CLIMATE RESOURCES

Sunshot: Achieving global leadership in clean exports, 2023

In 2021, the 'Sunshot: Australia's opportunity to create 395,000 clean export jobs' was released - revealing that a transition to an Australian economy driven by clean energy in five priority clean exports could have the potential to add $100b in value to the economy and over 400,000 jobs to the market. A $38b public investment over 10 years, specifically focused on the clean industry policy pillar, can catalyse further private investment to support Australia in reaching globally leading positions in the five prioritised industries.

These five priority clean exports include:

Critical mineral
Green iron & steel
Batteries
Green hydrogen and ammonia
Green alumina and aluminium

Since then, the global pace of the energy transition has rapidly increased and the revised 2023 analysis outlined in ‘Sunshot: Achieving global leadership in clean exports’ reveals that Australia now has opportunity to add $314b to its economy by 2040 in a high ambition scenario.

Read the report here:

Sunshot - Achieving Global Leadership in Clean Exports_Final Report_2023

Renewable Superpower Scorecard #3, 2022

The Renewable Superpower Scorecard presents a snapshot of how Australia’s states, territories and the Australian Government are performing in the race to become a world-leading renewable superpower.

The scores are backed by a rigorous, fair and independent comparison of each jurisdiction’s policies, actions and progress across 11 categories of policy action (see pages 16 to 19 to learn more about our methodology). This third edition provides an update on progress over the past 12 months, from November 2021 to November 2022.

Read the scorecard report:

Renewable Superpower Scorecard #3 2022

Behind the Scorecard: Technical Report, Nov 2021

This technical report has been produced to support the second edition of the WWF Renewable Superpower Scorecard, published in November 2021.

Part 1 describes the methodology used to produce the second scorecard including the overarching approach, development of the quantitative and qualitative indicators, research and scoring process, and expanded detail of the results found in the Scorecard. An explanation of any changes from the first edition (published in March 2021) are also highlighted throughout the report.

Part 2 presents a model of one scenario for achieving an ambitious renewable energy target of 700% for Australia by 2050. Where 700% renewables is understood to mean electricity generation from firmed renewable sources seven times greater than Australia’s total electricity generation in 2020. The trajectory described in this scenario was used to determine the scoring scale for several of the quantitative indicators in the scorecard. There have been no changes to Part 2 since the first edition of this report, however future editions are likely to include updates as new publicly available studies emerge reporting the level of new build renewable generation and storage capacity required to meet 100% renewables and beyond.

Download the report: Behind the Scorecard: Technical Report, Nov 2021

Behind the Scorecard Technical Report, Dec 2022

This technical report has been produced to support the third edition of the WWF Renewable Superpower Scorecard, published in December 2022.

Part 1 describes the methodology used to produce the third scorecard including the overarching approach, development of the quantitative and qualitative indicators, research and scoring process, and expanded detail of the results found in the Scorecard. An explanation of any changes from the second edition (published in November 2021) are also highlighted throughout the report.

Part 2 presents a model of one scenario for achieving an ambitious renewable energy target of 700% for Australia by 2050. Where 700% renewables is understood to mean electricity that would be required to support decarbonisation of the grid, electrification of the economy and powering export opportunities. The trajectory described in this scenario was used to determine the scoring scale for several of the quantitative indicators in the scorecard. There have been no changes to Part 2 since the first edition of this report, however future editions are likely to include updates as new publicly available studies emerge reporting the level of new build renewable generation and storage capacity required to meet 100% renewables and beyond.

Download the report: Behind the Scorecard: Technical Report 2022

Building a Net-Zero Future: Australian Businesses Taking Science-Based Climate Action

In collaboration with Griffith University and Global Company Network Australia, we are launching our report to showcase the early adopters and share sustainability managers’ experiences in setting the science-based targets. We interviewed sustainability managers from 15 Australian companies. Their role as agents of change is fundamental to getting companies over the line to adopt ambitious science aligned targets. Some key findings are as follows:

New skills are required to understand the methodologies, the tracking and engagement of scope three supply chains, and appropriate carbon accounting frameworks.
The need to build the internal business case and socialise the opportunities and nature of the transformational change to board directors, upper management, and staff, in particular when the pathways and technologies are not fully known; and
The use of external influences is vital to help build a business case such as understanding business risk through a climate risk frame.

Download the report: Building a Net-Zero Future: Australian Businesses Taking Science-Based Climate Action

Delivering economic stimulus through renewables

In response to the profound economic impacts of COVID-19, WWF-Australia proposes a renewable stimulus which would drive new employment growth, provide greater diversity within the broader economy, accelerate climate action and put Australia on the pathway to becoming a renewable export powerhouse. Recent polling by WWF shows that nationally, when asked to choose between two positions, 69% of respondents said Australia’s potential to be an economic superpower of the post carbon world was more aligned with their thinking, than a critique of renewables which argued they were not a good solution for the future. This holds up across all states and even across party lines. For example, in Queensland this rises to 72%. Among coalition voters this figure is 61%. Most people want us to go for renewable-powered growth.

