Climate Tech News

Climasens, a climate intelligence start-up, has received a boost to scale its impact through the Humanitech Lab. The innovation program is spearheaded by Humanitech, an initiative of Australian Red Cross, focused on harnessing technology and social innovation to meet humanitarian need.

The NSW Government has declared its fourth renewable energy zone – and the first to include access to offshore wind – as it races to put in the infrastructure for new wind, solar and storage to replace the country’s biggest fleet of coal generators.

Carbon management startup Avarni has raised $3 million in venture funding, less than 12 months after launching.

Banks and other big businesses will be forced to come clean with the public about what they are doing to cut emissions under plans put forward by the Albanese government.

Global renewable power capacity growth is set to double over the next five years, driven by energy security concerns in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday.

About half of Australia’s biggest listed companies have plans to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, our new analysis has found.

Prince William and The Earthshot Prize revealed the 2022 Earthshot Prize winners – an accomplished group of entrepreneurs and innovators spearheading ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet. Each winner was awarded a £1 million prize at the second-annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme warns that investment in nature-based solutions must double by 2025 if the world is to limit global warming to 1.5°C, as well as halting biodiversity loss and progressively increasing land degradation.

Australia is well-positioned to be a world leader on climate change. Our geographic position, our wealth of natural resources and our strengths in advanced manufacturing, technology and trade give us a unique perspective that should influence global thinking on climate.

Climate action frameworks have yet to support climate-smart startups. That needs to change.

Carbon markets-focused products and solutions platform Rubicon Carbon announced its official launch today, aiming to “deliver greater scale, confidence, and innovation across all facets of the carbon market.”

A well-known chocolate brand is switching to paper packaging in a bid to avoid excess plastic waste.

Climate tech funding represented more than a quarter of venture capital investment in 2022 so far, and has been in the upper half of the 20-30% range since the start of 2018, according to PwC’s new State of Climate Tech 2022 report.

The Albanese government will funnel $500 million into the commercialisation of clean energy technologies through a rebadged version of a $1 billion fund first proposed by the former Coalition government.

The City of Casey, through its Circular Economy Living Lab Grant, has awarded funding to food sustainability start-up Forkful which will enable it to launch its food waste platform in the area.

The biennial State of the Climate report series draws on the latest climate research, encompassing observations, analyses and projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia’s climate. The 2022 State of the Climate report is now available.

The PhotonAssay™ technology was developed by #CSIRO. It delivers faster, safer, more accurate, and environmentally friendly analysis of gold for the minerals industry.

As the role of coal declines and ends in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM), huge growth in dispatchable energy storage capacity will be needed in the mix, along with other technologies.

Thousand of technology workers are being axed, creating an unexpected boon for certain climate firms

What the health consequences of a hotter climate are and how extreme heat is managed will be two of the defining questions of this decade, and are addressed by several papers in this issue of The Lancet.

Cities are warming twice as fast as the global average. The Nature for Cool Cities Challenge seeks to enhance the number of nature-based cooling solutions within built-up city surface area

Amazon and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are launching a public-private partnership to address the gender inequities that exist for women in the climate finance ecosystem and to support female entrepreneurs with the resources they need to accelerate climate change innovations.

Solar power, electric cars, grid-scale batteries, heat pumps—the world is crossing into a mass-adoption moment for green technologies.

The IKEA Foundation, a strategic philanthropy funded by IKEA owner INGKA Foundation, announced today plans to deploy €600 million in climate funding by 2025. Key areas of deployment identified by the foundation include stimulating a shift to alternative and plant-based proteins, and reducing methane emissions in agriculture.

‘The wild west approach needs to end,’ says climate scientist Bill Hare, amid warning targets should be met by cuts in absolute emissions

As the world’s leaders converged on the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for the COP27 summit this month, for the annual progress check on the planet’s shared imperative to reduce carbon emissions and global warming, the growing ranks of Australia’s climate tech entrepreneurs were once again thankful for the spotlight.

