Climate Progress in Australia's 2024 Annual Climate Statement delivered by Chris Bowen

Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivered his third annual Climate Statement to Parliament today.

The Government set an interim emissions target of 43 percent emissions reduction by 2030 based on 2005 levels. And in this statement Chris Bowen says that the Government is projected to meet 42.6 percent reduction by 2030, and be able to exceed this target with extra measures to come. 

To help achieve this a Renewables target of 82 percent by 2030 was also set. The intrduction of the Capacity Investment Scheme means that more renewables are being invested in and built which will enable this target to be met. 

The government has introduced a New Vehicle Emissions Scheme that will start from 1 January 2025 and progressively reduce light vehicle transport emissions. 

The speech outlines the positive actions on renewables and energy transition already taken, critical minerals and steps to become a renewable energy super power. 

But the elephant in the room is that Australia continues to approve new coal and gas projects for the export market, which is not compatible with a safe climate.

• The continued approval of new coal and gas projects primarily for the export market. Scope 3 emissions are not included in Australia's greenhouse gas inventory
• The Safeguard Mechanism to reduce emissions of the largest polluters is built upon carbon offsets, which have integrity issues.
• Australia's carbon accounting is highly reliant on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) which indicates that there has been minimal reductions in many sectors other than the electricity sector. 
• Australia has not addressed Fossil Fuel Tax subsidies currently running at about $14 billion per year

This being said, the Opposition is pushing forward with a Nuclear plan that would be hugely expensive, risky, would expand domestic gas use, and would fail to meet the gap between when coal plants retire in the early 2030s and the earliest Nuclear plants coming online in the 2040s. Adding Nuclear to the energy mix would continue with greenhouse gas emissions from gas well past the 2050s, so would breach the Net Zero 2050 target. Nuclear is a distraction from both Labor and Coalition Parties supporting fossil fuel coal and gas expansion. 

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP29

Chris Bowen at COP29 Photo: Scott Hamilton

This is a subpage of Australia at COP29 Climate Diary and will be updated throughout the conference.

Australia will be represented at the ministerial level at COP29 by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

This year a key focus of the UN Climate Conference is Climate Finance, and development of The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). 

| Pledges | Chris Bowen |

Chris Bowen delivers Australia's national climate statement at COP29 in Baku

Australia's Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivered Australia's national climate statement to COP29 in the High Level Segment Plenary (Resumed).

Not a bad statement on some of the changes being made in energy transition and economic transition associated with decarbonisation by Australia, but it is in what was not said that is important. 

• The continued approval of new coal and gas projects primarily for the export market. Scope 3 emissions are not included in Australia's greenhouse gas inventory
• The Safeguard Mechanism to reduce emissions of the largest polluters is built upon carbon offsets, which have integrity issues.
• Australia's carbon accounting is highly reliant on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) which indicates that there has been minimal reductions in many sectors other than the electricity sector. 
• Australia has not addressed Fossil Fuel Tax subsidies currently running at about $14 billion per year
• Australia signed the Clean Energy Transition Partnership (CETP) at COP28 and had a year to implement its commitment. This partnership was established in Glasgow at COP26. CETP pledges cover Development Finance institutions and export credit agencies. Australia must unveil its CETP implementation plan (Jubilee Australia)

Don't get me wrong. Setting a 2030 target of 43 percent reduction on 2005 levels was important, as was the target of 82 per cent renewables by 2030. The Made in Australia program and funding is as important as the Inflation Reduction Act in the US for unlocking economic decarbonistion and transformation.

Australia is increasing climate finance, but at a trickle and very far from our fair share as a developed country. In this speech Bowen announced a much welcomed $50 million to the Loss and Damage Fund. And most of Australia's climate finance is in the form of grant funding which is the most effective and doesn't burden developing nations feeling the impact of climate change with more debt. 

