The ACT leads the country in new electric vehicle registrations, but it scored just 2 out of 10 for freight vehicles in the EV Council's 2026 report. The council described freight trucks as the single biggest unclaimed opportunity in transport electrification. Fiona Wright said 44 per cent of new cars registered in Canberra were battery electric. An ACT Government spokesperson said work is underway to identify locations for fast charging hubs that could support freight vehicles, and pointed to a free advisory service and a rebate of up to $3300 for charging infrastructure.
Methane plumes have been detected above Chevron's Gorgon liquefied natural gas plant off Western Australia's Pilbara coast. Satellite images captured a persistent cloud on August 29, and monitor Carbon Mapper says plumes have appeared multiple times over the past year. The United Nations flagged the emissions, recording an average rate of about 7.8 tonnes of methane an hour. Chevron says it is communicating with the UN Environmental Programme and that satellite readings capture a single moment with wide uncertainty. The WA government's environment department is investigating the reports, while the Conservation Council WA has demanded answers.
The United Nations Environment Program has warned Chevron after satellites detected high methane levels on five flyovers between November and August. The readings are linked to Chevron's Gorgon gas plant on Barrow Island, off the Pilbara coast. The latest release was equal to burning 110 tonnes of coal, and the plant was emitting methane at 7.8 tonnes per hour in August. Chevron says satellite readings carry a wide range of uncertainty and that it is seeking further clarification. The company says it reports its emissions in line with Australian rules.
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Greater Dandenong City Council is switching its fleet to lower-emission vehicles. Mayor Sophie Tan said 76 per cent of the council's passenger cars have already been replaced with hybrid and electric models. The council has committed to replacing all cars with low-emission alternatives by 2030. Five trucks and four electric vans have been introduced, and options for larger vehicles are being investigated as they come up for replacement. Tan said the council aims to cut its overall carbon footprint to zero.
Satellite monitoring has detected large methane plumes above Chevron's Gorgon liquefied natural gas plant on Barrow Island, Western Australia. The most recent reading, in late August, estimated an average emission rate of about 7.8 tonnes of methane an hour. The United Nations has warned Chevron, which confirmed it had received the alert and is working with the UN Environmental Programme. The UN Environmental Programme said it had not yet received formal feedback from Chevron or the Australian government. The Western Australian government said its Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is investigating the reports.
The United Nations Environmental Programme has acknowledged that the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius is no longer viable. Its new focus is on limiting how long temperatures stay above that level and how far they rise. The agency says this will require sharp emissions cuts and the removal of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the end of the century. It says current climate pledges fall well short, and that coal use, oil and gas must fall much faster than projected.
Global warming is on track to reach 2.8C by the end of the century, the United Nations has warned. A report released on Wednesday found projections had worsened since the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Researchers say world leaders could limit risks by cutting emissions by almost six per cent a year and sharply reducing coal, oil and gas use. Leaders will meet in Antalya, Turkey, for COP31 to discuss future climate targets.
The world needs to cut carbon emissions by nearly a fifth within four years, and by almost half within a decade, to limit overshooting climate targets, the UN Environment Programme says. The programme says the window to hold temperature rises to 1.5C has closed, but limiting the overshoot remains possible. Global emissions in 2025 were broadly similar to the previous year, though analysts stopped short of calling this a peak. The executive director, Inger Andersen, said governments had delayed action and urged countries to keep the 1.5C goal.
Woytopia 2026 featured several first-time initiatives, according to organisers. The new measures aim to reduce waste, cut emissions and create a better experience for visitors.
The City of Whittlesea has launched a Home Energy Program to help local households reduce energy costs and make informed choices about energy use. The program offers practical advice on energy-efficient homes and on taking first steps toward electric appliances. Free events throughout the year will let residents speak with experts. A free home energy assessment will be available soon, along with Speed Date sessions with specialists and a Home Energy Expo. Mayor Lawrie Cox said the program helps residents work out what suits their home and budget.
