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.
Community benefit guidelines set stronger path for Western Australia's renewable energy rollout
New community benefit guidelines released by the WA Government today will empower communities to provide direction over community benefit programs funded by new clean energy projects.
Environmental impacts of renewable energy projects
Australia’s renewable energy sector exists because of the environment, not in spite of it. Climate change remains the biggest long-term threat to native species and habitat, which is why transitioning out of fossil fuels, such as coal, to clean, reliable, renewable energy is critical.
Data centre rush must power itself says industry, unions and environment groups
Data centres setting up shop in Australia in the AI boom will be required to contribute to Australian energy and skills under a proposal put to the federal government by an alliance of industry groups, unions, community groups and environmental organisations today.
Quarterly Investment Report: Large-scale renewable generation and storage, Q4 2025
The Clean Energy Council’s latest Quarterly Investment Report has found Q4 2025 outperformed all other quarters on record, with nine wind and solar farms switched on, totalling 2.1 GW of new capacity.
More renewables powered up in Q4 2025 than ever before, breaking new records - report finds
More renewable electricity was switched on in the final quarter of 2025 than in any other quarter on record, according to the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) latest quarterly investment report, released today.
Our submission to AEMC’s draft report broadly supports proposed reforms but cautions against fixed network charges, which disincentivise solar investment and unfairly increase the relative costs for smaller energy users.
