Latest news with #SmartEnergyCouncil
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Sky News host Paul Murray rips into climate CEO after speech praising China for playing 'as a team' while criticising Australia
Sky News host Paul Murray has torn into the CEO of a major climate change charity who praised China – the world's worst carbon emitter – in a bizarre speech in which he attacked Australians for not being team players. Murray ridiculed the comments made by Smart Energy Council Chief Executive John Grimes during his speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, after he commended China's system because 'China plays as a team'. The Sky News host said the Chinese government, not the Chinese people, was actually a 'ruthless machine' which put tanks in front of protesters in 1989 and would 'de-person' someone in an instant for speaking out against China. Mr Grimes also took aim at Australians, who he claimed simply 'tear each other apart', while applauding the Chinese Communist Party's approach to energy. 'One thing you can say about the Chinese system is that China plays as a team,' Mr Grimes said. 'Australia spends all of our time trying to tear each other apart. That is no way to compete for Team Australia.' Murray said he did not want to be more China, as Mr Grimes suggested, but more like 'free countries'. 'In a free country, you are allowed to disagree with your government. You are allowed to disagree with your fellow citizens. You are allowed to do so out of principle, out of opinion, out of because it's Tuesday, OK? That's our country,' Murray said. The Sky News host said there was not a 'gasp' of a reaction at the NPC, before explaining why Australia should steer clear of emulating China's approach to government. 'I hope (Mr Grimes) and everyone else who thinks why can't we be a little more CCP remembers the Uyghurs,' Murray said. He then presented a BBC article which reported the Uyghur population was being used as slave labour to make solar panels. 'Even Joe Biden, who didn't even know what day it was or what city he was in, when he was president, banned the importation of slave labour solar panels,' he said. 'Australia has not made that decision.' Mr Grimes also acknowledged that he 'spend[s] a bit of time in China' which has included a visit to the battery maker, CATL, which has been accused of being linked to slave labour. The charity has also been tied to numerous other 'black-listed' organisations. The Smart Energy Council is listed with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), a status that exempts it from paying tax. The Albanese government relied heavily on cost estimates produced by the Smart Energy Council during the federal election campaign. These were highly disputed claims that put the cost of the Coalition's nuclear energy rollout at $600 billion, well above the $331 billion calculated by independent consultants Frontier Economics. China has long been the largest CO2 producer, spewing 15,779 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2023, according to independent scientific project, Climate Action Tracker. That was about 2.5 more than the United States at 6,378 tonnes, and about 30 times more than Australia at 530 million tonnes. China's coal demands have also exceeded the rest of the world combined as the source continues to play a disproportionate role in the energy landscape. The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) has warned that China's efforts towards net zero remain 'highly insufficient'.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes' controversial China climate praise, attack on 'Team Australia' panned
A controversial speech by Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes, in which he praised China's approach to climate change and claimed Australians "tear each other apart", has been met with staunch criticism. Catch up with all of the day's breaking news and live interviews from politicians and experts with a Streaming Subscription.
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Australia ‘should not be looking to China' for climate influence
The McKell Institute's Chief Executive Ed Cavanough discusses Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes' comments on the Chinese government's energy initiatives, where he claimed, 'China plays as a team'. 'Well, he might be regretting it after the coverage tonight,' Mr Cavanough said. 'We shouldn't be looking to China for influence on our energy policy. 'I don't think we should be looking to them for inspiration on a clean energy future.'
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Ruthless machine': Climate CEO slammed for comments on China playing ‘as a team'
Sky News host Paul Murray slams Smart Energy Council CEO John Grimes for claiming China's government 'plays as a team'. 'Unbelievably he said this, and there was not a gasp in the room when he said it,' Mr Murray said. 'They do not play as a team, the Chinese government … it is a ruthless machine.'
