- New briefing, Clean industry spotlight: Turning Australia's natural advantage into industrial leadership, shows how Australia can become a global leader in emerging clean industrial sectors, ahead of leading negotiations at COP31.
- With 70 clean industrial projects in development – including 15-20 in advanced stages – Australia could realise more than AUD290 billion in investment if demand is stimulated through mandates, public procurement and revenue certainty mechanisms.
- As global markets shift to clean industry, Australia’s export economy can move beyond iron ore, coal and gas – building on its world-class mineral resources, renewable potential and reputation as a trusted trading partner.
12 March 2026: Australia’s transition to clean industry could unlock a near AUD300 billion economic opportunity if decisive action is taken to deliver a pipeline of 70 projects, according to a new briefing from Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) and the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA).
Launched at Climate Action Week Sydney, Clean industry spotlight: Turning Australia's natural advantage into industrial leadership, recommends key policy and investment levers needed to unlock demand and create the market conditions to future-proof the country’s economy through a transition to clean industry. The briefing was developed following a workshop which convened
more than 50 senior leaders across the clean industry landscape in Australia, including project developers, federal and state government representatives and investors.
Commodities at the foundation of Australia’s economy, such as iron ore, coal and gas will increasingly be complemented by clean iron, green ammonia and sustainable fuels. As well as unlocking a substantial economic opportunity, this shift will create jobs in legacy industrial regions like Gladstone in Queensland.
Michael Bartlett, Acting Branch Head at Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, said: “If we act now to kick-start the clean industrial revolution in Australia, we can realise an immense economic opportunity valued at more than a quarter of a trillion dollars. This will deliver huge benefits to citizens in all corners of the country, improving lives and growing businesses.
“Australia has strong advantages, with world-class mineral deposits, renewable potential and a strong reputation as a trusted trading partner. International partners already look to us to support the decarbonisation of steel, fuels and heavy industry. There’s a clear economic opportunity if we can move early and build scale.”
Australia is home to one of the world’s largest clean industrial pipelines, behind only China and the United States. MPP’s Global Project Tracker identifies 53 commercial-scale zero or near-zero emissions projects. Through Build Clean Now, the ITA is also tracking a further 17 lower-emissions(1) projects driving broader progress toward industrial decarbonisation. These bring Australia’s total clean industrial pipeline to 70 projects in development, with 15-20 in more advanced stages of development approaching and only one to date that has reached Final Investment Decision (FID).
Momentum is being driven through the Future Made in Australia agenda, which will invest AUD22.7 billion over the next decade in strengthening competitiveness via clean industries. The private sector is also rallying, with Qantas’ Climate Fund – the world’s largest aviation fund for climate change – investing over AUD290 million(2) in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and the airline targeting 10 per cent SAF in its fuel mix by 2030. Additionally, Fortescue, Progressive Green Solutions and Green Steel WA are pushing forward with iron projects.
The global pipeline of clean industrial projects represents an investment opportunity of AUD2.59 trillion.(3) Much of this is held by ‘new industrial sunbelt’ countries, like Australia, which are set to reach or overtake traditional market leaders, forming new industrial supply chains across the world.
Rachel Howard, Director of APAC at Mission Possible Partnership, added:
“Australia is home to one of the largest clean industrial pipelines in the world. This potential can translate into huge economic and social benefits across the country, while supporting the path to net zero.
“To achieve that, we need true collaboration between government, industry and finance to create a blueprint that can be replicated around the world.”
While Australia has 70 clean industrial projects in development, many face barriers: insufficient buyers willing to pay a green premium, policy uncertainty, fragmented demand and high upfront capital costs.
The report argues these barriers can be overcome through decisive government action, including:
- Using public procurement and mandates to create reliable early demand
- Introducing price guarantees and carbon contracts to reduce investment risk
- Deploying loan guarantees, export finance and transferable tax credits to crowd in private capital
- Investing in shared infrastructure and contingency facilities to lower delivery risk
Taken together, these measures could unlock billions in private investment and accelerate projects from plans to plants.
