If Donald Trump turns away from climate action as George W. Bush did, Europe and China can respond by forming an alliance that will turn the United States from a climate leader into a follower.
Yallourn Power Station in the Latrobe Valley is one of the emissions intensive power stations that remains open.
AAP Image/David Crosling
Environment and energy minister Josh Frydenberg said that eight out of Australia’s 12 most emission intensive power stations closed in the last five years. Is that right?
Australia has sought to water down climate declarations made through the Pacific Islands Forum.
AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
This week’s Pacific Islands Forum is the region’s premier multilateral summit. But members have begun turning elsewhere out of frustration with Australia’s climate negotiation tactics.
Presidents Jinping (centre) and Obama (right) have ensured that the Paris Agreement now covers 40% of the world’s emissions, bringing it closer to coming into force.
EPA/How Hwee Young
Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which languished for years, the Paris climate agreement is rocketing towards the threshold for it to enter into international law – leaving Australia in its wake.
The Climate Change Authority’s latest report has divided its membership.
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Two members of the Climate Change Authority offer an alternative view on its latest report, arguing that the recommendations are not in line with Australia’s international climate obligations.
The suggested new scheme aims to cut emissions from the electricity sector while sidestepping the political poison of increased power prices.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
A new “toolkit” of suggested climate policies looks politically feasible, but it’s too complicated and not ambitious enough to drive a real move to a low-carbon economy.
Half a degree could make all the difference for the Great Barrier Reef.
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James Whitmore, The Conversation and Michael Hopkin, The Conversation
A new report published by the Climate Institute says Australia could avoid lengthy heatwaves and help save the Great Barrier Reef by meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C global warming goal.
Turnbull might be hamstrung by his barely-there majority.
AAP Image/Paul Miller
Malcolm Turnbull returns to the helm with a wafer-thin majority and a significant element in his government who still oppose climate action - can he defy the odds and serve up some credible policy?
Britain, one of the European Union’s most consistent backers of climate action, is poised to walk out.
AAP Image/Newzulu/Paul Alfred-Henri
Britain was among Europe’s most progressive voices on climate policy. Its imminent withdrawal leaves the European Union grappling with voices of dissent from member states such as Poland.
The Greens are the party of climate action - but do they embrace enough technologies to get there?
AAP Image/Julian Smith
The Greens have successfully cast themselves as the party of climate science. But to hit their climate goals they may need to become even more radical, by embracing technologies like nuclear power.
Malcolm Turnbull’s speech to the Paris climate summit lacked real focus, but he still has time to grab the issue with both hands before the election.
EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson
Australia has been mired in climate confusion for years - as reflected by its underwhelming performance at last year’s Paris climate summit. Here’s how to get things back on an even keel.
Electricity emissions have risen by 5.5% in the past two years due to increasing demand and the scrapping of Labor’s carbon price.
David Crosling/AAP
Modelling done for the Climate Institute indicates that without big policy changes Australia’s path to zero emissions from the electricity sector by 2050 would mean huge disruption after 2030.
Really deep cuts in aircraft emissions are still a distant prospect.
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Governments and the aviation industry have welcomed new proposed aircraft emissions standards - which rather suggests that the new rules don’t go far enough.
Renewable energy is at the more expensive end of the emissions cost curve, but is a vital piece of the bigger picture.
AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Australia’s greenhouse emissions are once again rising, after a decade of consistent declines. But the right policies are already in place to turn things around - they just need to be ramped up.
It’s a tall order - especially when it’s spelled out on the Eiffel Tower.
Reuters/Charles Platiau
How will the world actually deliver on the Paris climate ambition to hold global warming to no more than 1.5°C? It’s a tough scientific and technical challenge.
The pressure to pledge for 1.5°C grew throughout the Paris summit.
Reuters/Jacky Naegelen
Bill Hare, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
The inclusion of a 1.5°C goal in the Paris climate deal might have surprised some observers. But in reality, the diplomatic groundwork was laid years before.
Laurent Fabius has brought the gavel down on a successful deal.
Reuters/Stephane Mahe