Climate Council

Summer: the best time of year! And no-one does summer better than us, right? Sure, lazy days on the beach are awesome but, unfortunately,  climate change is turning summer into a season of anxiety for millions of Aussies. Relentless climate pollution is driving longer, hotter and more dangerous heatwaves, droughts that ruin livelihoods, floods that overwhelm our communities, and raging, devastating bushfires. To save our summers, we need to tackle climate change by slashing climate pollution this decade. Here how we can do it: https://lnkd.in/gPfPWS7H C’mon, Aussie, c’mon! #SaveOurSummer #ClimatePollution #Summer #FirstDayofSummer

📣 Because no one else is saying it: storms are becoming more powerful because of climate pollution. Unfortunately, periods of intense rainfall are becoming more powerful and unpredictable as the impacts of climate change are felt more acutely, more often. We need urgent, deep, cuts to climate pollution this decade to limit warming and the devastating impact it has on our towns, communities and natural environment. Every fraction of a degree counts in the fight against fossil fuels and our warming world. #Sydney #SydneyStorms #ClimatePollution #ClimateImpacts

"It's an amazing David and Goliath moment." The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to begin two weeks of hearings in a landmark case on the obligations of countries to protect the other nations from climate pollution and its impacts. The ICJ's advisory opinion could influence future climate litigation and negotiations, areas where Australia's contributions—both in reducing climate pollution and financial support—are likely to be critical. "This case is really another example of Pacific Island countries being global leaders on the climate crisis," said Climate Council Fellow Wesley Morgan. 📸Photographer Nick Brandt has captured the existential threat climate change poses for Pacific Island nations in his "SINK / RISE" photographs. The Fijian people in these photos, brilliantly photographed underwater in the ocean off the coast of the Fijian islands, represent the many people whose homes, land and livelihoods will be lost in the coming decades as the water rises.

Delaying the transition to renewable energy could cost Australia's economy $6.8 trillion over the next 25 years, with households facing higher insurance and living costs. The research comes from the Investor Group on Climate Change, which looked into unnatural climate events; and the associated cleanup costs. But here's the good news: close to 40% of our main electricity grid is powered by renewables, so, let’s keep doing more of what works!

Australia’s third annual Climate Change Statement was released this week, finding momentum is building and Australia is on track to meet its 2030 climate targets, with new policies to limit transport pollution, tougher regulations for big polluters and investment in clean energy doing the heavy lifting. Australia still has a long way to go to slash emissions in line with what the science tells us is necessary, but it’s pleasing to see we’re finally heading in the right direction. So, what does it all really mean? Take a look at some of the key performance measures underpinning our shift towards a cleaner, safer and more prosperous future via Climate Council’s new tool, the Climate Momentum Monitor, here:

Coal can’t handle the heat 🔥 Just as you wouldn’t expect a 40-year-old car to keep running smoothly, we simply can’t rely on ageing coal clunkers to keep the lights on during extreme heat. Big renewables backed by batteries are here now, can provide power 24/7, and are resilient in hot conditions. So, let’s keep doing more of what works! #Blackout #NSW #heat #Coal

Happy Saturday! Good news, comin' at ya: 🏥 Boston Medical Centre launched a solar program to offer energy credits to patients who couldn’t pay their utility bills. The hospital's 519 solar panels supply energy for both the hospital and patients, offering those with chronic health conditions around $50 a month in energy savings. The initiative is addressing health risks tied to energy insecurity, like heat related illness which disproportionately impact lower-income people. Suntastic! 📉Thanks to policies encouraging renewables investment and electric vehicle uptake, as well as rules placing caps on further climate pollution, Australia is on track to meet its 43% emissions reduction target by 2030. But that doesn't mean it's job done. To secure a safer future for our kids, we need to go further, faster. 👷🏽♀️The Senate passed the Albanese government’s Future Made In Australia bill through parliament this week, providing more than $15 billion to back clean industries, slash climate pollution and create good jobs for generations of Aussie workers. The Climate Council has been campaigning hard for this bill, so we are more than pleased with this outcome. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi. 🔋 Refurbished electric vehicle batteries are providing stable, affordable electricity for tailors in rural India, allowing them to overcome power cuts, while increasing income and productivity. Charge on. 🤑The increase of cheap renewables in the grid, and electrification of homes, are projected to reduce average household energy costs by about $1,000 annually, or almost 20%, according to the Australia Energy Markets Commission. What’s more, a household who fully electrifies could reduce their energy bills by 70%. Sign us up!

Coal has failed NSW households and businesses this week. You’re probably seeing a lot of nonsense out there right now about who or what is to blame for the blackout risk. Remember, energy supply constraints caused by outages at four of ten coal generators are the reason the grid operator was forced to act to keep the lights on. With all of Australia’s coal stations set to close in the next 15 years, the most important thing now is to ramp up reliable, affordable renewables to make sure we all have energy when we need it most.

More fossil fuels ➡️ more extreme weather  ➡️ more damage and destruction  ➡️ more risk to life and property  ➡️ more insurance paid by you. Read more about how fossil fuels are inflating the cost of living crisis here: https://lnkd.in/g8cHnpbJ #ClimatePollution #UnderPressure #CozzieLivs

With one third of NSW coal-fire power stations out of action during the state’s heatwave yesterday, it was Australia’s newest, and biggest battery that played a key role in keeping the lights on. Clean renewable power — large-scale solar and wind, backed up by storage — is here now and can provide power 24/7.