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Australia is a fossil fuel superpower that exports its wares to the rest of the world. But it is also ripe with clean power potential that risks going to waste if the right decisions are not made soon. Ketan Joshi joins the show to explain what Australia is doing well in the energy transition and, more importantly, where it is way off track
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Australia’s industries are thirsty for power and its energy exporters supply a lot of the world with cheap coal and gas. But as the world changes, Australia’s way of doing business will have to as well. Long-accused of being a laggard in the shift towards green energy systems, Australia has a net-zero goal and a 2030 emissions target, but little else besides in terms of meaningful climate policies. Renewable energy investments have stalled this year, despite the country’s immense potential for clean power, and a new instrument meant to decarbonise big polluters has faced heavy criticism and been accused of greenwashing. Coal and gas dominate the domestic energy mix and there is little appetite to meet climate goals, let alone increase their ambition.
There are signs of encouragement though: a new net-zero authority aims to help chart a course for fossil fuel industries to transition their workforces and help communities survive the shift to green and thrive afterwards. Plus the very fact that Australia’s emissions problem is so heavily skewed towards power generation, means that there is a rather simple solution available.
To delve deeper into how the Land Down Under is approaching the transition and what policies are — and more importantly are not — in place, the Policy Dispatch is thrilled to welcome Ketan Joshi, an Australian analytics and communications professional who helps climate groups advance climate action.
Enjoy the show!
If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Ketan Joshi
Sam Morgan
@Policy Dispatch
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