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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Frank Jotzo

Could the decline of fossil fuels be Australia’s chance to become a clean exports giant?

Solar panels in a desert
Renewable power could be used to produce traditionally fossil-fuel intensive items like iron, aluminium, fertiliser and synthetic fuels. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

When Australia announces its 2035 emissions target to the world, there will be a unique opportunity to promote Australia’s ambition to help other countries decarbonise through exports of renewable energy-based commodities, while coal and gas exports will fall.

Coal and gas exports from Australia are equivalent to well over a billion tonnes of CO2 when burned in other countries. That is around 3% of global fossil fuel CO2 emissions – far more than Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions at home that the national emissions target applies to.

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