The global market for climate tech was $13.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to jump to $147.5 billion by 2032, according to Future Market Insights. One reason for rise is responding to disaster caused by climate change.

Country Road will invest $1.5 million in grant funding into projects driving climate solutions in the Australian fashion industry over the next three years in what it claims is a first for a local retailer.

In events described as unprecedented, demand for electricity from the grid plummeted to record lows in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia during the past two months.

The NSW government will create several zero-emission zones across Sydney, including at Blackwattle Bay and Central, as Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes warned the city risked falling behind other global metropolises without immediate climate action.

Supply chain traceability company, Everledger, has revealed the launch of a world-first battery passport pilot with automotive manufacturer, Ford, to ensure responsible battery recycling from electric vehicles.

The corporate regulator has issued its first penalty for greenwashing, fining Australian company Tlou Energy $53,280

Australians stand to benefit from new, practical cooperation with Singapore, which will promote jobs, trade and investment in ways that will accelerate our transition to net zero emissions.

Energy giant AGL has announced it will close the Loy Yang A power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley up to 10 years earlier than planned, targeting the end of 2035 financial year.

Vultures get a bad reputation for their carrion-scavenging ways, but their dietary habits prevent the release of greenhouse gases

Plans for the first electric airliner took a step forward as Swedish startup Heart Aerospace AB swelled its design to 30 seats, announced a factory site and won investment from Saab AB, maker of the Gripen fighter.

The company’s non-voting stock, worth close to $3 billion, will be owned by a collective that will use all profits that aren’t reinvested into the business to fight climate change.

If you're looking for a career, or considering re-training, there's at least one sector that will have a tonne of work. Recent studies have estimated more than half-a-million jobs will be created through what's called the "clean energy transition".

Despite whispers of a downturn earlier this year, investors continue to express confidence in climate tech. Though numbers are down compared with 2021, a year that many agree is an outlier in the VC world, they’re on track to beat 2020 as the second hottest year for investment

Rising electricity costs are reducing the payback periods for the cost of solar panels and their installation to be fully recouped by savings on electricity bills

Throwing a lamb chop on the barbie is about as Australian as it gets, but many are seeking out alternative sources of protein amid growing concerns over food security, animal welfare and the environment.

New vehicle sales in August were the best for that month since 2017 in a market where demand continues to outstrip supply, and the appetite for electric vehicles reached a record 4.4 per cent of all new vehicles sold.

Small business carbon footprint measurement startup NetNada has raised $200,000 in Seed funding from Skalata Ventures to make reporting easier and more affordable for SMEs.

California regulators will vote to put in place a sweeping plan to restrict and ultimately ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars, state officials said, a move that the state’s governor described as the beginning of the end for the internal combustion engine.

The Queensland government has doubled down on its activities to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 with the launch of a Low Carbon Accelerator Program.

The Inflation Reduction Act became law on Aug. 16. As he signed the bill, President Joe Biden called it “the most aggressive action ever, ever ever ever, in confronting the climate crisis.”

For about half an hour on Friday, the national energy market caught a glimpse of what a renewables-powered future might look like. It was not caused by a shortage of coal-fired power, and it happened just outside the sunniest time of the year.

Impact investment makes up about 2 per cent of total investments around the globe. It is tiny. But it wasn’t that long ago you could say the same about responsible investing more broadly.

The world’s biggest fund manager, BlackRock, has selected Australia for the rollout of its largest investment in grid-scale batteries that will be crucial to driving the shift from coal to clean energy.

Long touted for their far-reaching health, cultural, environmental and social benefits, Australia’s native foods industry is on the precipice of a boom, but as markets finally wake up to the produce’s potential another global factor is increasingly cause for concern.

“Mass uptake of e-bikes” will also lead to “a significant early contribution” in reducing transport emissions, while asking much less of the power grid, the study found. E-bikes are a double boon to the grid because their home chargers run on existing circuits and draw “relatively low power (500 watts to 1400 watts).”

