OUT NOW: what happened in the closing stages of #COP30? What’s the vibe of the innovative, complex 🇹🇷🇦🇺 shared COP31? And just how multidimensionally rude can Russia be to all of Spanish-speaking Latin America? Find out in LMSU’s wrap pod, hot off the editing desk! www.letmesumup.net/no-sweets-st...

Intense drama at COP30 provokes deep thought by President of the COP do Lago

#COP30 is into extra time. No new texts yet, a plenary currently set for 10am Saturday Belém time. Doesn’t feel like we’re that close to wrapping up yet!

OUT NOW: a super timely LMSU summarizes what’s happened at the halfway mark of COP30 in Belém, Brazil! It’s all happening here, and in our wild farrago of K-Pop, cranberry juice and Inception references you can decode the whole event. Episode here: www.letmesumup.net/k-cop-ndc-hu...

For what is, I think, the first time, I have joined the immense coffee queue at the Australian Pavilion at #COP30. I am not a coffee person! But I hear we have tea…

#COP30 food: there is rather nice Amazonian food available at Govinda, upstairs at the Gastronomic Center at the northwest part of the Blue Zone. I had maniçoba, pounded slow-cooked manioc leaf, for R89. Tasty! Steeper than the hotly-sought Sociobio, but much easier to get into yesterday.

Notes of a fesity #COP30 side event on global shipping, post the IMO vote last month! www.linkedin.com/posts/tennan...

Will this tree in the corridor at #COP30 survive conditions inside for long? It’s the sort of nice idea whose rich symbolism starts out lovely and turns grim within 2 weeks!

#COP30 food: the food court near the side event spaces (blue, lower right on the map) is pretty okay on first contact. Veggie rice and a drink for R90 is steep but it was at least tasty. Lots of people even for early lunch, but good aircon and a lot of seats (you will have to ask to share a table)

Australia and Türkiye, together at last at #COP30

OUT NOW: global warming getting too much? Why not block out the sun a bit? What could possibly go wrong? A new paper explores complications (there are lots), will annoy people with strong priors on geoengineering! LMSU dips our collective toe in the stratosphere: www.letmesumup.net/how-to-slow-...

OUT NOW: are emissions in the electricity sector sorted, thanks to expected retirements and planned new generation? No, says Grattan’s latest. But they have a solution (and a way to offset its costs). LMSU looks into it! Leprechauns beware! Podcast: www.letmesumup.net/under-gratta...

OUT NOW: Australia’s first national climate risk assessment got a trifle overshadowed by the 2035 target. It deserves a second look! But it’s 284 pages of yikes. LMSU has read it so you can skip to the bits you need most. Pod: www.letmesumup.net/the-ghost-of...

OUT NOW: A new round of Treasury modelling informed Australia’s recent net zero strategy. What was in it? What do Tim, Mira, Emm and Alex have to do with it? And what happens to 🇦🇺 fossil exports? LMSU is on it! Pod here: www.letmesumup.net/trends-the-o...

OUT NOW: a super rapid, yet extended, Let Me Sum Up reaction to Australia’s 2035 emissions target and the päperdämmerung of accompanying advice, modelling, strategies and plans. Are we at home on the range from 62-70%? Saddle up and find out! Podcast here: www.letmesumup.net/the-hi-lo-co...

Lots more time + headspace needed to go through the Australian 2035 climate target decision and sector plans etc. But here's a quick look at the rates of change involved (with historic data to 2024, 2024 projections 2025-2030, new targets 2031-2035, & straight line to 0 in 2050. New targets in blue

I often get asked about the outsized influence of the big gas companies in WA. In the context of the approval just last week of the North West Shelf gas project extension, there is not a better time to be examining this relationship.

OUT NOW: this year’s North West Shelf EPBC extension decision was one chapter in a saga running from the 1960s to, maybe, “2050 And Beyond”. Marian Wilkinson’s new Quarterly Essay reports it; LMSU sums up! Here’s the pod: www.letmesumup.net/once-you-sta...

I read the top quote, was dumbfounded, read on and saw the @nytimes.com journo was right there with me Energy Secretary Attacks Offshore Wind and Dismisses Climate Change www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/c...

CBAM Corner: The 🇪🇺 Commission has opened civil society consultations for the 'Big Three' implementing acts on 👉 the methodology for the determination of embedded emissions; 👉 free allocation adjustment via CBAM certificates; 👉crediting of carbon prices paid in third countries. shorturl.at/tW4TW

OUT NOW: Somehow, geopolitics returned. How does climate action play out, or not, as the US, EU and China jostle and compete? This ep the LMSU pod reads a recent Michael Mehling paper setting out 3 illustrative scenarios. It’s good! Ep: www.letmesumup.net/climate-hege...

This story sits at the overlap of multiple pathologies: - tariff chaos - anticlimate ideology - demolition of nascent China balancing coalition www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/c...

Various daft actions summed up here, perhaps the oddest being the US threat to impose tariffs on nations that vote for the IMO scheme to cut shipping emissions. Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/c...

An absolute hurricane of sovereign risk coming out of multiple tracks of US policy this year - not a great investment environment, whatever the tax code currently says Trump Administration Orders Work Halted on Wind Farm That Is Nearly Built www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/c...

