Summary and Action

• Tropical Cyclone Alfred on target to hit Brisbane likely to cause storm surge, extreme rain, flooding (Cyclones very rare at this latitude) Brisbane set new daily rainfall records on Sunday 9 March. The economic cost? roughly $1 billion a day
• The 2024/25 Summer was the second-hottest summer on record and ‘not possible without climate change’. Area average Anomaly was 1.89C above long-term average and it ‘will be one of the coolest in the 21st century’.
• Department of Climate Change released latest quarter (September 2024) National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory (NGGI), showing that emissions are still flatlining, with Transport emissions overtaking Stationary Energy (that includes LNG Processing) to be second to Electricity emissions.
• On the local level in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, the State Government is targeting increased housing in Brunswick and Coburg and locals are calling for long promised upgrades to the Upfield Rail Line to cope with increased population.
• Climate and sustainability is one of the issues in the Australian Federal Election here in Wills, although many people are struggling with day to day cost of living issues. Climate change is one driver of cost of living in energy costs, food prices and insurance. A Candidates forum is being organised in Wills for Tuesday 18 March at 6.30pm at Coburg Uniting Church.
• Prime Minister addresses Cyclone Alfred extreme weather impacts, delays election till May.
• In a Captain’s Call Prime Minister proposes rushed changes to National Environment laws to reduce due process, for the benefit of the foreign owned Tasmanian Salmon Industry.

Timeline

30 March 2025 – Scientists say ‘devastating’ Ningaloo Reef coral bleaching puts ancient colonies at risk https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-30/ningaloo-reef-coral-bleaching-curtin-uni-scientists-survey/105098464

30 March 2025 – Albanese willing to direct gas exporters to supply Australia ‘if needed’ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-30/albanese-gas-reservation-policy-will-direct-if-needed/105113746

29 March 2025 – Is Australia’s “carbon neutral” scheme being abandoned? https://www.tempestsandterawatts.com/p/is-australias-carbon-neutral-scheme

29 March 2025 – Labor has delayed Woodside Browse Gas extension approval until rock art study released after the election. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-29/federal-government-reviews-rock-art-monitoring-study/105098644

28 March 2025 – More gas and lower prices ‘years away’ as experts poke holes in Coalition’s gas reservation policy https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-28/experts-poke-holes-in-the-coalition-s-gas-reservation-plans/105077956

27 March 2025 – Dutton unveils gas reservation scheme and vows to sack 41,000 public service workers in budget reply https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/27/peter-dutton-budget-reply-speech-gas-reservation-scheme-public-service-cuts

27 March 2025 – Dutton’s pledge to fast-track North West Shelf could expose it to legal challenge https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-27/dutton-gas-fast-track-pledge-legal-challenge/105100226

25 March 2025 – Federal Budget 2025 through a climate and sustainability lens https://climateactionmerribek.org/2025/03/25/federal-budget-2025-through-a-climate-and-sustainability-lens/

24 March 2025 – Rushed changes to the EPBC Act for the Salmon Industry. Australia’s leading environment organisations have abruptly suspended advertising campaigns attacking the Coalition’s plan to introduce nuclear power and are instead funding ads accusing Anthony Albanese of signing “the death warrant” of an endangered species by proposing a rushed amendment to the EPBC Act for the Tasmanian Salmon Industry. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/24/apoplectic-environment-groups-halt-coalition-attack-ads-to-take-aim-at-albanese-over-species-death-warrant

23 March 2025 – Ningaloo and Great Barrier Reef hit by ‘profoundly distressing’ simultaneous coral bleaching events. Scientists say widespread damage to both world heritage-listed reefs is ‘heartbreaking’ as WA reef accumulates highest amount of heat stress on record. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/23/ningaloo-and-great-barrier-reef-hit-by-profoundly-distressing-simultaneous-coral-bleaching-events

20 March 2025 – Albanese captains call to worsen environmental outcomes. Government set to ram through legislation on Tasmanian Salmon Farming on Tuesday, with the legislation understood “will be broader than the salmon industry and will be intended to limit conservation groups’ powers to challenge past decisions that have allowed developments to go ahead.” In other words, it will likely curtail the challenge of past decisions on fossil fuels. So instead of promised renewal of national environmental law, it is set to make it fossil fuel expansion easier. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/19/albanese-to-rush-through-new-laws-to-protect-tasmanias-salmon-industry-from-legal-threat

