Jul 30, 2026
Spark Club Podcast Ep72 24th July 2026
Highlights – ‘Message to the haters’ AFR Headline
Beyond Tim’s inspirational trip to China last month to be reminded about ‘China Speed, China Scale’ + ‘China Going Global’, his favourite thing this year was seeing the AFFR headline: “‘Message to the haters’: Chalmers gets cover to cut diesel tax rebate”
Following a campaign in the lead-up to Labor’s 50th national conference by the highly influential Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN), convenor Louise Crawford moved an amendment that paved the way for future action: “Labor will ensure that all policies, including taxation, work together to provide appropriate incentives and remove disincentives for orderly decarbonisation,” the amendment, passed unopposed by delegates.
Recently elected ALP MP for Bennelong, Jerome Laxale said the amendment sent “a message to the haters that Labor can and will double down on decarbonisation. Our new platform should scream that Labor is serious about climate action and no one who reads it should be surprised when we use our time in government to deliver it.”
And the AFR acknowledged a key plank of Climate Capital Forum’s strategy: “Farmers and tourism operators would not be affected by the proposal.”
A long way to go yet, but such a big team effort, with LEAN working with the ACTU, Fortescue, CANA, ACOSS and IGCC plus a range of additional groups leaning in to build collective social, union, cleantech and eNGO power – the power of a coalition.
Highlights – China CleanTech exports record high in June
China’s cleantech exports are truly booming. EMBER reports June 2026 was a record high US$26.7bn
Lowlights - China solar capacity installs in 1HCY2026 down
1HCY2026 capacity adds data is pretty bleak relative to the massive outperformance by China in previous years.
They have added 38GW of thermal in 6 months, up vs 26GW add pcp.
They have added 72GW of solar in 6 months, down vs 212GW add pcp. -2/3
They have added 39GW of wind in 6 months, down vs 51GW add pcp. -22%
BESS installs are booming – but clearly they are holding firepower on the domestic economic stimulus to have firepower vs Trump, but after GDP growth of +4.3% yoy in 2QCY2026, they are likely to do something stimulus wise near term, I would think
Main Story – Our new CEF Report: Arc of Ambition: Decarbonising and Safeguarding Australia’s Steel Industry
An effective Green Energy Statecraft policy architecture starting domestically can create government initiatives and channels of strategic public capital deployment that de-risk key aspects of project development through coordinated planning; enabling infrastructure; and efficient allocation and alleviation of project development risks, addressing structural challenges to the economic viability of decarbonised value-add.
Link to the full report here:
What’s coming up? Boao Forum Perth
This week Tim had the privilege of joining Oliver Yates of @Green Energy Statecraft, Rachel Howard @MPP & Tom Parker @ACBC Beathan @TSP, Tom Quinn @Springmout and others to attend a full day conference – the Boao Forum in Perth
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), hosted by Fortescue, brings together senior leaders from government, industry and academia from across Australia & China, and a smattering of representatives from ASEAN and Gabon.The Perth Forum explored the theme The Next Phase of Green Industry Cooperation. The Forum examines how governments and industry can strengthen regional cooperation, improve energy security and accelerate the deployment pathways for large scale green technologies and industries.
CEF is honoured to be speaking in Session 4: Future green energy enabled industries and market creation
It is a who’s who from China – both cleantech, government, steel, construction and finance – so a lot broader than just the narrow definition of the steel supply chain of old – it is all about the massive infrastructure buildout needs of the bilateral integrated green iron and steel profile from mining, railways, grid, renewable generation and bess firming to green iron and then green steel, with the massive associated cooperation required at the political arena, plus the financing needs – interesting to see ANZ and Macquarie Group speaking alongside CDB, Bank of China, China Construction Bank and China EXIM Bank.
Given the seniority and number of Chinese executives attending – It is embarrassing the Australian delegation that pales by comparison. At least the WA Premier and Energy Ministers attended in part.
End.