Environment ministers meet to thrash out standards
The federal government has set a new deadline for the states and territories to agree to sign up to environment approval standards as the AI debate flares up.
energy and resource
Yemenis take to boats to flee as Mideast war spreads
Refugees have fled across the Red Sea as the spread of the Middle East war to Yemen and Saudi Arabia threatens to worsen the world's energy supply shortage.
Children among injures in Russian barrage on Ukraine
Drones and missiles have again bombarded Kyiv and Ukraine has targeted another Russian oil refinery amid stalled efforts to end the years-long war.
Saudis pound Yemen as Houthis solidify gains
Saudia Arabia has hit Yemen hard while accusing the Houthis of targeting Islam's holiest city, as the rebels secure their advances in the widening Mideast war.
Electric check-out: Coles opens greener grocery store
It is not just the bags that are green: a Melbourne supermarket will use renewable energy and customised technology to reduce its environmental footprint.
‘Stuck’: enough energy projects planned, too few built
Australia could miss its 2030 climate targets unless more renewable energy projects move from the planning phase into construction.
Health hazard: doctors say it’s time to run out of gas
Australia should stop approving new gas projects and phase out use of the fossil fuel to protect public health as well as the environment, a report says.
Multimillion-dollar boost to create ‘climate unicorns’
Artificial intelligence firms might be dominating headlines but a $30 million program aims to put renewable energy start-ups in the funding spotlight.
Middle East war increasing demand for Australian coal
In the aftermath of the war in the Middle East, coal from Australia seems a safer bet than gas from other sources, a major producer of the fossil fuel says.
Slashing fossil fuels is ‘life and death’ for Pacific
New gas and coal developments should not go ahead if the world is to stop climate change forcing Pacific islanders out of their homes.
‘No value’: smelter blast furnace snuffed out for good
Hundreds of workers will lose their jobs at a major Australian steelworks after a decision to pull the plug on a blast furnace built in the 1960s.
Electric switch could save households $5000 a year
More than 30 organisations will urge the federal government to do more in backing electric appliances, equipment and vehicles to cut costs and emissions.
No coal power, no new petrol cars by 2035 for net zero
Australia needs to phase out coal, gas and oil faster than planned to meet its climate commitments, a report says, with changes in energy, transport and mining.
New Houthi attack on Saudi as Gulf-Iran meeting ditched
Yemen's Houthis have launched fresh strikes on Saudi Arabia and Arab states have called off a meeting with Iran as the widening war pressures oil supplies.
Electric car surge strains Australia’s charging network
Motorists are adopting electric vehicles in record numbers but the nation's public charging is struggling to keep pace with demand.
Gas export project to stop dipping into domestic market
A major gas exporter says it will stop contracting third-party gas for overseas shipments, amid calls for an enforced domestic reservation.
Renovation nation: Aussies plan $85b in energy upgrades
Spending on home energy upgrades such as insulation and solar panels is on the rise but renters and younger households may be left behind.
Hard deadline: call for coal plants to pay to stay open
Keeping coal-fired power stations operating past their deadlines is delaying renewable energy projects, an industry group says.
Iran says it plans new Gulf ‘exclusion zone’
Iran has vowed to announce a new restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz and is threatening to strike US oil and gas assets in the wake of escalating tensions.
Sustainable jet fuel project moves closer to take-off
A multimillion-dollar project designed to produce green fuels is a step closer to launch after securing a $30 million investment.
Electric U-turn: ‘everyone knows someone with an EV’
Six months after fuel price spikes, electric cars make up almost one in every four new cars sold but experts are divided over whether the trend will continue.
Electric cars outsell petrol rivals for the first time
Fuel prices are up and so are electric vehicle sales, with Australian drivers now buying more battery-powered cars than either petrol or diesel models.
Controversial gas pipeline a step closer
Streamlined environmental assessments of a pipeline linking a territory's gas field with the east coast have been granted to the company proposing to build it.
‘Bloody dangerous’: world to exceed 1.5-degree warming
Earth is on track to exceed 1.5 degrees of warming within years, the United Nations has warned, exposing communities to more extreme weather.
Cheaper, smarter and tougher: $105m bet on Aussie solar
Twenty Australian solar research projects will attract a record investment to improve the technology and help to lower costs.
Iran war diplomacy turns to reopening Strait of Hormuz
Iran is preparing a list of conditions to allow traffic to flow through the Strait of Hormuz after Qatari meditators pressed Tehran on freedom of navigation.
Aussie emissions down but pace must pick up for 2030
Record levels of solar, wind and battery use are pushing down emissions in Australia but bigger cuts will be needed to meet its climate goal.
Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills
Australian renters are paying $440 million to keep gas connected whether they use it or not, and one group is calling for change.
‘No carve-out’: Labor clarifies data centre energy deal
Queensland and the NT will be able to power AI data centres with coal and gas, but ministers want guarantees that energy prices won't rise as a result.
Qatar PM to visit Tehran to pursue mediation efforts
Qatar is set to to discuss the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran as Tehran's conflict with the US drags on with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.
Gas customers face higher bills sooner as exodus grows
Australians who remain connected to gas could face rising prices under reforms proposed to deal with changing energy use.