Australia Loves Solar, So Why The Diesel Addiction? Deep Dive Australia 02: Chris Bowen

Australia is navigating an extraordinarily complex energy transition. It is both a major exporter of fossil fuels and a global leader in rooftop solar, while recent disruption to fuel supplies has reinforced the importance of energy security alongside decarbonisation. As the country prepares to co-host COP31 alongside Türkiye, the choices it makes will have implications well beyond its borders.

This week on Cleaning Up, Michael Liebreich sits down with Chris Bowen, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Chris explains how Australia responded to the recent fuel crisis, why he believes the road to net-zero starts with households, and how the government is balancing affordability, reliability and emissions reduction.

Chris and Michael explore Australia's rapid growth in rooftop solar and home batteries, why electric vehicles have been slower to take off, the challenges of expanding the electricity grid, and what Australia's joint leadership of COP31 means for its role on the global stage. Throughout, Chris explains how he sees the challenge of making the energy transition practical, affordable and politically achievable.

Topics include:

• How Australia avoided fuel shortages during the global energy crisis
• Why Minister Bowen believes the path to net zero starts with households
• How to make rooftop solar and home batteries work at scale
• The challenge of electrifying transport in Australia
• Building the grid needed for a renewable energy future
• Balancing climate ambition with political and community support
• What Australia's energy transition can teach the rest of the world

Leadership Circle:

Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live

Links:

• Chris Bowen’s bio: https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/bowen/biography
• Fatih Birol on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHIrtBZIAg
• Bill McKibben on Cleaning Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W9uR6eTe94

Acronyms:

• IPCC - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• SRES - Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme
• DNSP - Distribution Network Service Provide
• AER - Australian Energy Regulator
• DMO - Default Market Offer
• CIS - Capacity Investment Scheme
• EMO - Energy Market Operator
• ISP - Integrated Systems Plan