Robert Sobyra’s Post

South Australia’s new climate bill will legally require the state to generate enough renewable energy to cover all of its annual electricity needs from 2027. The Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reductions (Targets) Amendment Bill will obligate the state to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and to reach net zero by 2050. Home to the city of Adelaide, South Australia has already more than halved its emissions since 2005 thanks to a rapid shift to wind, solar, and  battery technologies, which now meet around 70% of its annual power needs. The state is a leader in rooftop solar adoption, with one in every two homes having their own systems. In the week to Monday, 2 September 2024 — the last of winter — South Australia offered a glimpse of its future. Renewable generation exceeded the state’s electricity needs by 5%, with the excess exported to neighbouring states. https://lnkd.in/dA6pkRsV

The Climate Emergency – Two Countries Compared Spain has doubled it’s renewable energy source since 2008, due to significant investment in infrastructure and reduced demand from consumers. Solar energy capacity has increased by a factor of eight since 2008. That is generally good news, although reduction in prices to consumers may have a negative impact on investment by large energy companies. Overall though it appears to be positive. https://lnkd.in/ef-6Hq2t Meanwhile in Scotland, the government has missed yet another annual target (ditto the rest of the UK) and abandoned the annual reporting cycle. Infrastructure investment is nowhere close to what is required if Net Zero is to be achieved by 2045, and domestic transport emissions continue to increase. https://lnkd.in/eYiFrUBe Why is Scotland so far behind? The political will is not focussed on climate change and the impacts appear to be ignored. I would really like to hear the views of our LinkedIn community about this, including any thoughts about how the potential cataclysmic outcome can be avoided. If you want to learn more about climate change and discover how you can make a difference, visit www.peakgovernance.co.uk and register for one of our Carbon Literacy courses, accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project. #ClimateChange #CarbonLiteracy #Sustainability #EnvironmentalImpact #Training #Leadership #CarbonLiteracyProject

South Australia’s new climate bill will legally require the state to generate enough renewable energy to cover all of its annual electricity needs from 2027. The Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reductions (Targets) Amendment Bill will obligate the state to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and to reach net zero by 2050. Home to the city of Adelaide, South Australia has already more than halved its emissions since 2005 thanks to a rapid shift to wind, solar, and battery technologies, which now meet around 70% of its annual power needs. The state is a leader in rooftop solar adoption, with one in every two homes having their own systems. In the week to Monday, 2 September 2024 — the last of winter — South Australia offered a glimpse of its future. Renewable generation exceeded the state’s electricity needs by 5%, with the excess exported to neighbouring states.

Australia is taking a big step towards becoming a renewable energy superpower by sharing its expertise in green hydrogen and other renewable energy sources. According to Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, Australia aims to help the South-East Asian region transition to renewables to mitigate the effects of climate change. This is especially important as the region's economic growth is driving energy demand. It's worth noting that Australia only contributes 1% of the world's emissions, but its significant contribution lies in assisting other nations with their decarbonisation journey. Let's hope that this initiative leads to a more sustainable future for all. #RenewableEnergy #GreenHydrogen #ClimateAction

The Climate Emergency – Two Countries Compared Spain has doubled it’s renewable energy source since 2008, due to significant investment in infrastructure and reduced demand from consumers. Solar energy capacity has increased by a factor of eight since 2008. That is generally good news, although reduction in prices to consumers may have a negative impact on investment by large energy companies. Overall though it appears to be positive. https://lnkd.in/eKTryWf8 Meanwhile in Scotland, the government has missed yet another annual target (ditto the rest of the UK) and abandoned the annual reporting cycle. Infrastructure investment is nowhere close to what is required if Net Zero is to be achieved by 2045, and domestic transport emissions continue to increase. https://lnkd.in/e5ZTr6DF Why is Scotland so far behind? The political will is not focussed on climate change and the impacts appear to be ignored. I would really like to hear the views of our LinkedIn community about this, including any thoughts about how the potential cataclysmic outcome can be avoided. If you want to learn more about climate change and discover how you can make a difference, visit www.peakgovernance.co.uk and register for one of our Carbon Literacy courses, accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project. #ClimateChange #CarbonLiteracy #Sustainability #EnvironmentalImpact #Training #Leadership #CarbonLiteracyProject

The UK is halfway to #NetZero 🎉 Becoming the first major economy to halve its emissions! Data released at the end of March highlights the UK's commitment to slashing emissions… With a remarkable reduction of 53% between 1990 and 2023 ♻️ This achievement marks a 5% decrease from the previous year, solidifying the nation's position as a leader in environmental stewardship 👏🏼 A key driver of this lies in the UK's investment in renewable energy infrastructure... With the establishment of the five largest operational offshore wind farm projects and a substantial increase in renewable energy generation, nearly half of the nation's electricity now comes from renewable sources 💨 A huge increase from the mere 7% generated from renewables back in 2010! It is great to see the UK surpassing its carbon targets and demonstrating a proactive approach to addressing climate change… BUT there’s still more to be done as the world continues to confront the challenges of climate change 🌍 AND it’s important we all come together with a shared vision to make a real difference for a sustainable future ♻️ If you'd like to read the full article on this by Alan Stenson MIoD, let us know... 📩 #Sustainability #ClimateChange

