Australia ready to become EU’s ‘energy powerhouse’, climate minister says

(2 Feb 2023) Improved dialogue between Australia and the European Union is crucial to achieving global climate goals, according to Chris Bowen, Australia’s minister for climate change and energy.

“The climate ambitions and agenda of Australia and the European Union are very closely aligned” and lend themselves to a “substantial and comprehensive partnership,” the minister said on Tuesday (31 January) during an event at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels. 

Australia has a long way to go, however.

Fossil fuels contributed 71% of the country’s total electricity generation in 2021, with coal taking the lion’s share (51%), followed by gas (18%). 

Coal’s dominance in power generation is declining rapidly, though – going down from 83% in 1999 – while renewables have surged to 29%.

And further change is expected since prime minister Anthony Albanese came to power last year. Depicted as an “environment advocate” in the media, Albanese is determined to see Australia play a leading role in the global fight against climate change.

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, 2 Feb 2023: Australia ready to become EU’s ‘energy powerhouse’, climate minister says