On Good Authority
26 August 2026
Hi there,
Welcome to this fortnight’s edition of On Good Authority which includes news from Fortescue, the First Nations Clean Energy Network and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. There’s also fuel news as latest stats show our reliance on imported diesel, and consultations are underway seeking input for how to reduce it.
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Authority news
Our Chair Matt Kean features in a new podcast from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council. In their latest Infrastructure Connections podcast, Matt talks about what the sector needs to focus on to accomplish net zero. You can listen to it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and the ISC Website.
Matt also gave a pre-recorded keynote to the Gippsland Climate Change Network for their New Energy Conference where he talked about how Australia’s success in meeting our national emissions reductions goals will depend on what happens on the ground in regions like Gippsland.
More speeches and opinion pieces can be read on our website.
Our CEO Kath Rowley recently visited the East Kimberley Region with development organisation Jawun. Jawun fosters collaboration between government, business and Indigenous organisations to build those organisations’ capability to advance their social and economic goals. During the visit Kath listened to community leaders’ aspirations and the challenges they face and learned about the positive and negative impacts of Commonwealth policies and programs in the region. The Authority will continue to lend support through staff participating in Jawun secondments.
Kath with Jawun CEO Shane Webster, Wuggubun Community, WA
The Authority has released an insights paper: Misinformation: A climate policy risk which explores how misinformation affects climate policy delivery in Australia. This includes increasing community uncertainty, project delays and undermining trust in institutions. The paper examines the Authority's role in providing clear, trusted and evidence-based information to support a strong climate information ecosystem.
Fast fact
By 2040, electrification can reduce Australia’s demand
for land-based liquid fuel by...
67%
Source: The Superpower Institute’s How Australia can break its foreign fuel dependence report released on 8 July 2026
Star chart
88% of Australia’s diesel use is in 4 industry sectors
News in brief
Fortescue green metal project reaches significant milestone
In a major step towards producing green metal in Australia, Fortescue has produced first hot metal using its electric smelting process. Their electric furnace successfully produced its first batch of molten metal during a staged commissioning process. The pilot project is at Christmas Creek in the Pilbara, WA and aims to create more value from the iron ore mined in Australia.
In July, our Deputy CEO Eliza Murray spoke at the Pilbara Summit 2026 about opportunities for the region to leverage clean energy, partnerships and policy to move up the value chain and lead low emissions industry.
First Nations leaders shape clean energy transition
The First Nations Clean Energy Network has brought more than 500 people together from Australia and New Zealand at its annual First Nations Clean Energy Symposium. The event focused on strengthening First Nations participation and leadership in Australia's clean energy transition through co-ownership, benefit-sharing, investment, workforce development and community energy solutions. The symposium highlighted progress on the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy and showcased First Nations-led clean energy initiatives from Australia and overseas.
Consultation seeks regional views on community benefits and more
The NSW Government is seeking community feedback on the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), including a proposed amendment to the REZ Declaration and the design of the Community and Employment Benefit Program. The program will invest in local infrastructure, services and employment opportunities in the region. Community consultation will help inform project planning and ensure local perspectives are reflected in the region's energy transition.
CEFC investment reaches record levels
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) has reported a record year of investment activity. The result brings the value of projects supported by the CEFC since its establishment to approximately $105 billion. Investment activity covered renewable energy, transmission, transport, property and natural capital projects, reflecting continued momentum across Australia's clean energy transition.
Consultations open on fuel security reforms
How to reduce Australia’s reliance on imported fuels and build a cleaner fuels industry are the focus of 2 new Australian Government consultations. Released as part of its $14.8 billion Fuel Security and Resilience Package the consultations will inform final policy settings, legislative design, implementation pathways and future funding decisions. Submissions close on 15 September.
Battery incentives expand across Australia
Battery storage uptake in Australian homes continues to grow, with more than 500,000 batteries installed through the Australian Government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program. The NSW Government has expanded incentives for businesses, with rebates available for battery systems ranging from 20 kWh to 30 MWh and higher discounts offered when batteries are installed alongside new solar. The measures aim to increase energy storage capacity, use of renewable energy and help reduce electricity costs.
Conditional funding for Australia's largest aluminium smelter
New conditional funding for the Tomago Aluminium smelter is intended to support a long-term renewable energy solution for the facility beyond 2028. The $2.5 billion funding from the Australian and NSW governments relies on the smelter delivering decarbonisation activities and an innovative demand-response program to support the NSW electricity grid. Tomago is Australia’s largest single electricity user and employs more than 1,000 people in the Hunter region and will be investing at least $1.1 billion in the facility.
Ancient forests reveal climate change risks
A US study examining fossil evidence from Wyoming has found forests took more than 100,000 years to recover from a major global warming event known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Researchers found forest canopies declined by around 60% during the warming period, resulting in long-term changes to ecosystems and landscapes. The PETM is considered the closest natural comparison to present-day climate change and findings highlight potential consequences of rapid warming.
Adaptation efforts failing to keep pace with growing climate risks
New Zealand's climate adaptation efforts are not keeping pace with growing climate risks. The New Zealand Climate Change Commission’s latest progress assessment identified gaps in funding, governance, planning and climate risk information, and calls for urgent action across 6 priority areas. The findings echo Australia’s focus on adaptation following the release of the Australian Government's National Adaptation Plan. The Climate Change Authority's Home Safe report also examined how climate change is increasing risks to Australian homes and communities.
In case you missed it...
An Australian analysis published in February 2026 found that carbon dioxide overload, detected in human blood, suggests a potentially toxic atmosphere within 50 years. The research indicates that elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, leading to CO₂ accumulation in the body, has the potential to cause a range of adverse health effects. Findings highlight an urgent need for significant reductions in human-caused CO₂ emissions to protect public health.
The World Economic Forum reported that some of the world's largest and fastest growing wildfires now occur in the Arctic and boreal region, which forms a ring around the North Pole across 8 countries. More than 4 million hectares of land in Canada has burned over summer.
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Acknowledgement of Country
The Authority recognises the First Nations people of this land and their ongoing connection to culture and country. We acknowledge First Nations people as the Traditional Owners, Custodians and Lore Keepers of the world's oldest living cultures, and pay our respects to their Elders—past and present.
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