What’s that name? Little-known EV brands race to market
Your next car might have a brand name you have never seen before as a host of Chinese automakers line up to launch electric vehicles in Australia.
environmental issue
BlueScope backs Port Kembla steelworkers amid downturn
A major steelmaker warns of tough conditions as it braces for rising electricity, gas and labour costs amid a stubbornly soft home building market.
Mixing science and culture snags win in seagrass rescue
Cultural and scientific knowledge combine as important ingredients in protecting and restoring seagrass but now the effort is in expanding the process.
New climate projections drill down to suburban level
NSW and ACT residents can now zoom in on sophisticated new projections that show how climate change will affect their own backyards.
NSW did nothing in a year to help most at-risk species
A government audit has delivered a scathing assessment of the NSW environment department's efforts to save more than 1000 species from extinction.
Truer extreme weather forecasts come rain hail or shine
Aussie researchers are helping build a global hailstone library and the result will be better forecasts for extreme weather.
Ocean health ‘at tipping point’ as climate threat grows
As climate change threatens the health of Australia's oceans, the government is developing a plan that will attempt to bolster the biome's sustainability.
Earth science satellite to track methane from space
Major sources of an environmentally damaging gas will be scrutinised from above when a group of climate experts launches a satellite with SpaceX.
Scientists make ‘miracle material’ from microplastic
Microplastics can be transformed into a "miracle" material prized by industries around the world using a technique discovered by Australian scientists.
Australia risks missing $250b green iron opportunity
Urgent reforms are being called for to allow Australia to become a world leader in the production and export of iron produced with renewable energy.
It’s a girl! Milestone in fight to save ancient fish
Scientists are celebrating the arrival of a bouncing baby girl, as they race to save an ancient species from the jaws of extinction.
‘They’re failing my people’: calls for climate trigger
A climate trigger is urgently needed to stop gas and mining projects destroying Australia's environment, activists and Indigenous people say.
Popular utes score bad marks in real-world vehicle test
Some popular utes use more petrol and produce more pollution than lab tests promise, according to a motoring body, and could cost drivers more than expected.
New report a code red on health effects of fossil fuels
Doctors say Australians must grasp the vast range of health threats fossil fuels pose and pressure politicians to dump them as quickly as possible.
Transition ‘well under way’ as AGL rejects nuclear push
Energy giant AGL has posted a stellar profit on higher power prices, taking the lead in the transition and dismissing nuclear as too costly and too late.
Conservationist fears for ancient, namesake frog
Logging continues in a small patch of NSW where a rare frog lives despite the species being listed as endangered under both federal and state laws.
Senator, insurer clash over cyclone ‘price-gouging’
A major insurer has been accused of making big profits during natural diasters at an inquiry into the impacts of climate change on the insurance sector.
Homes of endangered greater gliders face logging threat
A conservation group is urging the Queensland government to protect land with greater glider habitat after logging near a site where the species has been seen.
A bird? Plane? It’s an autonomous electric flying taxi
Catching a ride to a faraway place could involve a small aircraft with no pilot in future, experts say, as regulations race to catch up with the technology.
Timber industry battles shift to man-made power poles
The timber industry has stepped up its fight against the phase out of wooden power poles in NSW - a move designed to make the network more fire resilient.
Scientists despair as farmers clear nature hot spot
Scientists say one of Australia's most valuable biodiversity hot spots is in danger of death by a thousand cuts as pastoralists clear the landscape unchecked.
Warnings of reef at risk with centuries-first heating
Governments have welcomed the UN not listing the Great Barrier Reef as in danger, but new research shows water temperatures are at dangerously high levels.
Cottoning on to how sustainability is helping growers
Cotton growers have been told they must continue to cultivate sustainable cropping systems to ensure success, at their annual conference on the Gold Coast.
New battery crackdown after 50 blazes this year
E-bikes and e-scooters will have to meet new battery standards in coming months in one state, after a spate of difficult-to-contain fires.
Insurers leaving flood-prone communities high and dry
Regional councils at risk from flooding have revealed the impact of rising insurance costs on their communities at a Senate hearing.
Hit the brakes: taxes could slow hybrid vehicle sales
Cuts to transport emissions could slow down next year unless the government extends its tax cuts for plug-in hybrid cars, an inquiry has been told.
Insurance prices blowing away cyclone-prone communities
Regional councils at risk from cyclones will reveal the impact of rising insurance costs on their communities at a Senate hearing.
Heatwave, cyclones cast doubt on reef coral recovery
Coral cover was up across the Great Barrier Reef before the treasured ecosystem suffered a devastating marine heatwave and two cyclones, scientists say.
Aussie firms urged to deploy AI but limit its emissions
Artificial intelligence technology is being blamed for rising greenhouse gas emissions but a report has identified ways to reduce its environmental impact.
Cracking coffee code may lead to new Australian brew
A team of international scientists including an Australian professor has cracked the genomic sequencing of Arabica coffee, which could lead to a new brew.
Uber to take Leaf out of Japan’s second-hand EV market
Ride-share and food delivery drivers will be encouraged to adopt second-hand electric vehicles under a pilot program launched in Queensland.