The Action Aid report Seizing the Moment: A new Climate Finance Goal that delivers for the Pacific communicates civil society’s expectations of the Australian and New Zealand Governments when negotiating the new global climate finance goal at the UN Climate Conference in November 2024.  "Australia and New Zealand’s climate finance contributions are falling short of need. Australia’s commitment to provide AUD 3 billion over 2020-2025 is well short of its estimated fair share of the USD 100 billion goal, which is AUD 4 billion per year. Both countries have redirected substantial portions of their climate finance from existing aid budgets, undermining climate and development action across the region." (Action Aid)

And don't get me started on the fantasy nuclear plan by Peter Dutton and the Liberal and National Parties. This would come at huge public expense, and increase in electricity costs, a huge delay of 15-20 years, and would require coal and gas continue in the grid well past 2050. It is not a solution but a distraction and a delay. Bowen understands Nuclear should have no role in Australia.

Chris Bowen as the co-chair with Egypt of finance discussions will be very busy in the final days of COP trying to broker a deal on the new climate finance target and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) (See this explainer)

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP28

This is a subpage of Australia at COP28 Climate Diary and will be updated throughout the conference.

Australia will be represented at the ministerial level at COP28 by Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Assistant Minister Jenny McAllister. Jenny McAllister has already been assigned a key role at the conference: co-facilitate with Chile’s Minister for the Environment, Maisa Rojas, outcomes on adaptation.

Why doesn't Prime Minister Albanese attend? Well COP28 is more of a technical conference focussed  on the implementation of the Paris Agreement, this year looking at the Global Stock Take, Implementing the Loss and Damage Fund, as well as mitigation and Adaptation work programs. 

Chris Bowen | Jenny McAllister | Pledges | climateambassador | Mayors

Bowen delivers Australia's national Statement to COP28 stressing renewables path, but it is what was not said on fossil fuels that is crucial

Chris Bowen at COP28

Australia's Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has delivered Australia's National Statement to the UN Climate Conference COP28. There is much to applaud in this statement, and Australia has changed its ambition and domestic and international climate policy positions. 

But it is in what was not said that is equally important.

• Australia is the 3rd largest fossil fuel exporter globally
• Since May 2022 Australia has approved 10 new or extended coal and gas projects.
• Exploration for new oil and gas gields has been approved and is being undertaken, including seismic blasting in offshore marine environments of Western Australia and Victoria
• Australia subsidises Fossil Fuel extraction through the tax system by around $11 billion per year with no plans to phase out these subsidies. There is also a $1.5 billion subsidy for the Darwin Middle Arm petrochemical hub that will enable new LNG processing.
• It was pleasing to see Australia joining the Green Climate Fund and a modest contribution of $50 million and the $100 million to the recently established Pacific Climate Resilience Fund is welcome. But Australia has failed to announce any contribution to the new Loss and Damage Fund established, even though Australia was represented on the Transitional Committee.
• Bowen didn't mention the cap on pollution by Australia's top 215 emitters - the Safeguard Mechanism - relies on these companies ability to buy carbon offset credits in Australian Carbon Credit Units. Many of these carbon offsets have questionable integrity. 
• He didn't mention Australia's Federal Parliament passing Sea dumping legislation which allows carbon capture and storage under the seabed, and 9 days later Santos signed a deal with ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to investiage taking CO2 for sequestration, when most CCS projects have been a failure. 
• The government has refused to release a Climate Security assessment by the Office of National Intelligence, even in a redacted form.
• Government has promised Fuel Efficiency standards, but has yet to deliver, to help decarbonise transport emissions.

Don't misinterpret me, Chris Bowen is heaps better than previous Ministers/Prime Minister who delivered Australia's national climate statement to COP. 

Bowen acknowledged the importance of indigenous knowledge to inform solutions, and acknowledged escalating climate impacts, including drawing attention to current events with 42C temperature heatwave in Sydney while he was addressing the COP plenary. 

More importantly, he acknowledged that while progress has been substantial in the last 18 months of the Labor Government, he is still not satisfied and conceeds there is still much more to do. "I’ll be frank – this is more progress for Australia in 12 months than in 10 years. While I am pleased with this I am still not satisfied. Because there is still so much more to do." he said.

