At the Off-Grid Living Festival we seek to inspire people to take new step towards becoming more sustainable each year. We don’t just talk about the problems at this event, we offer great solutions, and we make it fun and attainable to all with a great mix of education and entertainment throughout the festival.  To...

As the world seeks cleaner energy solutions, the aqueous zinc battery technology breakthrough developed at UNSW Sydney promises a sustainable and resilient energy future. Click here for more information.

Every year, the Resilient Building Council (RBC) is contacted by thousands of people asking for help to make their homes more resilient to bushfire and other disasters. 'FORTIS House sets a new benchmark for better building to protect people, homes, communities. Click here for more information.

This on-line portal provides advice and support for those looking to recover from the 2022 Lismore Floods.  Recovery is slow, but this resources is designed to assist those still struggling to repair their homes. Visit by clicking here.

An article from the CSIRO Estuaries are a pivotal force in our natural world. Now, they're the focus of a new book that explores their vulnerability in the face of climate change. To read more click here.

Researchers from the University of Sydney have developed a community energy resilience toolkit to make communities safer and stronger together ahead of the bushfire season. Click here to read more. For resources click here.

Journal Article The costs of climate change are often estimated in monetary terms, but this raises ethical issues. Here we express them in terms of numbers of people left outside the ‘human climate niche’—defined as the historically highly conserved distribution of relative human population density with respect to mean annual temperature. We show that climate...

A Newcastle University-led study focused on the Pacific Island nation of Palau and has shown that historic increases in the thermal tolerance of coral reefs are possible. The results demonstrate how this capacity could reduce future bleaching impacts if global carbon emissions are cut down. To read more click here.

Since 2018, Accounting for Nature have helped measure the state of nature across 8.3 million hectares in Australia.  Their vision is to inspire this change and support transparent accountability to create value for nature, everywhere. To make nature count. Nature underpins our way of life in countless ways. For many years humanity has failed to...

Oneka Technologies turns seawater into fresh water in an innovative and sustainable way by harnessing wave energy. Over the years, they have developed great expertise in the exploitation of wave energy and are now able to offer high-performance and reliable patented solutions to our customers. Oneka’s water quality is adjusted to meet the World Health...

Disruption of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current could freeze Europe, scorch the tropics and increase sea level rise in the North Atlantic. The tipping point may be closer than predicted in the IPCC’s latest assessment. To read more click here.

Australia cricket captain Pat Cummins and British athlete Innes FitzGerald are among the winners of this year's BBC Green Sport awards. Now in their second year, the awards celebrate the athletes, former athletes and organisations working hard to enact and inspire change. Click here to read more.

Climate and land use changes are causing significant alterations in global terrestrial water storage, impacting extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, a Griffith University-led study has found. Published in One Earth, the study investigated terrestrial water storage and projected future changes under three different future climate change and socio-economic scenarios: 1) a middle-of-the-road...

About 10 percent of human-made mercury emissions into the atmosphere each year are the result of global deforestation, according to a new MIT study. The world’s vegetation, from the Amazon rainforest to the savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, acts as a sink that removes the toxic pollutant from the air. However, if the current rate of...

Hydrogen can help Australia hit net-zero carbon emissions and become a green energy superpower – but only if it gets targeted government support. Click here to read the article from the Grattan Institute and to view their report.

This Explainer aims to promote a deeper understanding of key concepts, numbers, and terminology defining the interrelationship between the climate crisis and movement of people within and across borders—to inform greater understanding, and offer principles to guide solutions. It is not meant to be a definitive guide to the ever-expanding body of data, research, or...

Book by Jake Bittle Shortlisted for the 2024 Carnegie Medal for Excellence “The Great Displacement is closely observed, compassionate, and far-sighted.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Under a White Sky The untold story of climate migration in the United States—the personal stories of those experiencing displacement, the portraits of communities being torn apart by...

As many residents will be proud to tell you, the thousand-odd islands that make up the Florida Keys are one of a kind: there is no other place in the world that boasts the same combination of geological, ecological, and sociological characteristics. The islands have a special, addictive quality about it, an air of freedom...

Over the past few decades, the migration of people across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States and other regions has expanded – aided by progress in transportation, communication, social networking, and technology.   Environmental factors including climate change is one many complex drivers of migration and displacement in the Southeast Asian region. The...

Floods, fires, drought and disasters are already displacing more people globally than conflict. The climate emergency is destroying crops, homes and infrastructure and as the world heats over the coming decades whole cities may become unliveable, forcing populations to move in their tens of millions. How can we manage this unprecedented human movement to achieve...

We don’t yet fully understand what global climate tipping points mean for Australia. But we know enough to conclude the impacts of passing one or more tipping points must now be considered. To read more from the CSIRO click here.

The record-breaking trend seen for much of 2023 has continued in 2024, with January being the hottest January on record. It is the eighth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective time of the year. Sea surface temperatures have been record high for ten consecutive months. To read more...

Existing climate mitigation scenarios assume future rates of economic growth that are significantly higher than what has been experienced in the recent past. This article explores how assuming lower rates of growth, in line with the hypothesis of secular stagnation, changes the range of mitigation possibilities. They compare scenarios with moderate and strong policy ambition...

We might be coming to the end of summer, but we are certainly still having long, hot, dry days. ABC reporter Selina Ross reported we were in for a scorching summer, and provided tips to prepare for bushfire season, which may still need to be heeded. To read more click here.

Climate Crisis: Ideas for Investigative Journalists This Global Investigative Journalism Network resource page aims to encourage more investigative reporting about the climate crisis. In Part 1, they begin with articles that provide concrete suggestions for investigative projects. In Part 2, they have collected challenging commentaries on how the media has handled climate change and what...