Emissions from making lithium-ion batteries are small today but could rise by a factor of 10 or more by 2050, according to a study led by Haiwei Zhou at the University of Melbourne. The batteries are used in many parts of the energy transition. The researchers estimate these emissions currently make up 0.18 percent of annual greenhouse gas releases. They compared ways to reduce emissions, including cutting the number of batteries needed rather than only lowering the carbon footprint of each one. Their projections used International Energy Agency scenarios for electric vehicles and energy storage through 2050.
The NSW government plans to introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy to lift annual coal output at its Mount Pleasant mine from 12.5 million to 16.5 million tonnes until 2032. Premier Chris Minns says the move would protect 400 jobs that he says are at risk before Christmas. The change follows a High Court ruling that invalidated the mine's expansion approval over the failure to consider downstream emissions. Minns says the mine would need to meet Scope 3 limits and sell only to Paris Agreement signatories. The Greens and a local environment group have criticised the proposal.
The NSW government will introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy to raise annual coal output at its Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook by 4 million tonnes, to 16.5 million tonnes, until 2032. Premier Chris Minns said the bill was needed to protect 400 jobs before Christmas. The move follows a high court ruling that the approval of an expansion at the mine was invalid. Environmental groups and a lawyer who acted in the case criticised the plan, saying it bypasses the planning process and the court's decision.
A major new New Zealand report says the country has warmed by 1.36°C since 1909, with seven of the ten warmest years falling since 2016. The Our Atmosphere and Climate 2026 report links this warming to more extreme rainfall, drought, heatwaves and floods, alongside accelerating glacier loss and rising sea levels. Its findings also point to risks for agriculture, tourism and Māori communities, with more than 80% of Māori households exposed to flood risk.
Gas use in the ACT has fallen about 20 per cent since 2020, according to territory figures. The government has set a goal of moving off gas by 2045. Fiona Wright, from the ACT's climate change and energy division, said older apartment buildings are the biggest remaining challenge. The Energy Efficiency Council ranked the ACT first nationally for energy efficiency but urged a formal requirement to replace gas appliances. Grattan Institute's Alison Reeve warned that rising charges for remaining customers could hurt renters and low-income households.
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Victoria has launched a $1 million grants program to support inner-west communities affected by heavy vehicle traffic. Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne announced the Better Freight Outcomes Fund on Thursday 15 October. The fund will start in 2027 and will be paid for with penalties issued to trucks breaching no-truck zone rules. Residents and businesses can have their say on its design through a survey open until Sunday 1 November.
A group of climate scientists has released a new tool that estimates the possible effects of fossil fuel emissions on people and the environment. The Carbon Impacts Tracer uses peer-reviewed studies to measure the impact of every megatonne of emissions. It shows how emissions from a coalmine expansion in Australia's Hunter Valley could affect food security and human exposure to heat stress globally. Further projected impacts from 809 million tonnes of emissions include an estimated 107 deaths in Europe and 41,800 more people in extreme poverty.
Methane from open-cut coal mines appears to be understated in official figures, according to aircraft and satellite studies cited in the piece. Under the federal Safeguard Mechanism, every coal mine has the same emissions target per tonne, even though underground mines report far higher emissions per tonne than open-cut mines. The piece argues the federal government should improve how open-cut methane is estimated and set separate limits for each mine type. Federal rules for both methane estimates and emissions targets are currently under review.
Resources Minister Madeleine King is facing calls to correct her claim that all emissions from the Beetaloo gas basin in the Northern Territory will be offset. Speaking at the National Press Club, King said she would have to check whether the emissions were offset. The NT government does not require offsets, and the federal safeguard mechanism covers only direct facility pollution. Researcher Tim Baxter found about 95% of expected emissions from four projects this decade would not have to be offset. King's office said all 135 Pepper inquiry recommendations had been implemented.
