Safeguard Mechanism deal struck

A key piece of Labor's climate legislation is likely to pass parliament, after it struck a compromise deal with the Greens over new coal and gas. The Greens were initially calling for no new coal or gas projects to be included in the Safeguard Mechanism bill, however backed the policy following a raft of amendments to the original proposal. Greenpeace Australia Pacific welcomed the reforms, and is calling for hard, swift action on new coal, oil and gas projects to come next. 

Meantime, Woodside Energy’s share price has tumbled following the emissions reduction deal. Under the revised legislation, projects such as the Browse field that Woodside wants to develop would have to include carbon capture and storage to achieve net zero.

And rooftop solar systems supplied more electricity to Australia during last summer than brown coal, setting a record, according to the Clean Energy Council.

Top stories:

What the Greens' climate deal with Labor means for Australia's biggest polluters
After weeks of negotiations and plenty of strong words, the federal government has secured the support it needs to pass its key climate policy into law.

Woodside share price dives as deal nears to cut emissions
Investors dumped energy shares on Monday, with Woodside among the worst hit, after the government edged closer to curbing new gas and coal investments. 

Australian solar power production goes through the roof
The systems provided more energy to the grid than all other renewable sources, including grid-scale wind farms and solar farms.

NSW Greens call on Labor to close historic coal mine
The NSW Greens will push the new Labor government to close a major coal mine that has been operating in the northern Illawarra since 1887.

How working to save a lizard is helping Indigenous rangers reclaim lost knowledge
The great desert skink or 'tjakura' could face extinction if action is not taken — and these Indigenous rangers are learning about the lizards in an effort to do just that.

‘Spectacular’ spiny crayfish samples recovered amid Lismore floods key to mapping species
As floods devastated Lismore, a group of ecologists waited anxiously for a break in the weather so they could move an important scientific collection of “spectacular” spiny crayfish to a new home.

Bring workers on board the energy transition process: ACTU
Australia should have a national energy transition authority to co-ordinate decarbonisation efforts between government, business and the community, according to the Australian Council of Trade Unions boss.

Origin snapped up in takeover deal with green energy pledge
Origin Energy has signed a $18.7bn takeover deal with suitors Brookfield Asset Management and MidOcean Energy and pledged to build 14 gigawatts of new renewable and storage generation in Australia over the next decade.

Pacific leaders not surprised by latest climate report, call for rapid action
Pacific leaders are not surprised by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report that says current action and plans are insufficient to keep warming below 1.5 degrees.

Hidden cameras capture carbon dioxide stunning in Australia's pork industry
The use of carbon dioxide to stun pigs before slaughter is legal and widespread – but activists believe the industry doesn't want you to know what it looks like.

Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city
Global warming has led to higher summer temperatures across Sydney over the past 30 years, and research shows very hot summer days are becoming much more common in Western Sydney than in coastal Sydney. 

Supreme Court blows off challenge to wind farm approval
A wind farm planned for construction in coal country is set to go ahead, after Victoria's Supreme Court found it did not breach urban proximity limits.