Click here to see the CSIRO data showing the CO2 emissions at Cape Grim in December 2023

Click here for facts on heatwaves - the health-related or economic risks, including increased human mortality, drought and water quality, wildfire and smoke, power shortages and agricultural losses.

The calls for climate reparations are rapidly growing in the scientific literature, among climate movements, and in the policy debate. This article proposes morally based reparations for oil, gas, and coal producers, presents a methodological approach for their implementation, and quantifies reparations for the top twenty-one fossil fuel companies. Click here to read more.

Climate Impact Research articles reports that 01/26/2024 - Beyond 2°C of global warming, the risk of one climate tipping element triggering other tipping processes in the Earth’s climate system strongly increases. This is the result of a new study by an international team of scientists. Click here to read more.

The World Hydro Congress has released The Bali Statement on Powering Sustainable Growth calls forsustainable hydropower to be the backbone of national strategies to build thriving, low-carbon economies bolstered by clean, renewable energy. Click here to read more.

Digitalization is often hailed as a savior in the race to preserve nature, but how much idealization does it really deserve? The tech industry contributes its fair share to ecological damage, and it’s time to speak up about the how and why. Click here to read more.

The Ecologists reports that nuclear power went backwards last year and shrunk to below 10 percent of global electricity generation despite all the hype about a new nuclear ‘renaissance’. Click here to read more.

The European Commission has adopted a set of policy recommendations for Member States to improve and incentivise the return of used and waste mobile phones, tablets, laptops and their chargers. Click here to read more.

Farmers for Climate Action release polling showing farmers support for renewables in the regions. Click here to read more.

Click here to view a handy site to use to compare vehicle fuels and vehicle types.

On 29 January 2024, leading experts from the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) unveiled a new economic model that maps the impacts of two possible futures for the global food system. Click here to read the full report.

In a groundbreaking endeavor, engineers from MIT and China have designed a passive solar desalination system aimed at converting seawater into drinkable water. The concept, articulated in a study published in the journal Joule, harnesses the dual powers of the sun and the inherent properties of seawater, emulating the ocean’s “thermohaline” circulation on a smaller...

Climate tipping elements are critical, large-scale components of the Earth system, which are characterized by a threshold behaviour. These systems appear to remain stable with increasing global temperature, but starting at a particular global temperature threshold, very small additional disturbances can 'tip' them into a qualitatively new state. If you imagine a valuable vase that...

NSW councils can require new developments be all-electric and gas-free by changing their Development Control Plans (DCPs).  Fr more information click here

Critical minerals will be central to our transition to net zero. The world needs them, and Australia has them, writes PETER MAYFIELD. To read this opinion piece click here

You’ve almost certainly read about the backup of ships waiting to transit the Panama Canal, which carries 6 percent of all commercial ships worldwide. While the worry among faraway readers may be concerns about supply chain disruptions that could lead to holiday shopping shortages, the problem in Panama is more immediate. The proximate cause of the backup...

In Ghana locally made electric bikes are being made for the locals - at an affordable price. Check out their website here

Documents shed light on the earliest-known instance of climate science funded by the fossil fuel industry, adding to growing understanding of Big Oil’s knowledge of climate change. Read more here

Global renewable energy capacity grew by the fastest pace recorded in the last 20 years in 2023, which could put the world within reach of meeting a key climate target by the end of the decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Click here to read more of this good news.

The hottest year in recorded history casts doubts on humanity’s ability to deal with a climate crisis of its own making, senior scientists have said.  As historically high temperatures continued to be registered in many parts of the world in late December, the former Nasa scientist James Hansen told the Guardian that 2023 would be...

The most common damage to trees in home landscaping tends to be from cars hitting the lower parts of trees and trucks hitting higher on the trunk and the undersides of major limbs. Trees don’t heal as we do; when they are injured, the wood on the outside of the wound can only creep in...

Prudent risk management requires consideration of bad-to-worst-case scenarios. Yet, for climate change, such potential futures are poorly understood. Could anthropogenic climate change result in worldwide societal collapse or even eventual human extinction? At present, this is a dangerously underexplored topic. Yet there are ample reasons to suspect that climate change could result in a global...

What is the Premier’s Youth Advisory Council? 11 December 2023 The Premier’s Youth Advisory Council (PYAC) provides an opportunity for young people to meet with the Premier and the Minister for Education, Children and Youth to discuss their ideas on how we can make Tasmania a better place. PYAC is a group of 24 young...

EVs are an increasingly popular choice for consumers and business, but in Australia their take-up has been relatively slow. Why? t ARENA, we love electric vehicles (EVs). They’re a key weapon in the battle to remove the 11 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions from petrol, diesel and fueled light vehicles. But in Australia,...

A team led by researchers at the University of Queensland has developed an innovative method to turn harmful tailings into healthy soil. Tailings, the waste left after extracting precious and critical minerals, often contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute soil, water, and even crops. There are over 1800 tailings storage facilities around...

The novel photosynthetic biocomposite material is a 3D-printed structure made of a seaweed-based polymer combined with genetically engineered cyanobacteria to produce an enzyme that transforms various organic pollutants into benign molecules. The bacteria were also engineered to self-destruct in the presence of a molecule called theophylline, which is often found in tea and chocolate. Read...

A new law to ensure that batteries are collected, reused and recycled in Europe is entering into force today. The new Batteries Regulation will ensure that, in the future, batteries have a low carbon footprint, use minimal harmful substances, need less raw materials from non-EU countries, and are collected, reused and recycled to a high...

Working for the past two decades on marine and freshwater projects in the UK, Europe and around the world, the International Marine Litter Research Unit has developed a detailed understanding of the environmental and societal impacts of plastic marine litter. The global outlook of the team’s research has seen them test numerous interventions with industry...