It began with a bet between billionaires. In March 2017, Atlassian chief Mike Cannon-Brookes challenged Tesla boss Elon Musk to make good on a thought bubble about using batteries to solve South Australia's energy problems. "Tesla will get the system installed and working 100 days from contract signature or it is free," Mr Musk replied.

Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes is targeting electric vehicles and the electrification of Australia’s homes as the first charitable projects backed by their $1.5 billion green fund.

There's a growing consensus on the urgent need to bring down carbon emissions, and the global rallying cry is net zero. This isn't just a climate target, it's become a badge of commitment. There's also a realisation that it won't be easy.

Clean-tech stocks rose to some of their highest levels in months after Democrats won the backing of Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema for their bill to spend $370 billion on climate change measures.

The International Emissions Trading Association issued guidelines on blockchain use in carbon markets. IETA is the main lobby group for the international Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM). It aims to establish a functional framework for trading in GHG emission reductions.

Australia’s environment minister says billionaire Palmer’s Central Queensland Coal proposal would likely have ‘unacceptable impacts’ on reef

Right now, the world is moving too slowly, on track for 2.7 C of warming by 2100, far short of the 1.5 C goal that’s in the Paris Agreement. There’s no longer time for niceties. We need a climate tech startup that’s going to throw its weight around and force evolution on sclerotic governments and companies.

The Albanese government has passed its climate bill through the lower house with a number of amendments. The new bill locks in a 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050 which is an update to Australia's obligations under the Paris Agreement.

As organisations are forced to confront unprecedented rises in energy costs, an emerging group of Australian innovators in the energy sector is finding new opportunities and scaling for growth.

Cawthron Institute has partnered with Westpac NZ Government Innovation Fund, Port Nelson and forestry company OneFortyOne to launch a seagrass restoration project that aims to fight climate change and improve ecosystem health.

A project to restore and protect the Maroochy River catchment as a solution to climate change has received a major grant. The Blue Heart project received $2 million from the Federal Government’s Blue Carbon Ecosystem Restoration Grants. The project aims to transition the Maroochy floodplain from its former uses as cane farms and other rural activities back to natural estuarine systems.

Of the new crop of members in the House of Representatives delivering maiden speeches on Tuesday evening, Labor’s Sally Sitou was up first, as Independent Zoe Daniel closed the evening.

Scientists have invented a magical gadget that sucks the ink off printer paper so each sheet can be used 10 times over. They aim to cut the amount of planet-heating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the paper and pulp industry by reducing demand for office paper.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the central bank and financial regulator of Singapore, and Google Cloud announced today the launch of the Point Carbon Zero Programme, a new initiative aimed at driving the innovation, incubation, and expansion of climate FinTech solutions in Asia.

A once-in-a-decade report from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, identifies seven global megatrends that hold the key to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

How is it, despite a steady drumbeat of extreme weather events, a rising tide of public outcry, and growing consensus across the political spectrum, that the world remains so profoundly far from the outer limits of the climate targets considered “safe”?

When the bad news comes in about climate change – and there’s been plenty of it in the past week – it’s easy to start feeling helpless. But that’s only half the story – and now Silicon Valley is watching!

Oxford start-up Deep Planet is leveraging AI and satellite imagery data to help wine growers and producers adapt to climate change.

World Fund, a newcomer in climate-VC land, is taking the lead in a $128 million round for IQM, with hopes the Finnish quantum computing company will one day deliver carbon cuts by the megatonne.

Investment totals held steady in the second quarter while deal count is down

US President Joe Biden has announced $2.3bn (£1.9bn) to help build infrastructure that can withstand extreme weather and natural disasters.

A giant ‘water battery’ capable of storing as much energy as 400,000 electric car batteries has been switched on in Switzerland.

Climate tech startups raised nearly $19 billion in the first half of 2022, on pace to nearly match last year’s record $40 billion in investments. The volume of deals was up 76%, to 477 transactions, compared to the year-earlier period and even 36% higher than the second half of 2021.

Investments in plant-based alternatives to meat lead to far greater cuts in climate-heating emissions than other green investments, according to one of the world’s biggest consultancy firms.

