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
Share this report
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.
Op-ed: The most important power station in the nation is on our rooftops
Australia’s energy grid is changing. Our clean energy future is being built panel by panel and battery by battery, in suburbs, towns and regional communities across the country.
Offshore wind auction puts Victoria on path to more clean power and thousands of new jobs
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has welcomed the announcement by the Allan Government today to progress Victoria’s first offshore wind auction, which the industry's peak body said will help to establish a new clean energy industry in the state, delivering jobs, investment and reliable power for decades to come.
Three proposed offshore wind projects in Western Australia have been awarded final feasibility licences, unlocking the potential for large-scale clean energy generation and thousands of local jobs.
Submission on WA Gov’s proposed changes to Western Power’s capital contributions framework
A submission to the WA Government on proposed amendments to the WA-based capital contributions policy to help pay for the necessary transmission network infrastructure to support the energy shift in the state.
Australia’s electricity system is being forced to navigate its future with one wary eye on policy influencers who are far more invested in nostalgia than in how our renewables-driven energy system is actually built, financed and operated.
Joint submission to the AEMC on Clarity and Transparency in Security Frameworks rule change proposal
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) and Australian Energy Council (AEC) have submitted a joint Clarity and Transparency in Security Frameworks rule change proposal to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC).
