NGO requests probe - Nonprofit, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), has requested a Senate inquiry into the fossil fuel industry’s influence on children, following a report revealing the industry’s presence in the far reaches of Australian childhood settings, it announced Monday. The report, published by climate communications NGO Comms Declare, found 260 publicly documented programmes across schools, museums, science centres, early learning programs and scholarships, run or funded by the fossil industry. The report found more than A$50 mln ($34.4 mln) in disclosed funding for just six of the programmes. Woodside and Santos, Australia’s two largest oil and gas producers, are among the companies the ACF is calling on the federal government to investigate.

Battery boost - The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed A$45 mln ($31 mln) to support Siconoa Battery Technologies' advanced silicon-carbon battery anode material, it announced. The funding is being delivered through the Battery Breakthrough Initiative, to support construction and operation of a commercial-scale demonstration facility producing the company's next generation battery materials. Sicona's SiCx technology seeks to boost battery density by 20% and enable up to 40% faster charging speeds compared to conventional graphite, while remaining compatible with existing production lines. The project supports the development of next-generation battery technologies and boosts Australia's role in the global battery supply chain, ARENA CEO Darren Miller said, with samples of SiCx produced at the facility to be sent to global battery and EV manufacturers to secure offtake agreements.

Next steps – Swiss carbon finance company South Pole is in discussions with state-owned utility firm PLN Indonesia Power over a possible extension to a carbon trading agreement, the power company said on LinkedIn late last week. The talks could see an extension of PLN’s Emission Reduction Purchase Agreement with South Pole for its Gunung Salak Geothermal Power Plant. The duo are also looking at other ways to expand carbon crediting across PLN’s power portfolio, according to the LinkedIn post.

Solid storage – Shanghai Qiyao Technology Group said this week that the UN maritime agency IMO has given in-principle support to two proposals aimed at recognising onboard carbon mineralisation as a form of permanent CO2 storage. The company said the process converts CO2 captured from ships into stable minerals that can be used in construction materials, offering an alternative to geological storage. One proposal outlined the technical and environmental case for recognising mineralisation as permanent storage, while the second documented a demonstration project covering onboard CO2 capture, transport, and final mineralisation.

A prominent Iwi leader has filed a case in New Zealand’s High Court challenging the government’s amendments to block tort-based climate litigation.