As Australian states and territories accelerate towards a clean economy without climate pollution, it is important to take stock of how far we’ve already come and the benefits this is already delivering for millions of Australians. 

In fewer than six years, Australia has doubled the share of renewable electricity in our main grid and, today, more than 3.6 million Australian households have installed rooftop solar to reduce their power bills and climate pollution.

This report argues that now is the time to accelerate efforts towards even greater renewable energy targets that align with the global trend of growing demand for clean energy and materials. It argues that we are finally cleaning up our energy act alongside some of our most important regional partners, such as China, India and Singapore.

Key findings

1. Cutting climate pollution by embracing clean energy is now a top priority for most states and territories, with impressive progress to prove it.
2. Progress on building clean energy has been so rapid in recent years that it can be hard to keep up, but it’s all around us here and now.
3. The Sunshine State is living up to its nickname with new investment, jobs and infrastructure in clean energy projects picking up pace across Queensland.
4. Victoria leads our largest states on introducing all-electric new homes and reducing wholesale energy prices. But progress in NSW is being held back by slow and costly approval processes for new clean energy infrastructure.
5. Western Australia and the Northern Territory keep expanding and approving highly polluting coal and gas projects – seriously undermining our national efforts to cut climate pollution and protect Australians from worsening unnatural disasters.