The Authority held a webinar on 14 December on the findings of the CSIRO's technical report into Australia's carbon sequestration potential.
To view the recording of the webinar please click here(Opens in a new tab/window).
For further information on our project on Australia's carbon sequestration potential, including links to CSIRO's technical work, please visit the project page on our website here.
Date: Thursday, 22 December 2022The CSIRO finds “Australia has good opportunities to sequester carbon”. However, there is no silver bullet. A portfolio of approaches would be required to meaningfully increase carbon sequestration and help achieve Australia’s emissions reduction targets.
Engineered approaches (for example, direct air capture with geological storage) can provide more secure and longer-lived storage than nature-based approaches, but are currently more costly. Nature-based approaches cost less, but are shorter-lived and more vulnerable to environmental impacts. Both engineered and nature-based technologies could offer environmental and economic co-benefits, particularly for Australia’s regions and First Nations peoples.
Achieving the Paris Agreement goals will primarily require urgent and ambitious cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions, supplemented by the removal and storage of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.
This first-ever stocktake of Australia’s carbon sequestration potential is an important step in building our understanding of the role it plays in Australia’s decarbonisation pathway. Yet it finds investment is needed in analytical modelling capabilities to improve estimates, which is vital to strategically plan resilient and sustainable portfolios of sequestration options.
The CSIRO’s technical report, Australia’s sequestration potential, released today, is an analysis of existing literature on nature-based and engineered carbon sequestration approaches. It provides independent estimates of the sequestration potential for twelve different technologies under common assessment criteria including technology readiness, scalability, co-benefits, cost, and sequestration length of storage.
The CSIRO’s report was commissioned by the Authority, with co-funding from the Clean Energy Regulator and is part of our broader Carbon Sequestration Potential project(Opens in a new tab/window). See the link for further information on the technical report.
Date: Monday, 12 December 2022The Climate Change Authority invites you to join a webinar at 11:00am – 12:00pm (AEDT) on Wednesday 14 December 2022 to learn about the findings of the CSIRO’s research report on Australia’s carbon sequestration potential, commissioned by the Authority and the Clean Energy Regulator.
The CSIRO’s Technical Report, scheduled for release on 12 December 2022, is part of the Authority’s broader project on Australia’s carbon sequestration potential in the lead up to advising on Australia’s next emissions reduction target.
The CSIRO’s project team (led by Dr Michael Battaglia, Dr Andrew Lenton and Mr Peter Fitch) will present their findings, followed by a question and answer session with the CSIRO team and the Authority’s CEO Brad Archer, General Manager Eliza Murray, and Lead Scientist Dr Will Howard.
Please register to join the webinar here(Opens in a new tab/window).
If you have any questions about the event or on the project, please contact the Authority via enquiries@climatechangeauthority.gov.au.
Please note this event will be recorded for publishing on the Authority’s website.
Date: Friday, 02 December 2022The Climate Change Authority has published its advice for the first Annual Climate Change Statement to Parliament, as tasked by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy under the Climate Change Act 2022 (the Act). The report is entitled First Annual Progress Report 2022: The baseline, global context and methodology.
The report sets a baseline for the current status of climate policies and emissions reductions in Australia, and presents the framework the Authority will employ in future years to assess progress towards Australia’s emissions reduction targets.
Australia has taken significant steps in the past twelve months, adopting a net zero target and a more ambitious 2030 target, with the Government legislating these and commencing implementation of its Powering Australia plan.
Much more work is required. Australia needs to decarbonise at an average annual rate of 17 Mt CO2-e to achieve its 2030 and 2050 targets, 40 per cent faster than it has since 2009. The growing intensity of climate change impacts means Australia also needs stronger adaptation and resilience efforts.
‘More urgency is required, from governments, businesses and communities—who must work together—if Australia is to meet its targets and also improve its resilience to climate change impacts’ said Authority CEO, Brad Archer.
The Australian Government can ‘light the way’ to net zero with a long-term strategy for emissions reductions—a strategy that sets expectations and steps out the sequence for when, how, and by how much, emissions should be reduced across different sectors of the economy.
The report makes clear that Australia must seize the opportunities that the transition to a net zero global economy presents.
‘The technologies for meeting the 2030 target exist, but the scale and speed of the task demand greater attention, planning and action—for example to ensure we have the necessary supply chains, workforces and planning and approvals processes to support the achievement of Australia’s targets,’ said Mr Archer.