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Australia must 'throw everything' at climate summit
Leaders need to "throw everything" at winning Australia's bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero. Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31. But the bid to hold the talks faces a challenge from Turkey. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said Australia must secure the summit. "It's time for the prime minister and foreign minister to throw everything at it, and our industry stands ready," he said. "It actually takes all of us swinging behind this, but the government really, really needs to do whatever it can, because this is a big dividend for Australia. "This is actually Australia at its best when there's a middle power ... out advocating on the global stage for something that is of the community and global benefit and interest." The climate change conference would deliver billions of dollars to the Australian economy through trade deals, tourism and business exposure, he said. The government will hold talks with leaders in Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to amplify their voices as nations highly exposed to the impacts of climate-fuelled disasters. Mr Grimes said Australia needed to work with the Pacific to achieve the world's first 100 per cent renewables region. The head of the body representing the nation's solar and storage industries called on the government to commit to a new emissions reduction target for 2035 to reduce emissions in the 70 per cent range. Australia was on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, Mr Grimes said. The Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C. It requires signatories to increase their emissions targets every five years and not water them down. "The world is in the process of electrifying everything that can be electrified - transportation ... renewable energy and more, Mr Grimes said. "They're not doing it because there is a UN mandate or a charter. "They're doing it because it saves them money. It's actually the cheapest thing to do." Leaders need to "throw everything" at winning Australia's bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero. Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31. But the bid to hold the talks faces a challenge from Turkey. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said Australia must secure the summit. "It's time for the prime minister and foreign minister to throw everything at it, and our industry stands ready," he said. "It actually takes all of us swinging behind this, but the government really, really needs to do whatever it can, because this is a big dividend for Australia. "This is actually Australia at its best when there's a middle power ... out advocating on the global stage for something that is of the community and global benefit and interest." The climate change conference would deliver billions of dollars to the Australian economy through trade deals, tourism and business exposure, he said. The government will hold talks with leaders in Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to amplify their voices as nations highly exposed to the impacts of climate-fuelled disasters. Mr Grimes said Australia needed to work with the Pacific to achieve the world's first 100 per cent renewables region. The head of the body representing the nation's solar and storage industries called on the government to commit to a new emissions reduction target for 2035 to reduce emissions in the 70 per cent range. Australia was on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, Mr Grimes said. The Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C. It requires signatories to increase their emissions targets every five years and not water them down. "The world is in the process of electrifying everything that can be electrified - transportation ... renewable energy and more, Mr Grimes said. "They're not doing it because there is a UN mandate or a charter. "They're doing it because it saves them money. It's actually the cheapest thing to do." Leaders need to "throw everything" at winning Australia's bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero. Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31. But the bid to hold the talks faces a challenge from Turkey. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said Australia must secure the summit. "It's time for the prime minister and foreign minister to throw everything at it, and our industry stands ready," he said. "It actually takes all of us swinging behind this, but the government really, really needs to do whatever it can, because this is a big dividend for Australia. "This is actually Australia at its best when there's a middle power ... out advocating on the global stage for something that is of the community and global benefit and interest." The climate change conference would deliver billions of dollars to the Australian economy through trade deals, tourism and business exposure, he said. The government will hold talks with leaders in Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to amplify their voices as nations highly exposed to the impacts of climate-fuelled disasters. Mr Grimes said Australia needed to work with the Pacific to achieve the world's first 100 per cent renewables region. The head of the body representing the nation's solar and storage industries called on the government to commit to a new emissions reduction target for 2035 to reduce emissions in the 70 per cent range. Australia was on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, Mr Grimes said. The Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C. It requires signatories to increase their emissions targets every five years and not water them down. "The world is in the process of electrifying everything that can be electrified - transportation ... renewable energy and more, Mr Grimes said. "They're not doing it because there is a UN mandate or a charter. "They're doing it because it saves them money. It's actually the cheapest thing to do." Leaders need to "throw everything" at winning Australia's bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero. Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP31. But the bid to hold the talks faces a challenge from Turkey. Addressing the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, Smart Energy Council chief executive John Grimes said Australia must secure the summit. "It's time for the prime minister and foreign minister to throw everything at it, and our industry stands ready," he said. "It actually takes all of us swinging behind this, but the government really, really needs to do whatever it can, because this is a big dividend for Australia. "This is actually Australia at its best when there's a middle power ... out advocating on the global stage for something that is of the community and global benefit and interest." The climate change conference would deliver billions of dollars to the Australian economy through trade deals, tourism and business exposure, he said. The government will hold talks with leaders in Tuvalu, Palau, Samoa and the Republic of the Marshall Islands to discuss ways to amplify their voices as nations highly exposed to the impacts of climate-fuelled disasters. Mr Grimes said Australia needed to work with the Pacific to achieve the world's first 100 per cent renewables region. The head of the body representing the nation's solar and storage industries called on the government to commit to a new emissions reduction target for 2035 to reduce emissions in the 70 per cent range. Australia was on-track to meet its legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, Mr Grimes said. The Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C. It requires signatories to increase their emissions targets every five years and not water them down. "The world is in the process of electrifying everything that can be electrified - transportation ... renewable energy and more, Mr Grimes said. "They're not doing it because there is a UN mandate or a charter. "They're doing it because it saves them money. It's actually the cheapest thing to do."
