Is Australian climate policy finally heading in the right direction?

Wed 5 Aug 2026 15.41 AEST

Environment & Biodiversity Climate

Is Australian climate policy finally heading in the right direction?

AAP Image/Lukas Coch

A recent decision by the New South Wales state government is a crack in the wall of Australian climate inaction.

On this episode of Follow the Money, Leanne Minshull and Rod Campbell join Glenn Connley to discuss dodgy carbon credits, the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales, the federal government’s upcoming review of the Safeguard Mechanism, and the demise of Climate Active.

This episode was recorded Tuesday 4 August.

More Fool Me: How the gas industry tricked Australia by Richard Denniss, the latest Vantage Point essay from Australia Institute Press, is available now. Use the code ‘FOOLME’ on a four-edition Vantage Point subscription to receive a free copy of Richard’s book, Econobabble.

Get your tickets for the Australia Institute’s Climate Integrity Summit 2026 at the Parliament of New South Wales on Tuesday 15 September.

Guest: Leanne Minshull, co-Chief Executive Officer, the Australia Institute // @leanneminshull

Guest: Rod Campbell, Research Director, the Australia Institute // @rodcampbell

Host: Glenn Connley, Senior Media Advisor, the Australia Institute // @glennconnley

Show notes:

Safeguarding the Fossil Fuel Industry? How Carbon Offsetting Undermines the Safeguard Mechanism by Fergus Green and Frances Medlock, the Australia Institute (June 2026)

The Safeguard Mechanism is failing miserably, Follow the Money, the Australia Institute (July 2026)

Koalas Covering for Coal? Dirty Forest Offset Plan Would Mean More Fossil Fuels, the Australia Institute (June 2026)

Here are 23 Times Carbon Offsets Were Found to be Dodgy, the Australia Institute (January 2024)

Theme music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au. Subscribe to Follow the Money on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

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