The briefing was created in collaboration with MPP and the ITA’s delivery partner Cyan Ventures and builds on a workshop hosted in Sydney in October 2025, with more than 50 senior representatives from Australia’s clean industry ecosystem including representatives from the Australian Government, Qantas, Fortescue and the Investor Group on Climate Change. This Build Clean Now workshop is the first in a global series taking place this year in countries including Türkiye, South Africa and Mexico.
ENDS
For more information or interviews please contact:
Notes to editors
Country Briefing | Australia webpage
here (goes live on 12 March 2026)
Project breakdown
The Clean Industry Spotlight briefing highlights 53 commercial-scale zero or near-zero emissions projects in Australia, as well as a further 17 projects driving broader progress towards industrial decarbonisation. Of these 70 projects, 20 are approaching financial close and one has reached FID.
The majority of the 70 projects are in the ammonia sector (41), with a further 7 in aviation, 9 in Steel, 3 in Methanol, 5 in Aluminium and 5 in HVCs (High-value chemicals).
Geographically, most of these projects are located in Western Australia (33), followed by Queensland (16), Victoria (6), New South Wales (5), Northern Territory (3), South Australia (5) and Tasmania (2).
Quotes from Build Clean Now Australia workshop participants:
“Clean fuels are not just an emissions story, they are an industrial opportunity. Build Clean Now helps focus attention on how coordinated policy, finance and demand can turn viable projects into operating plants that strengthen Australia’s economy.”
Alex Smith, Founder and Director, HAMR Energy
"There is a clear role for a public financier to step in where the private sector is not yet ready, manage risk prudently across a portfolio, and help turn first-of-a-kind clean industry projects from a 'no' into a 'yes'."
Rupert Maloney, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
“Clean industry can anchor long-term investment and economic resilience if the conditions are right. Build Clean Now reinforces the importance of predictable demand and coordinated action so capital can flow into projects at scale.”
Matthew Stuchbery, Director, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
“Green iron is an opportunity to build new industrial capability and capture more value domestically. Bringing industry together to discuss how we can “Build Clean Now” highlights the alignment of infrastructure, finance and policy required to position Australia for sustainable success within global clean supply chains.”
James Rhee, Managing Director, Progressive Green Solutions
About MPP
Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) is an independent non-profit organisation advancing global clean industry transformation. Since 2019, we have been working with some of the most energyintensive industries – aluminium, aviation, cement, chemicals, shipping and steel – to cut their global GHG emissions. We mobilise business, finance, government and civil society leaders to speed up the shift to clean materials, chemicals and fuels.
Having charted sectoral pathways to net-zero, we continue to forge new territory, lifting the barriers to enable a critical mass of clean industrial projects to break ground by 2030. MPP has people and partners on the ground in North America, Brazil, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India and Asia Pacific.
About Build Clean Now
Build Clean Now is a global campaign to advance clean industry. It brings together governments, companies and finance to accelerate the pace at which clean industrial projects are financed and built, year-on-year. Led by the ITA and MPP, Build Clean Now has been developed with a broad network of collaborators, and with insight from industrial project developers and governments. The ambition is to drive rapid ramp-up in investments in the near term, with an initial target of 50 new final investment decisions (FIDs) on major clean industry projects in 2025–26.
Build Clean Now exists to inspire and enable progress. It reframes clean industry as a route to industrial leadership, economic growth and security, and works collaboratively, galvanising decision-makers to overcome challenges and take action. It spotlights the countries and companies already seizing these opportunities, shows where near-term potential is strongest, and builds momentum around the solutions that can unlock major projects.
(1) Additional projects driving broader progress towards clean industry: These projects use approaches including circular technologies that reduce emissions through recycling and reuse; ‘first big step’ technologies that reduce emissions significantly but by themselves do not reach near-zero; and ‘last mile’ solutions which stack onto existing near-zero technologies to deliver the final emissions reductions needed to reach near-zero emissions.
(3) USD1.84 trillion converted into AUD using the exchange rate of USD 1:1.41 AUD, correct as of 23 February 2026