It's not a competition. Creating sustainable, well-paid jobs in the renewables industry goes hand in hand with Australia taking meaningful action to address climate change. That's what the Future Made in Australia Bill, introduced in Parliament this week, is all about: meeting our Net Zero by 2050 target, all while creating one to two million safe and secure jobs over that time period. Australia has the opportunity to become a world leader in renewable energy, and that's the path we need to take to ensure a prosperous future.

Australia and the UK have signed a groundbreaking Climate and Energy Partnership to supercharge renewable energy markets and lead the global clean energy transition. This partnership replaces the 2021 technology agreement, reflecting an increased level of ambition and commitment from both nations to tackle climate change and drive sustainable growth. At the heart of this collaboration is a focus on net zero technology cooperation. Together, Australia and the UK will develop and invest in cutting-edge renewable energy technologies such as hydrogen, offshore wind, energy storage, and clean transport. A key goal is establishing common standards for these innovations, enabling their efficient adoption worldwide. This has the potential to reduce costs, streamline implementation, and create a more robust global renewable energy market. The partnership also prioritises international climate cooperation by coordinating global efforts through platforms like the G20, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the UN Climate Change. By aligning strategies under the Paris Agreement, both nations aim to strengthen their domestic economies and inspire other countries to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of climate action across the globe. With the vast potential for offshore wind projects, Australia can leverage UK expertise in this sector to accelerate development, attract investment, and establish itself as a leader in clean energy. The economic benefits are equally compelling, with opportunities to create green jobs, enhance energy security, and build a resilient, future-focused economy. What is your take on this partnership and its potential to shape the future of renewable energy? #renewableenergy #netzero #offshorewind #cleanenergytransition #globalcollaboration #parisagreement #COP29 #sustainablefuture #windfarm #UKclimateaction #Australia #evoegy

Are you a subscriber to our newsletter? See our latest article from Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) Chair, Matthew Stuchbery   'Since our last newsletter we have seen local government elections and two state government by-elections. Statements made during the election period shows the still wide and varying level of understanding of the benefits, enablers and constraints associated with an efficient transition to renewable energy, and how it will be experienced by communities across Queensland.   It is important that there is bipartisan political understanding – without the hype –of why an energy transition is required and the issues and practicalities that we need to resolve. As an industry it is easy for us to focus on the things we directly experience, such as approvals timeframes and removing supply chain bottlenecks. These things are of course important, however it is critical for us to acknowledge that whether or not communities, landholders and other stakeholders want us to invest and develop is the most pressing risk for our industry.   There are enough data points that indicate a growing community concern and dissatisfaction with renewable energy development. We have heard this during recent elections, as well as the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s ‘Community Engagement Review’ and feedback provided to parliamentary committees as part of recent proposed legislative changes. This is something we need to address.   QREC is actively engaging with all sides of Queensland politics and later in this newsletter you will see an update on the QREC policy agenda for the upcoming Queensland state government elections. There is also active engagement underway with relevant government departments, agricultural peak body groups and community & landholder organisations regarding what they perceive as the concerns and barriers to renewable energy development and what we, as QREC and an industry, need to address in this space.    Further regulation for a rapidly expanding industry is unfortunately inevitable but I think it is important that we acknowledge and own this fact so that we can ensure it achieves practical and positive outcomes for investors, developers, and the communities in which we operate.    It is great to see QREC leading in relation to this task, rather than following.'   https://lnkd.in/gK6qEugk   #QLD #Renewableenergy #Policymatters Department of Energy and Climate

The Federal Budget delivered good outcomes for clean energy but woefully, less than 0.1% for nature. But what about where the two overlap? There are some promising elements in the budget that will go some way to addressing the tensions between the rollout of renewable energy and nature concerns. There are no silver bullets, but a focus on environmental approvals, data and regional planning, and circularity provide an opportunity to progress some key solutions. Engaging with the challenge is critical to ensure the energy transition is good for people and nature. We know that our biodiversity needs a fast energy transition to avoid the catastrophic impacts of climate change. But equally, we need to ensure the energy transition can deliver wins for tackling the nature crisis at the same time. For this we need strong, fast and consistent environmental approvals (or rejections!) and data and an industry striving for better practice towards nature positive outcomes.  My article yesterday in RenewEconomy ... #biodiversity #cleanenergy #nature #renewables #energytransition #federalbudget #environmentalapprovals