Rejecting nuclear path at COP28, Australia focusses on tripling renewables for decarbonisation

COP28 Nuclear Pledge

Australia has continued to reject taking a nuclear path, but supported the Pledge to triple renewables and double energy efficiency, at the UN Climate Conference COP28.

On 2 December  22 countries call for tripling of nuclear energy by 2050. 

The list of nuclear advocates include : Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

18 of these nations already have a nuclear energy industry. Only four: Moldova, Morocco, Poland and Mongolia, signed the pledge as countries without nuclear power. A number of countries with nuclear energy industries did not sign the pledge.

On the same day 117 other countries signed a pledge to triple global renewable energy capacity, and double energy efficiency, including Australia.

Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen  said Australia had joined other major energy exporters, including the US, Canada and Norway, in supporting the renewables and energy efficiency push.

“We know that renewables are the cleanest and cheapest form of energy, and that energy efficiency can also help drive down bills and emissions,” he said in a statement. “For emissions to go down around the world, we need a big international push. Australia has the resources and the smarts to help supply the world with clean energy technologies to drive down those emissions while spurring new Australian industry.”

On 23 November Climate Minister Chris Bowen announced 32GW boost to Renewables to meet Australia's 82 percent renewables by 2030 target reports Climate Action Merribek.

Meanwhile Skynews and the Australian are strongly pushing the Coalition Party line on development of nuclear power to address the climate crisis, ignoring the overwhelming economic costs, opportunity costs, and the escalation of costs of living this would bring to Australian electricity consumers.

Dave Sweeney, Nuclear policy analyst, Australian Conservation Foundation said about the Nuclear Push at COP28:

“Pro-nuclear voices have put a lot of money and effort into this CoP to promote nuclear power as a climate response. We don’t agree. Existing nuclear technology is high cost and high risk and new or ‘next generation’ nuclear, including the heavily promoted small modular reactors (SMR’s), is unproven and not in commercial deployment anywhere in the world. We need effective climate action, not nuclear distractions. The Australian experience of communities and First Nations people with the impacts of uranium mining, nuclear testing and waste dumping has shown the gap between nuclear industry rhetoric and lived reality. Our shared energy future cannot be built or based on industry assurances or politicians promises. Renewable energy is proven, popular, safer, cheaper and far more deployable. Our low carbon energy future is renewable, not radioactive.”

Australia's second annual climate Statement by Climate Minister Chris Bowen

With the election of a Labor Government in May 2022, Australia's headline climate policies also changed.

The new Government set an interim emissions target of 43 percent emissions reduction by 2030 based on 2005 levels. To help achieve this a Renewables target of 82 percent by 2030 was also set. The government outlined that a Fuels emission standards would be introduced, but we are yet to see this.

The speech outlines the positive actions on renewables and energy transition already taken, critical minerals and steps to become a renewable energy super power. But the elephant in the room is that Australia has approved 10 new or extended fossil fuel projects in the last 18 months. 

The Australian Conservation Foundation has highlighted that Emissions from coal and gas projects backed by the Albanese government outweigh emissions cut, 7-to-1.

While Chris Bowen warned global heating will fuel political instability with national security implications, the government has refused to release a Climate Security assessment by the Office of National Intelligence, even in a redacted form.

Watch the broadcast:

Climate Minister Chris Bowen outlines Australia's priorities in global climate action in lead up to COP28

Climate Minister Chris Bowen at Lowy Institute

Speech by Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen to the Lowy Institute on Australia's climate change priorities in the lead up to the United Nations climate conference COP28 in Dubhai, United Arab Emirates.

"This November, the world's attention will be on the 28th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change held in Dubai. As countries convene to agree on efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change, questions arise: what are the implications for Australia and what role does Australia play?

"Minister Bowen will speak on the international dynamics affecting global climate action and how Australia’s ambition to become a Renewable Energy Superpower can help the world in the rapid transformation to reach net zero emissions. After his remarks, the Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM."

