Protecting Australia’s environment is a matter of urgency – or at least that's the message the Albanese government campaigned on two and a half years ago.

But now, with environmental legislation stalling in the Senate and a series of announcements lacking detail, there’s a sense that the government’s priorities have shifted.

At a global summit in New York last month, you’d be forgiven for thinking Australia was a climate leader, after being praised for partnering with a small pacific nation facing the worst consequences of climate change.

Today, Director of the Australia Institute's Climate & Energy program and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Polly Hemming, on how Australia’s style of climate negotiating is distracting the world from our climate truths.

The Albanese government is campaigning to host the next United Nations Climate Conference in partnership with Pacific nations, but there is real concern it’s just an exercise in public relations and greenwashing Australia’s climate policies.

Pacific countries are now demanding Australia do more on climate action before agreeing to be part of the bid. Today, Polly Hemming on how Australia is peacocking in the Pacific.

After more than half of voters at the 2022 federal election said climate change was a top concern, helping Labor take power, it became known as the ‘climate election’. and more than half of voters at the 2022 election said it was a top concern.

Today, director of the Australia Institute’s climate and energy program Polly Hemming on what a year of Labor has delivered for the climate.

Unlike in almost every other country in the world, Australia’s government actively helps some of our biggest carbon emitters make claims to consumers that they are “green” or even “carbon neutral”.

Today, senior researcher at The Australia Institute’s climate and energy program, Polly Hemming, on how the government gives green credentials to fossil-fuel companies.