The report also includes the methodology for assessing progress towards targets in future Annual Progress Reports. The methodology includes four core elements—wellbeing, emissions, policies, and context, The Authority intends to establish and track leading indicators under this methodology to see where the economy is heading, track the transformation to net zero, and identify where further action is needed.
Download a copy of the report.
Date: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Name: David Imber
Agency: Mountain Media
Email: david@mountainmedia.com.au
Contact number: 0413 274 204
Grant King, Chair of Australia’s Climate Change Authority, is a joint signatory to an open letter prepared by the International Climate Councils Network (ICCN) and released on the opening day of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The letter urges all governments to consider establishing a climate council or equivalent structure, built around the ICCN key principles: evidence-led, independent, impartial, considerate of fairness, collaborative and consensus building.
“Independent climate councils can enhance government transparency and accountability, and provide evidence-based advice to support informed decision-making for effective responses to the challenges of climate change,” said Brad Archer, CEO of the Authority.
The ICCN was launched at COP26 and aims to advance the delivery of the Paris Agreement through promoting and sharing best practice policy and planning advice among members, including the Authority.
Members of the ICCN provide evidence-based, expert advice and assessments to guide the delivery of effective government-led action to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The ICCN’s membership of 23 climate councils from across six continents, has this year focused on exchanging experiences on the roles of justice, fairness and equity for delivering effective adaptation efforts.
The ICCN will continue to provide a platform for exchange of scientific knowledge on climate-policy relevant topics. The communique can be viewed here(Opens in a new tab/window).
Date: Friday, 11 November 2022The Climate Change Authority welcomes the Government’s 2022-23 Budget announcement of a significant boost in the Authority’s funding. The ‘Restoring the Climate Change Authority’ budget measure provides the Authority with an additional $42.6 million over 4 years from 2022–23. The increase in annual funding is ongoing.
The funding will allow the Authority to continue delivering on its existing statutory obligations as well as on its new responsibilities under the Climate Change Act 2022 - providing the Government with advice for the Annual Climate Change Statement to Parliament and on emissions reductions targets for Australia’s future nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement.
The additional resourcing, the Authority’s new functions under the Climate Change Act 2022 and the recent appointments of three additional members ensure the Authority is well-placed to provide independent climate advice and to improve the effectiveness and transparency of Australia’s response to climate change.
Date: Wednesday, 26 October 2022The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, has formally requested the Climate Change Authority provide advice to inform the first Annual Climate Change Statement to Parliament, as set out in the Climate Change Act 2022 (the Act).
The Act requires that the Minister deliver an Annual Climate Change Statement to Parliament, following the Climate Change Authority providing advice relating to that Statement.
The Authority’s first Annual Statement Advice will focus on:
This first Annual Statement Advice draws on consultation, analysis and insights from the Authority’s recent reports. For the next and subsequent Annual Statement Advice, the Authority will undertake public consultation, as required under the Act.
The Authority expects to submit its first Annual Statement Advice to the Minister in November 2022.
Date: Tuesday, 25 October 2022Sequestration – meaning the capture, removal and storage of carbon – has played a role in reducing Australia’s net emissions and will play an even greater role in the journey towards net zero. For Australia to achieve its future targets, sequestration will need to scale up. Fortunately, Australia is endowed with a number of comparative advantages in sequestration.
According to experts who participated in a Climate Change Authority roundtable, broad consultation will be critical to community acceptance of the deployment of sequestration activities at the necessary scale. Participants noted the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s finding that large-scale removal of atmospheric carbon is needed to stabilise the world’s climate in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
Experts discussed the need to build understanding of the enabling and limiting factors for each approach to sequestration and what their feasible volumes of sequestration are. Doing so will enable Australia to strategically plan a dynamic portfolio of sequestration activities, with scaling and implementation targets that reinforce their benefits while managing risks and trade-offs.
The roundtable was held on 21 September with a small group of technical and industry experts, including from universities, industry organisations and government agencies. It was a solutions-based discussion of ideas to scale-up carbon sequestration in Australia, with a particular focus on the role of governments. These ideas will inform the Authority’s forthcoming Insights paper on Australia’s carbon sequestration potential, due for completion in the first quarter of 2023.
