Research Special: Measuring the impacts of new fossil fuel projects

Australia’s fossil fuel industry has long argued that its projects are “too small to matter” when it comes to global climate change. But new research led by 21st Century Weather proves otherwise.

Using a robust scientific method adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), our researchers have quantified how much additional global warming will be caused by emissions from the Scarborough gas project, a major new gas development approved off the coast of Western Australia. The study shows that no fossil fuel project is too small to make a measurable difference to the planet’s climate.

This episode of Totally Cooked: The Climate & Weather Podcast breaks down what the numbers really mean. Hosts Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan speak with contributing authors Andrew King and Georgy Falster about the study’s findings: 876 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, 0.00039 °C of additional global warming, and real-world consequences for people and ecosystems. We explore how heatwaves, coral bleaching, and mortality risks increase, and why this work fundamentally shifts how fossil fuel projects should be assessed in Australia and around the world.

With governments setting ambitious net zero targets, the Scarborough case shows how new gas projects undermine climate goals. This groundbreaking research gives policymakers, regulators, and communities the tools to hold companies accountable for the warming their projects cause. Tune in to understand the science, the stakes, and the path forward for climate action in Australia.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

To find out more, go to: https://21centuryweather.org.au/engage/totally-cooked-the-weather-climate-podcast/

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