A group of leading marine scientists have written to Prime Minister Albanese with an urgent plea to heed the science and reject new coal and gas projects for the sake of the world’s coral reefs.  The letter, signed by 14 international and Australian marine and climate scientists – including IPCC authors – draws attention to the most severe bleaching event in recorded history currently unfolding on the Great Barrier Reef. The scientists have rallied to make clear to the Prime Minister the severity of reef bleaching and have urged him to ensure Australia’s new, improved, national nature pro ..read more

The energy of the crowd. The iconic Sydney skyline. The cooling ocean on hot, tired feet.  Not much beats the City2Surf experience – except perhaps knowing that every step you ran was powering climate action!  The world’s largest fun run is back on 11th August, and you can secure your place by signing up to fundraise for the Climate Council today! Whether you run,  jog or walk – the 14km event from Sydney’s CBD to Bondi should be on everyone’s bucket list. And when you take part with the Climate Council, every step you take will help cut climate pollution and build a brighter future ..read more

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Written by Climate Council Fellow Dr Madeline Taylor Right now, there’s a global race underway. The goal: bring back manufacturing and energy jobs as the energy transition speeds up. In 2022, America launched its mammoth Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. Japan followed suit the same year, while the EU launched its own effort in 2023, as did Canada. China, of course, moved first, and dominates the mar ..read more

Opinion article written by Climate Council Head of Advocacy and Policy Jennifer Rayner As we approach the mid-point of this make-or-break decade for our climate, the stakes have never been higher. In 2023 – the world’s hottest year on record – Australians experienced ‘climate whiplash’, hurled from flooding rains to heatwaves to fierce fires, and back again. This is our new reality, underlining the urgent need to slash  climate pollution from coal, oil, and gas further and faster right now. Momentum is building, and we’re making important progress in some areas. Today, about 40% of the el ..read more

Beneath the waves and out of sight, an unimaginable tragedy is unfolding. Late Thursday afternoon, just as the nation was switching off for the Easter break, the Government quietly released its latest update on the health of the Great Barrier Reef, confirming the devastating extent of yet another mass coral bleaching event. Over the long restful weekend, millions of Aussies down the east coast basked in bath-like sea temperatures, seemingly unaware of the devastation beneath the surface. You’d be forgiven for missing it, but recent months have seen our east coast waters suffer what can best be ..read more

Today I dived the Great Barrier Reef. The lemon sharks came to say hello and about twenty eagle rays glided by, each one with their unique and beautiful patterns. Fish glittered in the shallows, and I saw my first turtle hatchling swimming out to sea. There is truly nothing like submerging yourself in one of the seven natural wonders of the world. But what usually brightens my day, now also brings a heavy dose of climate anxiety – and I know I’m not alone in how I feel. Corals are showing severe signs of heat stress on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Photo credit: The Undertow Media The cor ..read more

A reflection on black Saturday by former fire and emergency leaders; Craig Lapsley, former Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner, Russell Rees, former Chief Fire Officer of Country Fire Authority Victoria, and Ewan Waller, former Chief Fire Officer of Forest Fire Management Victoria. Find out more about the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action here. Fifteen years on from Victoria’s worst bushfire disaster, the wounds still run deep. They run deep for friends and loved ones of the 173 people who died that day, for the more than 2,200 families made homeless and for the traumatised communit ..read more

Summer hols, here we go… So what’s the plan? Drive our electric car from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast and back, taking in the epic Victorian Alpine Country and stunning NSW-Queensland coastline and hinterland. That’s just a casual 4,300km round trip. I love our electric vehicle (EV) –  it has close to a 500 kilometre range – yet it’s fair to say I was concerned about the chance of not finding a charging station at points throughout our journey, given the peak summer period traffic, extra luggage weight and air con use. But my travel companion and co-pilot (my wife Michelle) and I were ..read more

The climate crisis has continued to intensify this year, underscoring the urgent need to rapidly cut pollution. We have seen harrowing weather extremes across the world, and more records broken as the year progressed, including the confirmation that 2023 was indeed the hottest year ever recorded globally.  However, 2023 has also seen waves of momentum in the steps needed to fix the situation, with many nations and parts of our economy doing more and aiming higher.  As the year draws to a close, join us in celebrating some of Australia’s top climate wins in 2023, as we continue to pos ..read more

The climate crisis has intensified this year, underscoring the urgent need for emissions reductions.  We have seen harrowing weather extremes across the world, and more records broken as the year progressed. But there is hope: with many nations and economic sectors bolstering their climate commitments. This growing determination must propel a united global effort towards much more ambitious action to reduce emissions. As we ring in a New Year, join us in committing to resolutions that help to reduce Australia’s emissions, continue positively influencing the national conversation on clima ..read more