Left in the Dust: Australia In the New Energy Revolution

Lyrebird Dreaming - Gregory Andrews

This week’s New York Times blew the lid off any doubts on who’s winning the global clean energy race. And spoiler alert, it's not Australia. 

The stunning analysis, complete with satellite data and infrastructure maps, revealed China has already dived in head first and is way ahead of the pack. 

It’s building wind turbines, solar farms, batteries, EVs, electric bullet trains, and transmission lines at a pace the rest of the world can barely comprehend. 

It’s not just a climate strategy. It’s a major economic play. A technology play. A future-proofing and leadership play.

Meanwhile, Australia's still addicted to fossil fuels and we're deluding ourselves that we can have it both ways. We're being left in the dust.

Australia is the second-largest exporter of CO2 emissions in the world. Only Russia ships out more climate pollution than we do. Yet the Albanese Government tries to tell us we’re climate leaders because we’ve been putting up lots of solar panels and have a hydrogen strategy — in draft. 

Approval of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension to 2070 makes a mockery of our climate commitments. That single decision greenlights 4.3 billion tonnes of future carbon emissions — locking in climate harm until today’s toddlers will be retirees. 

Australia’s economy is still built on yesterday’s fuels, not tomorrow’s solutions.

Even worse, we’re not just dragging our feet — we’re dressing it up in spin. Earlier this year, EnergyAustralia was forced to apologise to over 400,000 customers after admitting its “Go Neutral” program misled Aussies about the benefits of carbon offsets. 

“Offsetting” doesn’t erase emissions. It doesn’t undo the harm. And it certainly doesn’t replace the hard work of transitioning to clean energy. Then there’s Australian Gas Networks, taken to court in June by the ACCC for claiming gas will soon be “renewable.” That’s not science. That’s fantasy — and the regulator knows it.

These are part of a wider pattern where industry — and too often, government — is painting a green face on a brown economy.

Let’s be honest: Australia is falling behind. Way behind.

The Australia Institute recently found we’re among the worst OECD performers in the global energy transition. Our fossil fuel use has actually increased since 2005! The world is sprinting towards decarbonisation, and we can't even get into the starting blocks. We're too busy arguing if wind turbines kill birds or batteries catch fire.

China is building 800 gigawatts and India 500 gigawatts of renewables by 2030. The EU is decoupling its gas reliance and electrifying everything. And Australia's still debating whether gas is a “transition fuel.”

This Isn’t Just About Emissions. It’s About Our Wealth And Prosperity

Let’s be clear: the clean energy race isn’t just a climate contest. It’s a power shift. Whoever owns the wind, the sun, the storage, and the smart grid will own the future economy. And if we keep kidding ourselves, Australia will be left exporting raw minerals while other nations grow wealthy through value-added technology, know-how, and influence.

Here’s what we must do:

• Stop the Spin: Ban greenwashing and enforce truth in political advertising.
• Cut the Cord: Set real and rapid timelines for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and new coal and gas projects.
• Build the Backbone: Stop arguing and fast-track grid upgrades and support large-scale battery, wind, and solar projects, particularly in regions already impacted by the energy transition.
• Invest in Justice: Ensure low-income Australians and fossil fuel-dependent communities are empowered to lead and benefit from the transition.
• Play the Long Game: Support Australian manufacturing of clean energy components — solar panels, electrolysers, batteries, cables — not just mining the ingredients.

We can be a clean energy superpower. We have the sun, the wind, the smarts, the critical minerals. But right now, we’re choosing a lazy path. 

While China isn’t perfect, it’s building a clean energy future with ambition and scale. 

Australia risks being left in the dust. 

Links

• There’s a Race to Power the Future. China Is Pulling Away.
• New analysis: Australia’s energy transition among worst in OECD
• China Solar and Wind Installations Break More World Records
• China breaks more records with surge in solar and wind power
• Fossil fuels are being 'eaten alive' by the solar rush
• China building two-thirds of world’s wind and solar projects
• How China came to dominate the world in renewable energy
• China Building Twice as Much Wind and Solar as Rest of World Combined