OUT NOW: a double-epic LMSU episode covering NOT JUST the Productivity Commission’s timely climate and energy contribution to the looming Reformdämmerung, BUT ALSO the blockbuster draft report of the Nelson Review of the NEM! Phew! Here’s the pod: www.letmesumup.net/like-sands-t...

OUT NOW: Cars are electrifying. But how do we decarbonise planes, trains, ships, tiptrucks? Many say “Low Carbon Liquid Fuels”; a new Deloitte paper for CEFC explores what this industry could look like in 🇦🇺 - and policy to drive it. Let Me Sum Up is on the case! www.letmesumup.net/hey-big-spen...

Perhaps file this one alongside “EU will import 10mtpa clean hydrogen by 2030”

OUT NOW: what in the heck is a Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, and what is In (or Not In) Australia’s first one, and what should we do (or not do) with that? Let Me Sum Up is on the case! Podcast here: www.letmesumup.net/frankie-my-d...

Super interesting development! And as Aaron says further down, very relevant for potential second-wave Border Adjusters like Australia. I’ve thought export rebates could be fine for years - though they come at a cost (lower than free allocation), and import adjustment in export markets would help.

OUT NOW: What’s better than an Australian Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism? An Asia-wide CBAM! Or so argues a new paper from Matt Pollard and Tim Buckley. What do we think? Listen and find out! Here’s the episode: www.letmesumup.net/we-the-clima...

www.afr.com/policy/energ... There are suggestions some States are holding up finalization of AEMO powers to facilitate LNG import capacity or expanded N-S pipeline capacity, with cost recovery a concern. Change needs scrutiny, but all states will lose if gas shortfalls are not averted!

Potential US-EU agreement on various trade matters may include a one year delay in inclusion of US exports in EU CBAM, plus some coordination on CBAM implementation

OUT NOW: a bold new idea for managing the financial side of an expected gas network death spiral! From past LMSU subject, regulatory superstar Ron Ben-David aka gansta RABer and guerrilla gorilla wrangler The Notorious RBD podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

Not really a foie gras guy but this is an exciting development all the same!

The Senate Finance committee just dropped their draft text for the Republican budget bill. www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-ne... Like the House, it is hot trash and terrible for America. But it is marginally better for clean energy credits. Some key details... 🔌💡 🔌🚗

We're thrilled to announce that @reevealison.bsky.social has been promoted to the position of Director of Grattan Institute’s Energy and Climate Change Program. @tonyrwood.bsky.social who has filled this role for the past 15 years, has been appointed as Senior Fellow for the Program.

Seems significant! www.afr.com/street-talk/... Assuming it passes FIRB, interesting times ahead for the no-longer-so-local-hero in review(s) of national gas security measures, where S and other gas prod may again be in a throw-each-other-under-the-bus competition

OUT NOW: an extra capacious Let Me Sum Up spectacular covers a series of anniversaries! podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

Some thoughts on Victoria’s Viva LNG import terminal approval, per question from @timmyfisher.bsky.social 1. Victoria is pursuing fairly aggressive electrification, but Bass Strait gas is running out even faster

This episode of Let Me Sum Up involved a debate even more important than the scope of Australia’s superpower prospects: which media reference to drscribe it with in the title?

OUT NOW: how can Australia be a clean energy superpower when China can do cheap solar themselves? A meticulous paper by Reuben Finighan finds that without trade, sky-high future 🇨🇳🇮🇳🇩🇪🇯🇵🇰🇷electricity demand becomes horribly expensive to meet. Enter 🇦🇺! (And/or 🇧🇷 🇨🇱 🇲🇦 🇵🇪 🇸🇦) podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

VicGrid releases first draft of Victorian Transmission Plan, proposing seven renewable energy zones and four new transmission lines to support the state’s transition to renewables

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/c... Gutting IRA (proposed, not yet certain, let’s see) would obviously be dire for US success in the transition and bad for global emissions. The logic of learning rates means it’d also slow global declines in tech costs, due to slower deployment. Wrong way, go back!

#NEMReview forum in Sydney today outlined early early thinking from the Panel - I would say very positive directions that have a good chance of getting consensus across divides on resource types and on Big Bang vs Original NEM thought. Encouraging!

OUT NOW: special bonus LMSU episode covers the climate and energy policy decisions in front of the reelected Federal Government. There’s a lot! Ordinarily available only to Patreon backers and Apple Podcast subscribers, we’ve waived the paywall - come get it! podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

OUT NOW: A super-rapid response Let Me Sum Up covers the 2025 Federal Election outcome - what happened, arguments about why, what role climate played, and where next for Australian Democracy and the re-elected Govt. podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

Lesser known winners tonight: Airbnb hosts in Adelaide. #COP31 looking pretty solid for November 2026

Ex Biden economist Brian Deese on the NYT on how the US can avoid a path to irrelevance in the automotive industry www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/o... - convince major markets to shut out 🇨🇳 - retain/expand battery & innovation supports - welcome foreign investment w/tech transfer & localised parts

OUT NOW: what should climate people do next given rapid regress on 1.5, rapid progress on cleantech, and Global Political Headwinds? A new paper from @systemiq.bsky.social packs many ideas (and few details) into 15 pages. LMSU assesses! podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/l...

A significant choice: Fed Govt would pick Adelaide to host #cop31 if Australia wins the bid. Ok! Time to sort out: - rock solid transport to venue - deeper Airbnb market - affordable, nice onsite food providers 50k+ visitors is a great opportunity, if done well www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in...