Energy
Timor-Leste: Breaking free from temptation of easy money
A successful 21 May election in Timor-Leste saw the smooth and peaceful transition of power to a new government led by Xanana Gusmão – new, in the sense of being newly sworn in,…
Economic diplomacy: Power shifts with Jakarta
Trading places
It’s now half a century since Australia and Indonesia signed a bilateral investment agreement leading to serial government initiatives mostly on the Australian…
From hydrocarbons to hydrogen? Gulf states seek the good oil in green transition
Hydrogen has been hailed as an energy of the future and the technical fix in the green transition. But as hydrogen’s technological and cost barriers continue to fall, there remain…
Finding opportunity in Australia’s liquid fuel security challenge
Australia is overwhelmingly dependent on imports, to the tune of 91%, for its refined fuel needs. That creates national security challenges, a concern clearly identified in the…
Pakistan’s gamble with Russian oil
News of the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan has roiled Pakistan in the past day, which is the latest development in a long-winding saga. Much of the instability in the…
Managing Japan-Australia energy tensions in a time of transition
Yamagami Shingo, who until last week served as Japan’s ambassador to Australia, again voiced criticism of Australia’s energy policy just before leaving his post. The Japanese…
Finding opportunity in Asia’s net-zero transition
The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing a surge in climate action, with nearly all countries in the region committing to achieving net-zero emissions, albeit with varying timeframes…
Economic diplomacy: Friends, rivals and diplomatic gaslighting
Hitting the gas
Japan’s ambassador to Australia Shingo Yamagami made himself an unexpectedly public figure in the reserved Canberra diplomatic corps with his witty social media…
Indonesia’s nickel superhighway
Indonesia currently has the most significant nickel deposit in the world, putting it in a prime position to build advanced industries such as renewable energy, in which rare…
Global energy scarcity and the South China Sea
Last month, the Indonesian government approved natural gas exploration in the Tuna gas bloc, part of the largest untapped natural gas deposit in the world. The development of the…