An emphatic election victory for the incumbent Labor government means Australia鈥檚 rapid shift to renewable energy will continue. As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen :
In 2022, the Australian people voted to finally act on climate change. After three years of progress [鈥 in 2025 they said keep going.
The election result also means the debate about energy policy is now, in broad terms, over. Australia鈥檚 energy future is wind and solar, backed by storage.
Coal and gas will have a fast-declining role to play and nuclear energy will have none at all. Australia is set to be a renewables nation. There is no turning back now.
Cementing renewables investment
By continuing to build renewables capacity, the returned Labor government can position Australia on the world stage as a genuine leader on clean energy.
The Albanese government has of more than 80% of the main national electricity grid running on renewables by 2030. With such a large majority in parliament, Labor may well be in government at that time.
Australia already has the world鈥檚 , with about 300,000 solar systems installed each year. One in three Australian homes .
Labor is complementing this boom with a new home battery discount scheme, which aims to have more than . This will by reducing demand at peak times.
But more investment in renewables is needed. The policy certainty of a returned Labor government should help to attract international capital. This is important, because more than 70% of investment in renewables in Australia .
Securing climate consensus
Labor鈥檚 win also means it can finally bed down a national consensus on climate policy.
A recent survey on suggested community views can shift if people see action is taken by governments and big business.
This does not mean community opposition to renewable energy will evaporate 鈥 especially in regional Australia. The federal government must work with industry players and other levels of government to ensure proper public consultation. The new will play an important role in ensuring the regions and their workers .
For its part, the Coalition needs to do some soul-searching. Australian voters returned a number of . The Coalition also failed to win , who typically .
All this suggests continued opposition to renewables is unlikely to help the Coalition form government anytime soon. What鈥檚 more, continuing to promote nuclear power 鈥 which some in the Coalition 鈥 in an increasingly renewables-dominated grid.
Doubling down on international climate cooperation
Labor鈥檚 plans to rapidly expand renewable energy strengthen Australia鈥檚 credentials to host the COP31 UN climate talks with Pacific island countries next year.
Australia鈥檚 bid . Turkey 鈥 the only other nation with its hand up to host 鈥 has so far resisted . In support of their own bid, Turkish representatives pointed to uncertainty in Australia ahead of the May election 鈥 however that uncertainty has now passed.
if Australia鈥檚 bid succeeds. This will be a chance to share our world-beating renewables story 鈥 including in South Australia, which is set to achieve .
Australia could also use the talks in South Australia to promote new export industries that use renewable energy, especially plans to .
Hosting rights could attract investment in Australia鈥檚 renewables rollout and help promote exports of critical minerals and green metals. And it would enable Australia to cement its place in the Pacific during a time of increased geo-strategic competition, by promoting a renewables partnership for the whole region.
Australia must move fast and secure the COP31 bid at . Any delay risks a less ambitious summit next year, because building consensus for new initiatives takes time.
Seizing our economic opportunities
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during his on Saturday, renewable energy is 鈥渁n opportunity we must work together to seize for the future of our economy鈥.
Australia is the and , both used extensively in offshore steelmaking.
But Australia can by refining iron ore in Australia using renewables and green hydrogen.
The potential export value of green iron is estimated at , or three times the current value of iron ore exports. More broadly, our clean energy exports 鈥 including green metals, fertilisers and fuels 鈥 could be worth , analysis suggests.
A key challenge for the returned government is that Australia is a long-term strategic partner, even while redirecting trade and investment and toward long-term clean energy industries.
Embracing Australia鈥檚 future
Australians have delivered a strong mandate for climate action. The returned Labor government must ensure this support is not squandered, and voter trust is not lost.
This means seizing the opportunity, once and for all, to shift Australia from our past as a fossil fuel heavyweight to our future as a renewables superpower.
, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, and , Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Director of the 亚美棋牌 Institute for Climate Risk and Response,
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