New Nats MP was founder of climate denial group

Australians who voted for stronger climate action over the weekend may be disappointed, but not really surprised, that the new Nats MP for the Queensland seat of Flynn was a founding member of a club formed to promote climate science denial and signed onto a public statement declaring “there is no climate emergency”.

Meanwhile, the fight for corporate climate action has received a boost with activist investor Snowcap joining industry super fund HESTA in voting against Australia’s biggest climate polluter, AGL Energy’s, bid to split in two.

That news came as Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest told business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos that some of the biggest polluting companies were getting away with “abhorrent” greenwashing because they were not being held to account.

New Coalition MP was founding member of club promoting climate science denial

The new federal MP for the Queensland seat of Flynn was a founding member of a club formed to promote climate science denial, and was a signatory to an international statement claiming “there is no climate emergency”.

AGL blow as HESTA opposes demerger after Morningstar says investors should vote in favour of split 

Industry super fund HESTA has been joined by activist investor Snowcap in voting against AGL Energy’s demerger, as billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes builds momentum to derail the company’s planned split.

‘You’re lying to shareholders’: Andrew Forrest slams greenwashing at World Economic Forum in Davos

Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has told international business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos that some of the biggest polluting companies were getting away with “abhorrent” greenwashing – presenting dubious environmental claims using “sleaze words” like lowering emissions – because they were not being held to account.

As temperatures go through the roof, are our homes fit for summer?

There are entire towns in Southern Europe that are whitewashed, age-old examples of using light-coloured materials to reflect heat rather than absorb it in a bid to keep homes cool. Yet on the same day the latest IPCC report issued a warning to the world that it was “now or never” to stave off climate disaster, the NSW government abandoned its plan to switch to light-coloured roofs, among a suite of other sustainability measures aimed at improving building standards in the state.

China’s Pacific plan is ‘clear’ but so is Australia’s intention to be regional partner of choice, Penny Wong says

Australia has responded to reports that China is pursuing a Pacific-wide security pact with almost a dozen nations, stating that while Beijing’s intentions were clear “so too are the intentions of the new Australian government” to be the partner of choice in the region.

Climate change was the defining issue of this election. So what will more ambitious action actually look like?

Despite Labor and the Coalition being conspicuously quiet about climate change during the campaign, it was in many ways the defining issue of this historic change of government.