20 March 2025 – In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a New report by Climate Council : Eye of the storm: How Climate Pollution Fuels More Intense and Destructive Cyclones https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/climate-pollution-and-destructive-cyclones/

20 March 2025 – New AEMO report says mild winters and phase out of gas through electrification has moved back gas shortfall to 2028. But even so, Australia has always had enough gas with over 80% exported for profit or used in processing LNG for export with little payment in royalties. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/20/mild-winters-and-trend-towards-electrification-will-push-back-gas-shortage-until-2028-aemo-says

20 March 2025 – Australia in discussions to avoid ‘devastating consequences’ of US aid cuts for Pacific nations. Aid provides a particularly important strategic role in the Pacific Region in competition with China and could be increased to 1% of our GDP. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/20/australia-pacific-nations-us-aid-cuts

20 March 2025 – Woodside’s bid to expand a huge gas project in Werstern Australia is testing both major parties’ environmental credentials https://theconversation.com/woodsides-bid-to-expand-a-huge-gas-project-is-testing-both-major-parties-environmental-credentials-247340

20 March 2025 – National Environment Scorecard: Rain gave Australia’s environment a fourth year of reprieve in 2024 – but this masks deepening problems: report https://theconversation.com/rain-gave-australias-environment-a-fourth-year-of-reprieve-in-2024-but-this-masks-deepening-problems-report-252183

19 March 2025 – WMO State of the climate report reveals 151 extreme weather events in 2024, and it being the hottest year on record, with extreme weather events displacing over 800,000 people. https://wmo.int/publication-series/state-of-global-climate-2024

18 March 2025 – Explainer on Renewables are cheap. So why isn’t your power bill falling? https://theconversation.com/renewables-are-cheap-so-why-isnt-your-power-bill-falling-252391

18 March 2025 – New research conducted by Monash University’s BehaviourWorks Australia for the Biodiversity Council has revealed that most Australians are concerned about the state and future of nature, regardless of who they vote for. The cost of living is the top issue for voters, but on the second tier, the environment and climate change are now close to housing, healthcare and the economy in terms of the number of people who rate it as a top policy concern for the country. https://biodiversitycouncil.org.au/news/survey-finds-environment-among-top-5-issues-on-the-minds-of-voters

18 March 2025 – Federal Labor Government playing politics with ‘frankly terrifying’ national climate Security Risks. https://johnmenadue.com/government-refuses-to-articulate-frankly-terrifying-security-risks/

18 March 2025 – Liberal Party keen on fast tracking gas expansion as Dutton vows fast-track approval for Woodside’s North West Shelf gas behemoth that will destroy Burrup Rock Art and cause climate pollution for 70 years with zero royalty payments. “The new Woodside development is expected to generate 4.3 billion tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime, equivalent to Australia’s total emissions budget until 2030 under Labor’s climate targets.” Final Approval of the project is currently before Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-18/dutton-vows-approval-for-woodside-north-west-shelf-gas/105068672

17 March 2025 – Extreme heat could double impacts of heart disease by 2050, study finds. “Extreme heat trends are responsible for 7.3 per cent of Australia’s heart disease burden, according to new research. And if the current trend of greenhouse gas emissions continues, that figure could double, or even triple, by the middle of the century.” … “South Australia had the highest rate of cardiovascular disease attributable to high temperatures, followed by Victoria. The study said the southern regions had higher relative risks and less adaptation to high-temperature exposures.” https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/extreme-heat-cardiovascular-disease-risk-double-2050-climate/105060030

15 March 2025 – Exclusive: Secret briefings on climate national security risk. The Albanese Government on December 9 allowed an in-confidence briefing of the Community Independent MPs of the Office of National Intelligence (ONI) Climate Security report that was finalised at end of 2022. (Neither the Greens or Coalition MPs, or Labor MPs on the Joint National Security Committee have been allowed to see this report) This report needs to be declassified and made public. https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2025/03/15/exclusive-secret-briefings-climate-national-security-risk

14 March 2025 – A fossil fuel behemoth: Report exposes Australia’s hypocrisy in wake of Cyclone Alfred. Exporting Harm: The Climate Toll of Australia’s Fossil Fuel Expansion https://fossilfueltreaty.org/australia-report-pr

Key Findings (Click to Open)

