By Deanna D’Alessandro, University of Sydney The 2025 Nobel prize in chemistry has been awarded for the development of metal–organic frameworks: molecular structures that have large spaces within them, capable of capturing and storing gases and other chemicals. The prize is shared by Susumu Kitagawa from Kyoto University, Omar M. Yaghi from the University of…
By Tony Wood, Grattan Institute The federal government has announced a long-awaited climate change target for 2035, committing to a reduction in emissions of between 62 per cent and 70 per cent below 2005 levels. Environmentalists claim the target is a failure, while some business groups and the opposition are likely to slam it as…
By Nicola Charwat, Monash University Until this week, thousands of Australian small businesses that exported to the United States relied on a simple system that had worked for decades. Parcels worth less than US$800 (A$1225) could enter the US tax-free under the “de minimis” rule for low-value goods. But from August 29, that exemption will…
By Bhavna Middha, RMIT University; Ralph Horne, RMIT University, and Vincent Pettigrove, RMIT University Last month, Australia’s ban on the import, use and manufacture of three types of “forever chemical” came into effect. These chemicals – PFOA, PFOS and PFHxS – have long lifespans and resist breaking down. They’re considered harmful due to their ability…
Sponsored Australia’s manufacturing sector is at a critical turning point. With government policy increasingly focused on resource efficiency, decarbonisation and circular economy outcomes, manufacturers are under growing pressure and opportunity to rethink how products are designed, produced and managed at end-of-life. Waste Expo Australia 2025, taking place on 29–30 October at the Melbourne Convention and…
By Magnus Söderberg, Griffith University Building a solar farm in Australia is getting about 8% cheaper each year as panel prices fall and technology improves, according to an official new report. Battery storage costs are falling even more sharply, dropping 20% over the past year alone. But the same can’t be said for wind farms,…
By Christoph Nedopil, Griffith University Australia has flourished as an export powerhouse for decades. Much of this prosperity has been driven by the nation’s natural endowment with two important raw products for producing steel the traditional way: iron ore and metallurgical coal. Worth more than A$100 billion in 2024, Australia’s iron ore shipments to China…
Sponsored Leading Australian health and natural beauty manufacturer Star Combo Pharma was invited as a keynote speaker at the recent NSW Export Capability Building Workshop— hosted by Investment NSW and the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group). The company shared its strategic insights and practical experience in navigating international markets, offering a real-world roadmap to inspire…
By Alison Reeve, Grattan Institute As the world looks for ways to tackle climate change, Australia has invested heavily in green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is shaping as the best option to strip carbon emissions from some industrial processes, such as iron-making and ammonia production. But making the dream a reality in Australia is proving difficult.…
By Joe Carrello, The University of Melbourne US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Australia’s pharmaceutical exports to the United States has raised alarm among industry and government leaders. There are fears that, if implemented, the tariffs could cost the Australian economy up to A$2.8 billion. That’s both in direct exports and as inputs to…