‘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.
environmental pollution
Short-term carbon credits used for long-term pollution
Australia's carbon credit scheme is working, according to a review, but some of the nation's biggest polluters have become its biggest customers.
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.
Australia’s coral reefs retreat as heatwaves intensify
Marine heatwaves are threatening coral reefs, including those in Australia, but research shows they could recover if given a break between bleaching events.
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.
A shot of microplastics a jolt for coffee drinkers
Takeaway coffee drinkers are getting more than they bargained for with their caffeine, new research shows.
Solar scourge: rules make it cheaper to dump old panels
Australia's solar boom will create a significant waste problem, experts have told an inquiry, with tough rules needed to keep panels out of landfill.
Ditching diesel could save Pacific nations almost $1b
Replacing fuel imports with renewable power could save Pacific countries millions of dollars if they can secure enough investment to make the switch.
Environment rules promise protection but raise concerns
Tougher rules to protect Australia's environment have been welcomed by developers, but conservation groups say they fall short of the changes needed.
No free rides: cheap e-scooters fail to win commuters
Providing e-scooter and e-bike riders more convenient parking options could make more of a difference than cutting the price of a ride.
Hot out the oven: green iron trial produces first metal
One of Australia's first green iron projects has reached a milestone, producing molten metal from an electric furnace for the first time.
‘Walking dead’: plastic ingestion’s seabird impact
A world-first study has proven a seabird is suffering from population decline due to ingestion of plastic waste, with afflicted birds dubbed "the walking dead".
More Aussie firms could be captured by emissions scheme
Australian investors are pushing for big changes to Australia's major pollution policy and they could force more companies to reduce pollution.
Electric trucks could deliver a billion-dollar payload
Australian laws are keeping heavy-duty electric trucks off the road, a report says, when they could boost productivity by more than $2 billion.
Half a million and counting: Aussies power battery boom
Australians have installed more than 500,000 household batteries in a move experts say will keep putting downward pressure on power bills.
Progress and poor marks: Reef earns a mixed report card
Efforts to cut pollution in waterways feeding Australia's Great Barrier Reef are making progress but still falling short of targets.
Electric switch could save public hospitals millions
Upgrading all of Australia's public hospitals from gas to electricity could save millions of dollars in energy bills but only if the government acts swiftly.
Big polluters make small cuts under climate scheme
Australia's biggest polluters have reduced emissions by less than one per cent in two years and an environmental group is calling for reforms.
Coral returns to Great Barrier Reef but risks remain
The world's largest coral reef system is showing positive signs of recovery but experts warn severe climate challenges lay ahead.
Power play: national law could curb data centre demands
Data centres in every state and territory could be required to supply their own renewable energy if changes are introduced at a national level.
Sales surge: electric, hybrid cars drive vehicle record
Electric and hybrid vehicles made up almost half of all new cars sold in July as Australian motorists turned away from rising fuel prices.
Accidental export: Aussie green iron tech goes global
An Australian made machine that can boost the quality of iron ore without using water is ready to be shipped to the US after word of its creation spread.
Not too big, not too small: $100m to plug renewable gap
More small or medium-sized renewable energy projects could win loans as part of a multimillion-dollar scheme to address a gap in Australia's energy plans.
Push for nationwide ban on dumping old solar panels
Governments in all states and territories should ban solar panel dumping while a mandatory recycling scheme is created, an inquiry has been told.
Electric car tax looms for one state unless PM steps in
One state is prepared to charge ahead with a tax on electric vehicle drivers unless the federal government introduces a national scheme.
Steel trap: Australia must make green metal or risk ore
Australia's richest export market could be at risk unless it takes urgent action to manufacture green steel on home soil, according to a study.
Power struggle: data centre energy rules spark concerns
Future data centre proposals may need to come with renewable energy plans but not all governments or organisations agree with the change.
Half-price power: record renewables push prices down
Wholesale energy prices have fallen by more than 60 per cent in one state, powered by growing use of wind farms, solar panels and batteries.
Renewable energy projects must power data centre boom
Australia's growing number of large-scale data centres must be powered by renewable energy, groups say, or they risk raising power prices for all users.
AI giant opens Aussie hub to find ‘what’s coming next’
Bushfires, floods and cybersecurity risks will be among the issues probed at an Australian innovation hub opened by a global data centre firm.
Rio Tinto signs deal to cut alumina refinery emissions
Rio Tinto has signed a five-year agreement with SuperChar for bio pellets to explore how it can reduce its coal use in its Gladstone refineries in Queensland.