Australia quits farting around, joins global methane pledge

The Albanese government has confirmed it will join Joe Biden’s global pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030, as the Prime Minister warned climate change is increasing the frequency of Australia’s extreme weather events.

Speaking of extreme weather events, after a very wet weekend in Victoria the Murray River continued its rise in communities around Echuca eclipsing the water levels of the October 1993 floods, with the peak expected to arrive early this morning. Furthermore, tomorrow night’s Federal Budget is set to include $588 million for disaster relief services after “back-to-back” climate emergencies. 

In a major curriculum overhaul of the NSW high school system, students will now be taught more in-depth climate science, with the new syllabus introducing other new topics such as data science and investigating scientific evidence.

Australia will join Biden’s global pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030, Albanese confirms
Funding of more than $3bn will support agricultural methane reduction, clean tech initiatives and the commercialisation of seaweed feed supplement

Flood waters reach peak in Victorian communities as residents face anxious wait
The Bureau of Meteorology said 10-25 millimetres of rain fell overnight in north and north-western parts of the state, with thunderstorms expected today.

Climate change and maths to feature heavily in new science courses
Students in NSW will be taught more rigorous mathematics, learn how to analyse scientific data and study climate change in greater depth under a proposed overhaul of the high school science syllabus.

$600m for disaster relief services after ‘back-to-back’ climate emergencies
An emergency workforce has been hired to deliver faster payments to Australians suffering from floods and other natural disasters in a $588 million federal budget plan that prepares for more pressure from events caused in part by climate change.

First carbon budget balances climate risks
For the first time, the Australian government must work within a financial budget and a carbon budget. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed his first budget, due out on Tuesday, will include a major analysis of the impact of climate on Australia's economy.

Daniel Andrews plans to revive the State Electricity Commission. What will it mean for Victoria’s power?
A move to bring back the publicly owned SEC shows governments are not confident the private sector can decarbonise quickly enough, experts say

More than 500 electric vehicle chargers to be rolled out across NSW
Fast and ultra-fast chargers will be installed at 86 locations through Sydney’s suburbs as well as regional NSW towns as the government works to quell so-called range anxiety associated with electric vehicles.

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting pulls ‘ground-breaking’ $15m netball sponsorship
Players were reluctant to embrace the mining giant’s backing and wear its branding on their playing dresses after Indigenous player Donnell Wallam voiced concerns over comments made by the company’s founder, and Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock. The players’ questioning of Hancock Prospecting’s ideals relating to climate change further made them uncomfortable with the association.

'Certainty' for Hunter Valley horse studs, as NSW Government rules out open-cut mining at Dartbrook
The New South Wales government has stepped in to ban open-cut mining at an Upper Hunter site, after some multi-million-dollar horse studs looked to move interstate.