Climate Tech News

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.

Solar, wind and green hydrogen scheme aims to generate equivalent to third of nation's capacity.

There are myriad reasons why so many companies went belly up. Some had the right tech at the wrong time. Many relied on venture capital, which typically seeks returns on a timeline that’s unforgivingly brief for deep tech companies. Others were undercut by foreign competitors. Whatever the reason, the collapse spooked venture capitalists, who avoided the sector for years despite the potential for enormous long-term gains.

The NSW government is to make its single biggest investment in renewable energy infrastructure, committing $1.2 billion to fast-track critical transmission projects to deliver cheaper and more reliable power.

We asked six environmental experts to each nominate a book about the climate crisis that offers hope.

Ampol has announced a new partnership with EnergyLab that will work to support the next generation of female entrepreneurs in climate technology.

A new research report released today by Deloitte highlights the stark economic differences between taking a coordinated global approach to climate action and failure to act, with inaction on climate change poised to lead to as much as $178 trillion in GDP destruction over the next 50 years, while achieving global climate goals could result in $43 trillion of economic benefit over the same period.

Publicly funded research into climate change is going to the wealthiest nations and ignoring new technologies that could ameliorate the effects faster, according to new research.

Australia has no clear strategy to decarbonise transport. That’s a problem, because without a plan, our take-up of clean technologies like electric cars, trucks and buses is slow.

his is yet another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes on land, in the ocean, and in the atmosphere, with harmful and long-lasting ramifications for sustainable development and ecosystems, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The New Zealand government said on Monday it would set up a NZ$4.5 billion ($2.83 billion) climate response fund, spending at least NZ$2.9 billion on cutting pollution over the next four years as it targets net zero emissions by 2050.

World Economic Forum VCs alone can not solve climate change. We need global and purpose-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems

Stone and Chalk group diversifies Australia’s climate tech offerings, says CEO Fostering innovation in the start-up ecosystem.

Mining giant BHP fails to find a buyer for its Mt Arthur operation in the NSW Hunter Valley, and announces it will close the site in 2030

Climate investors may want to take a closer look at emerging opportunities in agrifoodtech, according to new research from AgFunder and Invest-NL

A new rule proposed by the SEC would require companies to significantly increase their reporting on climate risk. We look at the implications for senior executives.

This week’s Current Climate, which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability

New research from Australia's national science agency CSIRO, the University of South Australia and the University of Western Australia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating wetland.

Small Steps Vol 54: Australia's clean protein opportunity 🌿; flipping healthcare with value-based companies 👩‍⚕️; and HolonIQ’s state of impact funding 💸

Australia has some 16 Pacific Island neighbours — some with a landmass a millionth our size — who unanimously declare climate change the “single greatest threat” to the region.

The pro-business, pro-environment ‘teal independents’ could help to usher in a greener government in the May 21 vote

More than 3000 electric vehicle chargers will be installed across NSW under a multimillion-dollar plan by the state government to boost regional tourism

Enduring Planet, a new fintech firm that exclusively funds climate entrepreneurs, is taking the wraps of its first product after securing $5 million in debt and equity financing.

Investors are pouring money into start-ups that want to build a greener economy

In recent years, ESG — which stands for environmental, social, and governance — has become a dominant term. Within the narrow world of the sustainability expert community, the battle royale is raging about sustainability versus ESG and the implications of shifting semantics. I don’t want to litigate what these words mean, but I do want to look at why ESG has taken over so fast and discuss some risks I see from the term’s adoption.

Global consulting major is enhancing support for sustainable tech clients, building on the McKinsey Sustainability division created to consolidate its E&S business services.

Giant Leap has become the first VC fund in Australia to set a minimum emissions reduction target for climate technology investments.

The NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap (Roadmap) is a recommendation of the Turning ideas into jobs: Accelerating R&D in NSW Action Plan. The Roadmap sets out a 20-year vision for NSW to produce more world-leading new technologies, products and services, and develop and sustain globally competitive advantages and future industries that improve productivity, standards of living, quality of life, and the natural environment.

The billionaire venture capitalist said the study of climate change and sustainability would be the “new computer science.”

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Monday funding of more than $3 billion to support domestic battery production, supply chain development and recycling, aimed at boosting the Biden’s administration’s goals to significantly ramp vehicle electrification in the U.S., and to bolster the country’s energy independence

Grok Ventures believe the Board’s plan to split AGL into two companies would deliver a terrible outcome for shareholders, customers, Australian taxpayers and the planet. Decarbonisation is one of Australia’s biggest economic opportunities and a vital challenge the world needs to solve.

Despite being a top issue for Australians, climate action has been completely sidelined in favour of the total sham to expand gas and coal

Dining on the likes of lab-grown meat or ground-up insects could lead to big savings in carbon emissions and water, as well as freeing up land for nature.

Climate change connects crucial Australian interests, and we are the developed country that has most to lose from climate disruption.

A new study illustrates how geoengineering doesn’t just turn back the clock on climate change, it alters the climate in new and perhaps profound ways

UK companies attracted 18% of Europe’s cleantech investment amid a record year of funding for the sector, according to new data. The report, compiled by IP and R&D tax credit firm GovGrant, shows that last year investors poured £134bn into cleantech firms across Europe.

Climate tech has seen the biggest gain since its last run-up and subsequent bust in the early 2000s, according to a new report Silicon Valley Bank provided exclusively to Axios

Day One Ventures' goal is to deploy 20% of its current fund over the course of the next 12 months into early-stage companies focused on solving the climate crisis.

It’s been 50 years since an international treaty to protect wetlands was created but, around the world, wetlands are still disappearing three times faster than forests.

It has been our long held thesis that we are in the early stages of a decade long shift where ‘externalities’ are priced into financial and corporate decision making. The rapid development of the carbon and climate markets are the next exciting evolution of this theme.

In valuing real assets we’ve over indexed current revenue streams. Carbon is being priced and becoming an asset and this is a new vector of potential monetisation of natural assets and the environment. We will need infrastructure to support this shift.

Today, on Earth Day, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to expand his Administration’s historic and bold efforts to tackle the climate crisis, make our nation more resilient to extreme weather, and strengthen local economies.

New Zealand based CarbonCrop is a purpose led business with an impressive technology solution bringing a greater level of integrity to carbon credit assessments

Leaft Foods is enabling the extraction of protein from the most abundant commodity of any plant - its leaves. On the back of this breakthrough, the company has raised a Series A round of $15M

Plans to build a massive solar energy project would result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in northern Australia

It’s easy to feel pessimistic when scientists around the world are warning that climate change has advanced so far, it’s now inevitable that societies will either transform themselves or be transformed. But as two of the authors of a recent international climate report, we also see reason for optimism.