While Bowen said Australia would support a tripling of global renewables capacity and doubling of global energy efficiency efforts, he failed to address Australia's expansion of coal and gas which is at odds with the secretary general of the UN, António Guterres, and his urgings for countries to commit to  phasing out fossil fuels with a clear timeframe, and taking in information in the UNEP Emissions Gap and Production Gap reports.

"In Dubai, we will again be arguing for a strong position and stronger mitigation outcomes.  We want this COP to be about stronger, practical outcomes, not just maintaining the status quo.'

"Alongside our friends from Canada, another traditional fossil fuel-based economy in the middle of a major transition and arguing for progressive outcomes in international fora, we can play the role of a country that is dealing with the practical implications of the transition each and every day. "

Australia would be arguing for “stronger mitigation language” in the Global Stock Take debate..

Australia has also rejoined the Green Climate Fund this year and intended to contribute to the new Pacific Resilience Facility.

Bowen mentioned the recent China-US Sunnylands statement on climate co-operation. 

While Australia may not be pushing Santos Carbon Capture and Storage exhibit like at the Australian Pavillion at COP26, it is supporting offshore CCS with its Sea Dumping legislation to enable Santos to use sequestratuion if the Barossa Gas Field near the Tiwi Islands is allowed to proceed.

Capacity Investment Scheme for Energy Storage agreed by Federal and State Energy ministers

State Energy Ministers met with Chris Bowen, Federal Minister for Climate and Energy, and agreed on a new scheme that would boost energy storage, both batteries and long duration storage.

The Labor Government has set a renewables target of 82 per cent by 2030. Along with more solar and wind  energy storage is needed to make dispatchable power for the grid.

“The Capacity Investment Scheme is essentially a ‘keep the lights on’ mechanism,” Bowen said.

“Australian households, industry and the energy market are all moving with their feet towards more affordable renewable energy. The Capacity Investment Scheme will ensure the reliable power we need is delivered as this transition continues.”

Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen delivers first annual climate statement in 2022

The Annual climate change statement to Federal Parliament was delivered on the 1st December by Chris Bowen, the Minister for Climate change and Energy. It is the first annual statement as mandated under the Climate Act (2022).

The speech outlines the achievements of the Labor Government in the first 6 months in addressing all the issues that were neglected by the previous Liberal National Party Coalition Government.

The last 6 months has been a whirlwind of starting to implement Labor's climate policies taken to the election. However, these policies overwhelmingly focussed on ramping up renewables and restructuring the National Electricity Market (NEM) east-coast electricity grid, with some strategies for encouraging EV transition and Fuel efficiency standards. Policies on Fossil fuel production phasout and addressing the 114 new coal and gas projects in the approvals pipeline were absent. There was also no commitment to phaseout the  $11 billion in yearly tax subsidies to fossil fuel companies.

Australia did commit to the Global Methanne Pledge just before COP27, and made several minor, but important, pledge commitments at the conference. 

The Annual statement highlights that the ‘baseline’ scenario largely reflects already-implemented policies and shows a 32% reduction in emissions on 2005 levels by 2030.

The ‘additional measures’ scenario is based upon two major elements of the Powering Australia plan, achieving the 82% national renewable electricity target by 2030 and the Safeguard Mechanism reforms. Under this scenario, Australia is on track to reduce emissions by 40% on 2005 levels by 2030.

Other Powering Australia and the National Electric Vehicle Strategymeasures have not been included in the scenario. The Government is confident that implementation of these and other measures will result in achieving the 43% emissions reduction by 2030 target. 

The Government is also reforming the Safeguard Mechanism to provide long-term clarity on emissions reduction of the top 200 major carbon polluters. The integrity of carbon credits will be critical for the Mechanism to work effectively. Up to 80% of Australian carbon credits have had their integrity questioned.

Chris Bowen speech to COP27 on Australia's new climate ambition, COP31 bid and global financial institution reform

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen delivered a speech to COP27 High Level Segment today highlighting the new government's actions so far but also indicating there was so much more to do. 

He articulated Australia's bid to co-host with Pacific Nations COP31 in 2026. Turkey is also bidding for that COP.. Czechia and Brazil are reported to be candidate countries for COP29 (2024) and COP30 (2025)

He also identified that global financial institutions and multilateral banks need to be reformed to support the new paradigm of a changing climate and developing countries needing to be sustainably supported in their mitigation and adaptation challenges.

