Michael Barnard

Contributor

Michael Barnard is a climate futurist, company director, advisor, and author. He publishes regularly in multiple outlets on innovation, business, technology and policy.

Commentary

Major project cancellation exposes fatal flaws in Australia’s hydrogen export strategy
The hydrogen export dream has faded, but Australia’s real hydrogen opportunity, practically and economically sound, remains within reach.
Michael Barnard

Jul 16, 2025

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Commentary

Australia’s steel future is green, but it won’t be delivered by hydrogen
Australia does have a credible zero-carbon steel opportunity, and rests on three different processes. But it does not revolve around hydrogen.
Michael Barnard

Jun 30, 2025

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Commentary

The hidden climate and energy costs of Woodside’s LNG extension
By extending Woodside’s NWS facility another 45 years, Australia is underwriting an emissions future rivalled only by the entire transport system.
Michael Barnard

Jun 16, 2025

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Commentary

The end of Australia’s iron ore boom, and the rise of green steel
Shifting just 20% of Australia’s iron ore exports to green steel products could potentially increase annual export revenues by tens of billions of dollars.
Michael Barnard

Jun 2, 2025

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Commentary

Albanese government must redirect Australia’s near $600 per person annual fossil fuel giveaway
The scale of Australia’s fossil fuel subsidies underscores the enormous policy contradiction of a country yet to fully confront the dimensions of its domestic fossil fuel habit.
Michael Barnard

May 20, 2025

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Commentary

Australia’s election result echoes that of Canada. Should its policies as well?
Carney’s first and perhaps most critical political maneuver after being elected leader was tackling climate action without provoking voter backlash.
Michael Barnard

May 4, 2025

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Commentary

How electrification could more than halve Australia’s energy needs
The rhetoric around coal and gas as indispensable economic backbones is misleading. Conversely, a fully electrified scenario represents profound economic and resilience gains.
Michael Barnard

Apr 22, 2025

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Commentary

The great carbon capture con: Too expensive, even for Woodside
Even the fossil fuel companies who pitched CCS as their get-out-of-jail-free card no longer believe in the economics.
Michael Barnard

Apr 7, 2025

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Commentary

Why hydrogen exports are a mirage, but green industry isn’t
Australia’s hydrogen strategy has been a mix of ambition, overreach, and slow reality checks.
Michael Barnard

Mar 23, 2025

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Commentary

Abbott’s legacy, Trump’s playbook: Is the LNP planning science suppression 2.0?
The federal Coalition has made it clear it will not move on climate policies. Will it also take its cues from Trump and Abbott and slash climate science and research too?
Michael Barnard

Mar 9, 2025

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Commentary

If China can’t scale nuclear, Australia’s got Buckley’s
Nuclear energy, like the platypus, is an oddly shaped beast, and needs a very specific hole to fit into the energy jigsaw puzzle.
Michael Barnard

Feb 25, 2025

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How much has Australia spent on CCS, and what has been achieved?
Australia continues to put lipstick on the pig of CCS, a tiny pittance of research dollars intended to provide air cover for the emissions of the coal industry.
Michael Barnard

May 17, 2017

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