Totally Cooked: Episode 17 – Are we really on track for Net Zero?

Join hosts Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and Iain Strachan of the Totally Cooked team as they explore Australia’s path to net zero emissions with Monash University expert Roger Dargaville. The discussion breaks down what “net zero” really means, revealing how current targets rely heavily on carbon accounting and natural sinks rather than deep cuts to fossil fuel use. While progress in renewable electricity—especially solar and wind—is promising, major challenges remain in transport, industry, and infrastructure.

The conversation dives into the realities of scaling renewable energy, including grid limitations, storage needs, and the complexities of transitioning away from fossil fuels. It also unpacks misconceptions around technologies like solar and wind, highlights the importance of energy system planning, and questions whether market-driven approaches are sufficient. Ultimately, the episode argues that while the technology to reach net zero exists, achieving it will require faster action, stronger policy direction, and significant societal change.

Iain records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Sarah records Totally Cooked on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging and recognise their unique and continuing connection to the land, skies, waters, plants and animals.

Show Notes

In this episode, we look at:

• What “net zero” actually means—and why it’s more complex than zero emissions
• How Australia’s 2005 baseline and carbon accounting shape current climate targets
• Are we really on track for 2035 and 2050 emissions goals?
• The role (and limits) of carbon sinks like forests in reducing emissions
• Why fossil fuel emissions—especially transport and industry—remain a major challenge
• Progress in the electricity sector: growth of wind, solar, and battery storage
• The reality of solar power: efficiency, scale, and carbon payback
• Grid challenges: excess solar, voltage issues, and the need for energy storage
• The rise of large-scale batteries and their role in stabilising the grid
• Wind energy in Australia: onshore vs offshore potential and constraints
• Infrastructure bottlenecks: transmission lines and grid connection limits
• The economics of renewables: cost vs value in energy generation
• Why energy demand needs to shift (and the limits of “smart” consumption)
• Housing efficiency issues and their impact on energy use in Australia
• The feasibility of powering the world with solar—and the scale required
• Emerging solar technologies (perovskites, alternatives to silicon)
• The concept of global renewable energy grids and energy interdependence
• Workforce transition: moving from fossil fuel jobs to renewables
• Public perception challenges: visual impact, misinformation, and resistance to change
• Do solar farms affect local climates? Understanding microclimate impacts
• Why climate change poses a bigger threat to agriculture than renewables
• Australia’s privatised energy market and the lack of a centralised plan
• Could stronger government intervention accelerate the energy transition?
• Technical breakthroughs enabling high-renewable grids (e.g. grid-forming inverters)
• Is a 100% renewable energy system actually achievable with current technology?

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This episode will be released and available to stream and download on Friday 20th March, 2026.

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Why listen to Totally Cooked?

Because it’s time to feel empowered, not overwhelmed. Totally Cooked is a science-backed, straight-talking podcast about weather, climate change, and what it all means for life on Earth – especially here in Australia.

Hosted by climate scientist Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick and science communicator Iain Strachan, Totally Cooked breaks down how human activity is changing the Earth’s systems—from our skies to our seas—and what we can do about it.

From greenhouse gases to fire weather, supercomputers to Antarctic ice cores, this is climate science without the jargon, and where no subject is too complex or controversial.

Totally Cooked is for anyone who wants to understand the science of climate change—without needing a PhD. Whether you’re a high school student, policy maker, journalist, teacher, concerned citizen or just a little climate-curious, this podcast will give you the tools to think clearly and act confidently.

• Cut through the noise with clear, honest science.
• Understand the why behind climate change;
• Learn how climate change impacts real-world weather;
• Hear from the best researchers and scientists in their field and from around the world;

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