Motorists will be banned from purchasing new “fossil fuel” vehicles in the nation’s capital from 2035.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering says the country's renewable energy share will rise to 69 per cent by 2030

Systemiq says it is out to fund founders who are focused on making large industries and cities “more efficient and sustainable.” In practice, it’ll fund key areas like regenerative land use, oceans, transportation and the circular economy.

New agreement to fast-track climate solutions signed as countries underscore need for diversified supply chains

Australia’s fast-emerging climate tech industry has received a $100 million booster shot from Qantas employees’ superannuation fund and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, helping it remain immune to the malaise infecting the broader technology sector.

The federal Treasury is modelling the impact of climate change on the Australian economy and the national budget, re-starting work abandoned for almost a decade.

Renewables remain the cheapest new-build electricity generation option in Australia, although inflation and supply chain disruptions will likely put cost reductions on hold for the next year, CSIRO’s annual GenCost report has found.

The free program which starts on August 2 will see 40 successful applicants selected to participate in workshops and presentations that will give them the know-how and skills to raise funds (whether it be angel investing, crowdfunding or venture capital), how to create a business model, a go-to-market strategy, and more.

Addressing the twin challenges of carbon emissions and biodiversity loss requires political will and leadership. Ambitious commitments must be made

Thousands of kilometers of shoreline would qualify as cost-effective candidates for mangrove forest and coral reef restoration, thanks to their ability to reduce flooding, new research shows.

For decades, carbon markets have been seen as part of the solution to climate change. They have mostly been dominated by the private sector, but this will soon change

An online centre consolidating Australian hydrogen research and industry activities has been launched by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, aimed at supercharging the development of a clean and competitive hydrogen industry.

Home owners could soon save money on loans and insurance by making their homes more energy efficient, while banks and insurers gain new insights into the sustainability of their residential portfolios, thanks to Adelaide-based fintech startup ValAi.

Leading Australian tech startup angel investor Mick Liubinskas has turned his focus to climate tech. Here’s some of the startups to keep an eye on over the coming years.

Olympia Yarger is creating new jobs almost as fast as she’s breeding maggots. Her food-waste-management start-up, Goterra, breeds fly larvae (maggots) and houses them in internet-connected, remote-controlled shipping containers into which customers dump their food waste

Australia’s nascent climate tech sector is already worth $4.2 billion and could deliver more than 2,000 new jobs in next 12 months, according to a landmark new report by Climate Salad.

Home owners could soon save money on loans and insurance by making their homes more energy efficient, while banks and insurers gain new insights into the sustainability of their residential portfolios, thanks to Adelaide-based fintech startup ValAi.

Advantageously, these super functional seedling pots solve the inherent problems with plastic pots: excess watering, nutrient runoff and transplanting needs.

The Supreme Court has issued a major ruling on the government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases. We’ll be looking at what tech can do to fill the void as well as Frontier’s big carbon removal purchase. Join us as we try to make climate lemonade.

The agency can still regulate carbon pollution, just not in the most efficient, system-wide ways.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a major blow to climate action by handcuffing the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate planet-warming emissions from the country's power plants, just as scientists warn the world is running out of time to get the climate crisis under control.

The European Union only wants zero-emission or climate-neutral new cars and vans – meaning without combustion engines running on diesel, petrol and natural gas – to be placed on the market and sold as of 2035.

Aspiring green hydrogen producer LINE Hydrogen has raised $1.38 million from crowdfunding as it looks to play its part in Australia’s renewable energy mix.

Australian electric vehicle charging firm JOLT Charge and Endeavour Energy have partnered in a plan to install up to 1000 electric vehicle chargers in Sydney, as the electricity network provider positions itself to capitalise on an expected rise in zero emission vehicles.

The dam at Mt Keith is a leading global example of “mineral carbonation”, a chemical reaction triggered when the mine’s magnesium-rich wastes interact with air, leading to carbon dioxide being sucked out of the atmosphere and locked away in secure mineral crystals.