Key observations from the roundtable included:
Reducing emissions at their sources must remain the priority of climate policy.
Australia will need to both reduce emissions at their sources and permanently remove emissions from the atmosphere in order to achieve its national emissions reduction targets.
Global demand for sequestration is growing, in particular from removals. Understanding national sequestration potential will inform the role Australia can play in supporting global efforts.
The need to scale-up sequestration is urgent.
Investment into research, development and demonstration must increase to enable deployment of sequestration activities at the necessary scale and pace.
Australia’s comparative advantages include significant geological storage capacity, vast areas of non-arable land and abundant renewable energy potential.
Nature-based sequestration activities bring co-benefits (e.g. for biodiversity) but are vulnerable to natural disturbances, with risks of reversal likely to increase under climate change.
Community consultation is important to build understanding, and to ensure acceptance and support of sequestration activities. In particular, consultation with Indigenous Australians needs to improve.
Project developers and decision makers should take account of potential non-carbon benefits for, and adverse impacts on the environment, communities and the economy. For example, while many nature-based approaches can produce significant co-benefits (e.g. ecosystem restoration), poor management of trade-offs can produce negative impacts (e.g. water scarcity and reduced food production).
Opportunities exist for better regulatory alignment among jurisdictions where sequestration activities cross borders. For example, offshore geo-sequestration can cross Commonwealth and state marine boundaries.
Decision makers have a role in ensuring the benefits of sequestration activities are shared equitably, including with Indigenous Australians and regional communities.
The language of carbon sequestration is yet to settle. An agreed set of terms would help address misunderstandings and inconsistencies.
The roundtable forms part of the Authority’s self-initiated Carbon Sequestration Potential research project, to be completed in three phases:
The Authority has partnered with the Clean Energy Regulator to commission the CSIRO to prepare a technical report on Australia’s sequestration potential and lead a series of expert workshops on selected sequestration technologies (due for completion in late 2022).
The Authority intends to publish an Insights policy paper in the first quarter of 2023 setting out its analysis and policy actions on how Australia can achieve its carbon sequestration potential.
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2022
The Authority hosted an online public webinar on the Review of International Offsets on 7 September 2022. The event featured a presentation of its recommendations on the review and a panel discussion with representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water working on the Indo-Pacific Carbon Offsets Scheme and Climate Active program to discuss the findings of review.
The webinar is available for viewing by following this(Opens in a new tab/window) link.
Date: Monday, 19 September 2022The Climate Change Authority today welcomes three new members.
Professor Lesley Hughes, Dr Virginia Marshall, and Ms Sam Mostyn AO join the current membership of the Authority which includes Chair, Mr Grant King and Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM.
The Authority now has a full complement of members as provided for under the Climate Change Authority Act 2011.
Chair of the Climate Change Authority, Mr Grant King said:
“I warmly welcome Lesley, Virginia and Sam as members of the Authority. Their combined skills and experience will strengthen the capability of the Authority and enable us to meet the expanded responsibilities we have under the new Climate Change Act.
“The Authority will draw upon the diversity and expertise of its members and staff and, working together with businesses, organisations and communities right across the economy, provide advice to accelerate emissions reductions and enhance Australia’s prosperity and resilience as the climate changes and the world transitions to net zero emissions. The Authority’s focus will be on:
Providing advice to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy for his first annual climate change statement to the Parliament;
Commencing work to advise on Australia’s next Nationally Determined Contribution, including a nation-wide conversation with businesses, industry organisations, academia, non-government organisations, youth groups, community leaders and so forth;
Undertaking statutory reviews of the Emissions Reduction Fund and the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme, including the Safeguard Mechanism; and
Continuing self-initiated research on Australia’s carbon sequestration potential and industry transition planning.
“On behalf of the Authority, I thank the Minister for Climate Change and Energy for his strong and collaborative engagement with, and support of, the work of the Authority“.
The Minister’s statement announcing the appointments can be found here(Opens in a new tab/window).
About the Climate Change Authority
The Authority provides independent, expert advice on climate change policy and plays an important role in the governance of Australia's mitigation policies, undertaking reviews and making recommendations. The Authority has recently been given additional powers to provide independent advice to Government on Australia’s progress towards net zero emissions.
A full list of the Authority’s members can be found here.
Date: Wednesday, 14 September 2022
