GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION – AUSTRALIA

Coal-fired power trade-off for new clean energy target

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 4 : 7-Aug-17

With the Federal Government yet to take its amended energy policy to the Coalition partyroom, there are promising signs that gas prices are starting to come down. The Government has been able to get the Council of Australian Governments to agree to all but one of the Finkel energy review’s 50 recommendations, namely that of a clean energy target. It is believed that Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull are willing to give a commitment to investing in "clean coal"-fired power plants in order to get the partyroom to approve a CET.

CORPORATES
COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

Coal plants hold key to ‘cheap energy, CO2 cuts’

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 28-Jul-17

Engineers from GE argue that it would cost between $A57m and $A114m to retrofit Australia’s existing coal-fired power stations to produce more electricity and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. They estimate that these plant could generate an additional 1,000MW to 1,500MW while cutting their carbon emissions by about 19 million tonnes. Australia’s remaining coal-fired power stations are slated for closure by 2050.

CORPORATES
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, TESLA INCORPORATED, NEOEN, DEAKIN UNIVERSITY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Gorgon to make case for carbon capture

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 22-Jun-17

Global Carbon Capture & Storage Institute CEO Brad Page says Chevron’s Gorgon LNG project will prove the business case for carbon capture and storage technology. The CCS component of the Gorgon project will reduce Gorgon’s greenhouse gas emissions by around 40 per cent by using a saline aquifer to store carbon dioxide. Page notes that the estimated $A2bn cost of the CCS project is insignificant compared with the overall cost of Gorgon, which has blown out from $US37bn to $US54bn.

CORPORATES
GLOBAL CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE INSTITUTE LIMITED, CHEVRON CORPORATION, GORGON LNG, INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Coalition in revolt over climate fix

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 14-Jun-17

Coalition MPs met on 13 June 2017 to discuss the Finkel energy review’s proposal to introduce a clean energy target, with sources indicating that most government ministers a and MPs stated their opposition to the CET model outlined by Chief Scientist Alan Finkel. There was widespread support in the partyroom for clean coal to be regarded as a low-emissions energy source, although this is likely to be opposed by the Australian Labor Party. Meanwhile, Labor has indicated that it will not support any move to allow the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in carbon capture and storage technology.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST

Labor tries again on carbon plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 27-Apr-16

The Federal Opposition will release details of its climate change policy on 27 April 2016. It will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030. The Australian Labor Party will introduce a new domestic emissions trading scheme in two stages, which will have the ultimate goal of reducing the nation’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Labor also intends to introduce a separate emissions trading scheme for the electric power industry from 2018.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, CLIMATE INSTITUTE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Carbon capture key to coal future: IEA

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 16 : 21-Dec-15

The International ­Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that India’s growing demand for coal will enable Australia to reclaim its status as the largest coal exporter. Meanwhile, IEA executive director Fatih Birol warns that a sustained upturn in coal prices will require coal producers to ramp up their investment in ­carbon capture and storage technology. He adds that carbon sequestration will be essential in meeting the Paris climate change summit’s targets for limiting growth in global warming.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, HANCOCK PROSPECTING PTY LTD

Glenn McGrath bowls into carbon farming

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 13-Nov-15

The Clean Energy Regulator has granted $A557 million to 131 carbon reduction projects via the second auction from the Emissions Reduction Fund. Former cricketer Glenn McGrath is among the recipients of funding. He has agreed to grow trees on his rural property in north-west New South Wales to offset carbon emissions. Wesfarmers, Consolidated Pastoral Company, AGL Energy and Pacific National are among bigger recipients of funding for carbon reduction programs.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, CONSOLIDATED PASTORAL COMPANY PTY LTD, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, CLIMATE FRIENDLY PTY LTD, REPUTEX AUSTRALIA PACIFIC PTY LTD

Coalition warms to nuclear

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 28-Oct-15

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has responded to calls for a moratorium on coal exports and new coal mines by arguing that doing so would actually increase carbon emissions. He notes that Australian coal tends to be much cleaner than that of other countries. Meanwhile, the Federal Government’s submission to the Nuclear Royal Commission in South Australia presses the case for considering nuclear power as part of the nation’s future energy mix.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS

Origin Energy to ditch coal assets as it cuts carbon burden

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 21-Oct-15

Australian-listed Origin Energy has become the first energy group in the world to commit to all seven principles of the Carbon Disclosure Project. Origin will tell shareholders at its 2015 AGM that it will close down its Eraring coal-fired power station within two decades, with the aim of eventually generating all of its electricity via renewable sources. MD Grant King notes that energy companies account for 66 per cent of global carbon emissions.

CORPORATES
ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, CARBON DISCLOSURE PROJECT, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL

AGL, Origin face climate change scrutiny from shareholders

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 30-Sep-15

The policies of AGL Energy and Origin Energy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are likely to be a key focus for shareholders at their 2015 AGMs. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) will present resolutions to the AGMs of both groups regarding climate change measures. However, ACCR executive director Caroline LeCouteur has welcomed AGL’s revised position on climate change, which was announced in the lead-up to its AGM.

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALASIAN CENTRE FOR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY, MACQUARIE GENERATION, LOY YANG A, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SUPERANNUATION INVESTORS INCORPORATED, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, GETUP LIMITED