Download the report: Delivering economic stimulus through renewables: Renewable Recovery - June 2020

Energising the Economy with Renewable Hydrogen - Hydrogen Position Paper

WWF-Australia believes renewable hydrogen is essential to the full decarbonisation of the global economy and ought to be supported, subject to: 1. Being renewable only. 2. Being traceable. 3. Stringent public, worker and environmental safety practices being adopted. 4. Being developed following sustainability principles. 5. Being pursued as a complementary strategy to electrification. 6. The industry is structured to lower energy costs to Australian consumers. Download the full report: Energising the Economy with Renewable Hydrogen - Hydrogen Position Paper

Making Australia a renewables export powerhouse policy

As the world moves to act on global heating and fulfil the promise of the Paris Climate Agreement, places that have the best renewable resources in the world have a significant opportunity. It’s an opportunity that we believe Australia should seize. Renewable energy such as solar and wind is critical to decarbonising more than two-thirds of global emissions in the electricity, transport, buildings and industrial sectors. In a world that acts on global heating, places with the most sunshine and strong winds and the land or area to capture these resources will have the lowest cost energy - a significant competitive advantage we ought to secure. In this policy paper, WWF-Australia sets out the priority policies required by Australian state and federal governments to position Australia as a renewable export powerhouse and put us on track to 700% renewables - that means having enough renewable energy for ourselves, and having much more left over to sell to the world.

Download the full report: Making Australia a Renewables Export Powerhouse Policy

Renewable superpower survey

On behalf of WWF-Australia, EY surveyed 53 experts from a range of organisations that undertake research, invest in, or manage renewable energy and clean manufacturing export opportunities, to explore their views on Australia’s future role in the industry. These organisations spanned private business, think tanks, peak bodies, academic institutions, research groups and NGOs. Overall, there is a genuine optimism for Australia’s future as a renewable energy and clean manufacturing exporter, with respondents citing Australia’s abundance of resources, skills and expertise as key drivers to realise Australia’s clean export potential.

Download the full report: Renewable superpower survey - A survey of businesses on Australia's superpower opportunity

Download the summary report: Renewable superpower survey - EY and WWF, one page summary

WWF-BZE Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts

Renewable energy industrial precincts can accelerate the growth of manufacturing in Australia. Beyond Zero Emissions & WWF-Australia, along with partners Energy Estate and IronBark have prepared this briefing paper to explain how renewable energy industrial precincts can promote economic growth and development of Australian industry.

Download the full report: WWF BZE Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts - Briefing paper - September 2020

WWF Technology Investment Roadmap Discussion Paper Submission

Australia has been a world-leader in zero carbon technologies and jurisdictions such as South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT are at the forefront of the global transition to clean energy. Queensland is currently leading efforts to scale-up carbon farming through the Land Restoration Fund. With our abundant land, world-leading solar and wind resources, expertise and strong trading relationships, it is imperative that Federal Government policies and programs be put in place to capitalize on our comparative advantage and position Australia to prosper into the future as the world decarbonises. Without urgent action, it is likely that Australia will be left behind.

Download the paper: WWF Technology Investment Roadmap - Discussion Paper Submission

WWF Submission - Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan

WWF-Australia commends the Tasmanian Government for significant achievements - both the anticipated achievement of 100% renewable self-sufficiency, and also the bold step of proposing to set a world-leading 200% renewables target. WWF believes that the opportunities presented by Tasmania’s abundant and high quality renewable resources can be transformed into jobs, new industries, new export opportunities, and economic growth, and that the draft Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan sets out significant steps towards Tasmania realising these opportunities and becoming a global renewable energy powerhouse.

Read the plan: WWF Submission - Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan

Queensland Climate Action Plan

A report by Accenture has found that Queensland can at least halve its domestic carbon emissions this decade and create 87,000 new jobs across new industries by harnessing its abundant renewable energy and natural environment. Queensland is currently Australia’s highest carbon emitting state, accounting for almost a third (32%) of the country’s total emissions. Queensland Climate Action Plan: laying the foundation for a successful climate transformation was commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, and WWF-Australia and conducted by Accenture to explore the state’s current plans and opportunities to accelerate change. The three organisations are calling for greater ambition and action on climate change by both the private sector and the Queensland Government, as the state prepares to unveil its 10 year energy plan to help protect precious land and marine environments, create jobs, and boost the state’s economy. The report calls for action in three key areas:

Re-power Queensland with clean energy - decarbonising the electricity sector, which is the state’s largest emissions source
Lay the foundations for a gigaton-scale land carbon industry by protecting and restoring 100 million hectares of forest and woodland
Accelerate the development of a clean exports industry

Read the plan:

Queensland Climate Action Plan