• Australia’s fossil fuel exports have doubled twice in the past three decades—from 1990 to 2005 and again from 2005 to today.
• Since 2021, despite global warnings, Australia has approved 30 new coal and gas projects under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act with more approved under the offshore oil and gas regime.
• 48% of the world’s metallurgical coal and 19% of thermal coal originate from Australia, making it the largest and second-largest exporter of each, respectively.
• Australia’s liquefied gas exports have increased seven-fold since 2005, with the country now producing 20% of all internationally traded LNG. 
• Australia’s fossil fuel pipeline will add more still. A conservative selection of the projects currently being planned in Australia would create as much as 18.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to 6.2% of the world’s remaining 1.5°C carbon budget. 
• Australia’s exported fossil fuel emissions will be 3.3 times larger than its domestic emissions within five years.

14 March 2025 – Record intense rainfall and flash flooding in Albany, Western Australia. Though the story doesn’t mention climate change, have no doubt that much warmer oceans with the climate crisis contributed to this extreme weather event. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-14/albany-schools-businesses-close-record-rain/105051952

14 March 2025 – UK hoping to work with China to counteract Trump’s climate-hostile policies. The USA has left a vacuum in global action on climate change. UK PM Ed Miliband visits Beijing as part of plan to create global axis working in favour of climate action. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/14/uk-hoping-to-work-with-china-to-counteract-trumps-climate-hostile-policies

13 March 2025 – Their profit, our cost: Should fossil fuel companies pay for climate disasters? An Op-ed by Sydney Morning Herald Environment Editor. Includes coverage of Oil and Gas sector at CERAweek in Houston, Texas, lauding fossil fuel expansion. https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/their-profit-our-cost-should-fossil-fuel-companies-pay-for-climate-disasters-20250312-p5livu.html

13 March 2025 – Coalition offers mixed messages on insurance as Dutton faces internal criticism over lack of economic policy. Public comments reveal the opposition’s lack of major cost-of-living policies so close to an election. And of course they want to take Australia backwards on climate action. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/13/australian-federal-election-dutton-albanese-liberal-labor-updates-economy

12 March 2025 – Australia’s biggest gas buyer JERA warns of lean times ahead
More LNG from Qatar and the US is expected to make the 2030s a buyers market. Why are approving more gas? (Browse in WA, Beetaloo in NT) https://www.boilingcold.com.au/australias-biggest-gas-buyer-jera-warns-of-lean-times-ahead/

11 March 2025 – The economic cost of ex-Cyclone Alfred could be $1 billion a day. May have a short term inflationary effect on food prices, and will continue the pressure of climate weather disasters on rising insurance premiums. Over 22,000 insurance claims registered so far, with estimates of the hit from the disaster to insurers could top $2 billion. The annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey indicates that extreme weather damage to homes appears to have lifted from 1.0-1.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-11/economic-cost-ex-tropical-cyclone-alfred-insurance/105032864

11 March 2025 – Dont Nuke the Climate publish radioactive plume maps for Caesium 137 radioactive isotope based on a Fukushima sized nuclear disaster, for the 7 nuclear sites the Coalition have identified for nuclear power plants. around Australia. https://nuclearplume.au/

10 March 2025 – Trump’s USAid cuts will have huge impact on global climate finance, data shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/trumps-usaid-cuts-will-have-huge-impact-on-global-climate-finance-data-shows

8 March 2025 – US exits fund that compensates poorer countries for global heating
Trump pulls out of Cop28 loss and damage fund that recognises harms done by richer, polluting economies to vulnerable nations https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/07/us-exits-fund-that-compensates-poorer-countries-for-global-heating

6 March 2025 – Let’s be clear: climate change is a factor in Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Climate Council statement: 1. Climate change has made our oceans hotter which is driving more ferocious and destructive cyclones. 2. The risk of flooding damage from Tropical Cyclone Alfred is greater due to climate change 3. Cyclone Alfred is tracking further south than cyclones usually do in Australia 4. Climate pollution is driving more ferocious and costly extreme weather events https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/cyclone-alfred-more-intense-destructive-climate-change/

See also Rapid climate Attribution Climameter: Heavy rain in Cyclone Alfred locally intensified by human-driven climate change https://www.climameter.org/20250304-05-cyclone-alfred

6 March 2025 – Batten the hatches Northern Australia: Weakening currents in the Atlantic may mean a wetter northern Australia and drier New Zealand (The Conversation) https://theconversation.com/weakening-currents-in-the-atlantic-may-mean-a-wetter-northern-australia-and-drier-new-zealand-248679

