Renewable Energy

Exclusive: FOI documents reveal former environment minister took action despite support from islanders

• Support our independent journalism with a one-off or recurring contribution

The former environment minister Josh Frydenberg went against the advice of his departmental experts when he blocked two wind turbines on Lord Howe Island in 2017, consigning the world heritage-listed island to relying on diesel fuel for the bulk of its electricity.

A freedom of information request by the Guardian has uncovered that the minister took the unusual action of blocking the project under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, deeming it “unacceptable”.

Related: 'Dark satanic mills': Tony Abbott continues his crusade against wind turbines

Related: Lord Howe Island coral bleaching 'most severe we've ever seen', scientists say

Support our independent journalism with a one-off or recurring contribution

Worldwide commission aims to end energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia by driving investment in new technology

Electricity could be delivered to more than a billion people currently living without it within a decade by linking up small-scale projects into a giant, environmentally-friendly network.

According to a new global commission, advances in micro energy grids and renewable energy technologies could “dramatically accelerate change” and transform lives in rural areas of sub-Saharan African and south Asia.

Related: Lights out: the price hikes leaving millions of South Africans in the dark | Kimon de Greef

Labor tells clean energy sector it should celebrate reaching 33,000 GWh target despite ‘full frontal assault’ by Coalition

Angus Taylor has defended the government’s record on renewable energy as Labor and the Greens ambushed the minister over a sudden drop in investment in clean energy.

Labor’s climate spokesman, Mark Butler, told a Clean Energy Council gathering in Canberra the sector had withstood a “full frontal assault” from the Coalition and “some in the media”, while the Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, said the current investment cliff was “no accident” but a deliberate policy of the government.

Related: Clean energy investment falls back to 2016 levels amid policy uncertainty

Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Related: John Hewson urges Liberal conscience vote on climate emergency motion

The recent record investment in renewable energy is showing signs of slowing dramatically, the Clean Energy Council warns

A new snapshot of Australia’s clean energy sector warns new investment committed in the first half of 2019 has fallen back to 2016 levels, when Tony Abbott invited an investment strike when he tried to abolish the renewable energy target.

While the Morrison government has been trumpeting record recent investment in renewable energy to rebut persistent arguments the Coalition lacks ambition on climate policy, an assessment of the investment outlook prepared by the Clean Energy Council, to be released on Wednesday, warns the positive trend is in danger of abrupt reversal because of the ongoing lack of policy certainty.

Related: Clean energy set to provide 35% of Australia's electricity within two years

Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Humber drive aims to shrink carbon footprint of UK’s most polluting industrial zone

Energy companies have ignited multibillion-pound plans for the UK’s first carbon-neutral “industrial cluster” in the Humber.

An alliance of companies including National Grid, Drax and Norway’s state energy company, Equinor, are leading a campaign to shrink the carbon footprint of Britain’s most polluting industrial zone.