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.
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.
Submission on an Energy Industry Jobs Plan for Yallourn Power Station
This submission reviews the transitional opportunities available for coal workers in offshore wind, including an overview of the emerging industry, projected workforce demand, and key occupations. It draws attention to previous work undertaken to map pathways for workers seeking to transition to roles in offshore wind, and recent investments in local training and education facilities necessary to upskill the next generation of workers.
Peak energy industry bodies have called on Energy Ministers to ensure industry is thoroughly involved and consulted in the reported review of Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) governance arrangements.
Record home battery surge charges up Australia's biggest power station on Aussie rooftops
Australian households have installed as many home batteries in the six months to the end of last year, as they did across the previous five years combined, as families and business strive towards energy independence, reducing energy bills and setting a new record for home battery installations, new research reveals.
Rooftop solar and storage report - July to December 2025
Australians are driving a record home battery surge. Our report 2025 shows a record 183,245 batteries were sold in Australia in the second half of 2025 alone.
