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C-EENRG

Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance
 

Australia: climate policy among the clash of low-carbon opportunity and fossil fuel politics

Monday 15 May, 1pm, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke St, Weston Seminar Room (2nd floor)

Slides now available at: https://goo.gl/Fpb6u7

Australia has much to gain from climate change policy, as the continent is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts and the opportunities for a shift to renewable energy are boundless. But coal and gas production and exports are important economically, and the hydrocarbon industries wield huge political influence. This talk traces and interprets the ups and downs of Australia’s climate change policy with a focus on how the choice and design of climate change policy instruments has interacted with political processes. This includes the repealed carbon pricing mechanism, the renewable energy portfolio standard, the project-based subsidy mechanism, and proposals for an ‘emissions intensity scheme’ for power supply and mechanisms to facilitate exit of old coal power stations. It also looks ahead at issues in Australia’s transition away from coal, which is underway in the domestic energy system and which, for exports, is on the cards longer term if major countries cut coal use.

Frank Jotzo is professor at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. His work focusses on climate change and energy policy and economics. He has had roles in policy advisory and assessment in Australia and internationally. Together with Jo Depledge and Harald Winkler he edits the journal Climate Policy.

 

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