Portfolio — 28 August 2026

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy released the latest quarterly emissions update, reporting national greenhouse gas emissions fell to 455.6 million tonnes for the year to March 2026 — a 7.5-million-tonne reduction from the previous year [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2]. Renewable electricity generation set a record, cutting electricity emissions by 5.6 million tonnes (a 3.7% decline) as solar, wind and batteries displaced coal and gas [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2].

The Clean Energy Regulator reported more than 1 GW of rooftop solar and 1.8 GW of large-scale solar investment decisions added in the June quarter. Fugitive and stationary energy emissions fell a combined 1.7 million tonnes on lower gas venting, reduced underground coal mining and cuts in oil and gas extraction. The Capacity Investment Scheme is supporting an additional 26 GW of solar and wind capacity and 14 GW of new clean-energy storage.

Minister Bowen framed the results as evidence that cleaner energy is also cheaper for households, citing over 4 million rooftop solar systems and more than half a million home batteries delivered through the Cheaper Home Batteries program [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2]. He said the opposition parties are "proposing higher electricity bills and higher emissions," which he characterised as "not the real change Australia needs" [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2].

Transport emissions rose 0.2% on increased domestic air travel and diesel road transport, though petrol use fell as more Australians adopted electric vehicles [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2]. The increase follows declines in previous periods and remains below the December 2024 record high — the last year before the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard took effect [TA-260828-climat-55e866d433f2].

The release continues the portfolio's established narrative linking emissions reduction to household cost-of-living relief, extending the affordability theme flagged in the minister's earlier communications on fuel-security reserves. The Cheaper Home Batteries program and the Capacity Investment Scheme remain the principal instruments connecting renewable deployment to lower energy bills, positioning the transition as a core element of the government's broader cost-of-living agenda.