ARELJ Article- In the Shadow of Juukan Gorge: The Parliamentary Inquiry and the Progress of Indigenous Cultural Heritage Legislative Reform

Expanding further into hydrogen

Green hydrogen production continues to grow at a rapid pace, with over 109 kilo tonnes per annum produced globally in 2022, representing a 44% growth compared to 2021. Countries including US, Denmark, Canada and Egypt, have announced over 111.9 million tonnes per annum capacity in 2022 alone.  

ARELJ Article- Activist Shareholders and Climate Change: Australian Developments

ARELJ Article- Market Substitution, Climate Change and Coal Royalty Revenue in Queensland and NSW: Filling the Void

ARELJ Recent Development- Wardens' decisions providing clarity but not advancing joy

Key industry updates in Asia

In recent months several countries in Asia have announced regulatory changes to support their transition to renewable energy. 

ARELJ Article- Managing water resources in times of fracking: Regulation and reform in Western Australia

Greenwashing is now a global issue

Businesses and governments are now realising that being green is no longer nice to have, it’s an integral part of operations. There are also benefits, perceived and real, to both consumers and business customers to being involved in programs that are environmentally friendly or have an ethical or sustainable edge. This has given rise to a new risk - ‘greenwashing’ - that governments around the world are now grappling with.

Greenwashing refers to misrepresenting a product, policy or purpose as environmental, ethical or sustainable. It applies not only to companies but also non-profits, investors or anyone seeking to represent themselves in that light.

Potential changes to Environmental, Social and Governance reporting

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) isn’t new to Australia, but it’s expected to become a more important aspect of business in the coming years. With shareholders and institutional investors paying close attention to business activities with an ESG lens we can expect more focus on this area. A recent example is the HESTA superannuation fund choosing to very publicly vote against the AGL demerger proposal on ESG grounds.

What to expect from the new Australian government?

In May, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) achieved a majority government while the Greens and independents hold the balance of power in the Senate. This signals a new era for Australia, with voters clearly putting climate change high on the agenda for the next three years.