6 March 2025 – Western Australia has one story about the gas industry. It won’t accept dissent from ‘over east’ (Guardian) Excellent analysis about gas industry capture of Western Australian State Government that is expanding Fossil gas and hindering climate action, with a generous dollop of greenwashing. It threatens national climate action for Australia. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/06/wa-state-election-2025-gas-industry-impact

3 March 2025 – Earth’s strongest ocean current could slow down by 20% by 2050 in a high emissions future. Melting Antarctic ice is releasing cold, fresh water into the ocean, which is projected to cause the slowdown (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/03/antarctic-circumpolar-current-slow-down-ice-melting-climate

See also at The Conversation: Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound https://theconversation.com/melting-antarctic-ice-will-slow-the-worlds-strongest-ocean-current-and-the-global-consequences-are-profound-251053

3 March 2025 – Tropical Cyclone Alfred could make landfall near Brisbane. Why is this a big deal and when could it hit? People prepare for wild weather as BoM forecasts Alfred to hit Queensland later this week with Brisbane in its path (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/03/tropical-cyclone-alfred-landfall-bom-weather-forecast-path-tracker-qld-nsw

Significant rainfall, flooding expected as TC Alfred likely to hit Brisbane and NSW North Coast from Thursday (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-03/tropical-cyclone-alfred-landfall-thursday-live-updates/105002038

2 March 2025 – Labor backs household batteries in bid to win over voters on cost-of-living and climate worries (Guardian) This is conjecture at the moment as policies by Labor and Coalition have not yet been announced. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/02/labor-backs-household-batteries-in-bid-to-spark-voters-on-cost-of-living-and-climate-worries

1 March 2025 – Victorian communities call for Seismic Shift against offshore gas in face of suite of new gas approvals (Australian Marine Conservation Society) – https://www.marineconservation.org.au/victorian-communities-call-for-seismic-shift-against-offshore-gas-in-face-of-suite-of-new-gas-approvals/

1 March 2025 – Albanese’s climate report card: ‘D for Delivery’ as progress stalls. (Tempests and Terrawatts) This post delves into the quarterly reporting of Australia’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory to highlight the Albanese Government lacklustre performance in reducing emissions https://www.tempestsandterawatts.com/p/albaneses-climate-report-card-d-for

See also: National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Quarterly Update: September 2024 https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-quarterly-update-september-2024

Transport emissions rose to their highest rate overtaking Stationary Energy, now second largest sector to Electricity Emissions “mainly due to emissions from domestic aviation reaching their highest level on record and increased demand for diesel for road transport”

1 March 2025 – Australia’s second-hottest summer in 2024-25 ‘not possible without climate change’, scientist says. 2024-25 summer at 1.89C above long-term average ‘will be one of the coolest in the 21st century’, according to one expert (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/01/bureau-of-meteorology-data-shows-second-hottest-summer-on-record

1 March 2025 – Guardian Op-Ed from Lenore Taylor – Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan is off in the never-never, but our power bills and emissions pledge are not (Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2025/mar/01/peter-duttons-nuclear-plan-is-off-in-the-never-never-but-our-power-bills-and-emissions-pledge-are-not

28 February 2025 – Calls for Upfield upgrade to cope with increased housing. Brunswick and Coburg to gain thousands of new homes under government plan (Brunswick Voice) https://brunswickvoice.com.au/calls-for-upfield-upgrade-to-cope-with-increased-housing/

See Also Upfield Transport Alliance January call for state government to reverse budget cuts to Metro Tunnel ancillary projects that included cancelling a turnbacks at Gowrie and Essendon station that would improve capacity and frequency. https://upfieldtransportalliance.org/2025/01/02/upfield-and-craigieburn-lines-shafted-in-metro-tunnel-budget-cuts/

28 February 2025 – new report by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) in collaboration with the University of Exeter, says global GDP could contract by 50% between 2070 and 2090 if climate change remains unchecked. This is not an abstract environmental warning; it is a projection based on rigorous financial risk assessments. (Forbes | University of Exeter)

See Planetary Solvency: Finding our Balance with Nature (January 2025) https://actuaries.org.uk/document-library/thought-leadership/thought-leadership-campaigns/climate-papers/planetary-solvency-finding-our-balance-with-nature/