The Guardian has already reported on an advanced copy of the speech. The Climate Council response is below the speech transcript.

I hope the Minister has a chance to meet Mia Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, to discuss reformation of global financial institutions.

Tracking Australian Ministers and Australian pledges at COP27

Well I tracked Australian Ministers at Previous COPs, so only fair I also do so for COP27. 

See Melissa Price at COP24, Angus Taylor at COP25. For Glasgow I started keeping an Australia at COP26 diary which featured a paragraph by paragraph deconstruction and rebuttal to Prime Minister Morrison's speech. For COP21 and COP22 I was following social media and statements by  Julie Bishop regarding the COP.

Australia's Ministerial representation at COP27 included Pat Conroy as Minister for International Development and the Pacific, present for the first week; Chris Bowen as Minister for Climate Change and Energy present for the second week; and Senator Jenny McAllister as Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy (Present for the second week).

Why didn't Prime Minister Albanese attend? Well COP27 is more of a technical conference focussed  on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. While there was a 2 day high level segment in which about 100 leaders, Presidents and Prime Ministers flew in to attend, the political decisions to break deadlocks just weren't there. The high level segment was primarily leader grandstanding. Adam Morton in The Guardian thinks It was an avoidable mistake for Anthony Albanese not to attend Cop27, in terms of maintaining climate momentum. I don't think it was necessary for this COP.

Chris Bowen | Jenny McAllister | Pat Conroy | Pledges

Labor has not committed to the pledge on 15 November on ending Export credit finance to Fossil Fuels

As COP27 starts Australia supports Loss and Damage finance, bids for COP31 in 2026 and a new Climate Change Ambassador

As the UN climate change conference COP27 starts in Sharm El-Sheikh, Australia has announced our new Climate Change Ambassador to be career public servant Kristin Tilley.

Australia is also launching a bid with Pacific nations to host the 2026 UN climate change conference (COP31). These conferences are rotated around the different regions and the next opportunity for Europe and other, which Australia is in, will be in 2026.

With the election of a Labor Government to Federal Parliament in May 2022, Australia has increased its commitment to climate action. From being a laggard country it is now in the middle of the pack of developed nations.

At the opening plenary Australia, as chair of the Umbrella Group of Nations, supported the inclusion of the agenda item on financial measures to address Loss and Damage, a key item for developing countries.

Morrison Net Zero 2050 Plan a fraud, with plans to double coal exports, new gas expansion

Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor with 'Net zero Plan' slide

Prime Minister Scott Morrison accompanied by Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor announced Australia's commitment to Net Zero by 2050. But there will be no change to the 26-28% emissions reduction target by 2030 that was submitted in 2015 to the Paris Agreement.

ABC political analyst Laura Tingle commented "All this time to wait for a 15 page slide set with literally nothing new in it...." and "The plan is based on our existing policies".

Australia is taking a technology not taxes meet and cheat projection to Glasgow, which is another way of climate delay and denial while expanding fossil fuel production. 

"You will be supported by our data projection that will see us exceed our 2030 target with emissions reduction of up to 35% by 2030. We will keep our commitment, though, when it comes to our pledge that we made, and took to the last election of 26 to 28%, but we will meet it, and we will beat it. And we’ll beat it with emissions reductions we believe about the 35%." said Morrison. 

Yeah the work of all the states will see Australia achieve 37-42% emissions reduction. Federal Government doing SFA according to modelling on 2030 climate targets.

"This is the right plan for Australia – to summarise the outcome from it, which we’ll see in the plan, Australians $2,000 better off on average in 2050 compared with no Australian action." says Angus Taylor. 

But acting fast with renewables with strong 2030 targets showed citizens would be $5000 better off according to Business Council of Australia report. Guardian Australia Politics Live

Find below Ministerial press release, video of the press conference, some twitter commentary, and statements by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and shadow Climate spokesperson Chris Bowen.