Emissions reductions delivered by renewable energy
Read our report on emissions reductions in Australia as a direct result of the uptake and acceleration of clean energy
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19 Nov 2024
Since 2015, 40 GW of new rooftop solar and large-scale renewable energy capacity has been deployed across Australia, with the share of renewables in the energy system climbing from 16 per cent to just shy of 40 per cent in 2023.
This investment has resulted in emissions being 30 per cent lower today than they would have otherwise been without the renewable energy investment since 2015. In aggregate, this has resulted in over 200 million tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions since 2015, relative to if Australia had continued to rely on the 2015 power plant fleet.
The growth in renewable generation since 2015 is estimated to have avoided 55 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in the 2023 calendar year, relative to a situation in which we had continued to rely on the generation fleet in place back in 2015. This is equal to a 30 per cent reduction in electricity emissions
This will deliver 75 million tonnes of emission reductions in that year relative to if we had
kept the 2015 mix of generation plant in place. This is a 39 per cent reduction on electricity emissions. That is equivalent to reducing the emissions from all of Australia’s cars, light commercial vehicles, and aeroplanes to zero.
That's if growth continues at the pace required to meet the Federal Government's target of 82% renewable energy by 2030.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive to step down after 15 years of leadership
After 15 years of leadership at the Clean Energy Council, and over ten years as Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, will step down from the role at the end of July.
Australian Election delivers mandate for clean energy
The Clean Energy Council, the peak body for Australia’s renewable energy industry, congratulates the Australian Labor Party on a decisive and historic victory at the 2025 election - a vote of confidence by the Australian people in the nation’s clean energy future.
Submission to ACT Emergency Backstop Consultation Paper
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government on the ACT Emergency Backstop Capability Consultation Paper.
$58 billion of clean energy investment, 42,000 jobs foregone by 2030 under Coalition plan
At least $58 billion worth of new private investment in clean energy would be wiped from Australia’s economy, with more than 42,000 full-time equivalent jobs and billions of dollars in community benefits at risk if renewable energy is capped at 54 per cent of Australia’s electricity mix under the Coalition’s energy agenda, new modelling has found.
Op-ed: Coalition nuclear power plan risks energy bill meltdown
Is it just me or have we somehow gone back in time? US President Donald Trump is introducing 1960’s era tariffs and isolationist polices that are creating massive global economic risk and uncertainty.
While here at home, the Federal Coalition is proposing to halt private investment in the lowest cost form of energy generation (renewables) and instead focus on the highest cost forms of generation (nuclear and gas) with 1960’s levels of government ownership and taxpayer funding.
