World's hottest day since records began

The world's average temperature reached a new high on Monday, and scientists are blaming mankind's ongoing carbon emissions, in combination with the El Nino weather event, for the record-breaking heat.

It comes as Australia is accused of “vastly underreporting” its methane emissions, and the latest government projections on emissions cuts in the country’s transport sector show it is unlikely to fall to required levels by 2050.

But the industry’s efforts could be bolstered by a breakthrough at the world’s second largest carmaker, which now believes it could make a solid-state battery with a range of 1200 kilometres that charges in 10 minutes.

Top Stories:

Climate change: World's hottest day since records began
The world's average temperature reached a new high on Monday, topping 17 degrees Celsius for the first time. US researchers said the new record was the highest in any instrumental record dating back to the end of the 19th century.

Australia vastly underreporting methane pollution, report finds
Australia has been called out for underreporting its annual greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 28 million tonnes by failing to record more than 80 per cent of emissions that leak during coal and gas production.

Toyota claims battery breakthrough in potential boost for electric cars
The world’s second largest carmaker says it has made a technological breakthrough that will allow it to halve the weight, size and cost of batteries, in what could herald a major advance for electric vehicles.

Victorians rushed to claim electric-car subsidies in final days
Demand for Victoria's electric-vehicle rebate jumped significantly in the final month of the program, new data reveals.

More fatalities "inevitable" in current oil and gas culture: MP
West Australian MP Kyle McGinn has told the state’s parliament that the tragic death of a rope access contractor last month was caused by systemic problems throughout the oil and gas sector, and that without a "change of culture" another fatality is "inevitable".

Signs of fading resources boom as Australia's record exports tipped to decline
An unprecedented boom in the value of Australia's resources exports is set to come to an end amid forecasts that earnings from iron ore, coal and gas will fall back down to earth.

Cane toads’ spread through Western Australia’s Kimberley revealed by motion sensor cameras
Motion sensor cameras have revealed the confronting spread of cane toads across Western Australia’s eastern Kimberley region. Cane toads first crossed into WA from the Northern Territory 15 years ago and have slowly spread from there.

Too big, too heavy and too slow to change: road transport is way off track for net zero
The need to cut the emissions driving climate change is urgent, but it’s proving hard to decarbonise road transport in Australia. Its share of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions doubled from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2020. New vehicles sold in Australia have barely improved average emissions performance for the last decade or so.

UK adds maritime transport to emissions trading scheme
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority has recently unveiled a series of reforms aimed at strengthening emission limits for industrial, power, and aviation sectors starting from 2024. These reforms will further extend the emissions cap to include additional UK sectors such as domestic maritime transport and waste.

Last year 5 million hectares of land was burnt in WA. So, does prescribed burning work?
Calls for an independent inquiry into Western Australia’s “gut-wrenching” prescribed burning program have been rejected by a parliamentary committee despite scientists and conservation groups labelling the practice damaging and outdated.