Over the past decades, Australia has lacked stability in its climate policy even as climate change becomes impossible for the world to ignore. With Australian voters heading to the polls this Saturday, does the country have the policy promises it needs to spark an energy change? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Ken Baldwin, Kylie Catchpole, and Mark Kenny look at how Australia can transition to renewables even without a strong policy framework to lead the way.
\nKen Baldwin is Director of the Energy Change Institute at ANU, and Deputy Director of the Research School of Physics and Engineering. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Project Steering Committee for the Australian Energy Technology, and since 2014, he has been a Board member of the South East Region of Renewable Energy Excellence.
\nKylie Catchpole is at the Research School of Engineering at the Australian National University. Her research interests are in nanotechnology and new materials for solar cell applications. She has a physics degree from the ANU, winning a University Medal, and a PhD from the ANU.
\nMark Kenny is a Senior Fellow in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times. He is also the presenter of Policy Forum's Democracy Sausage podcast.
\nOur presenters – Quentin Grafton and Martyn Pearce – also discuss the upcoming election, and the difficulties in understanding multiple policies when trying to cast an informed vote. They also go through some of your recent comments and pod topic suggestions.
\nQuentin Grafton is Professor of Economics at Crawford School, an ANU Public Policy Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Policy Forum.
\nMartyn Pearce is a presenter for Policy Forum Pod and the Editor of Policy Forum.
\nShow notes | The following were mentioned in this episode:
\nDividend Imputation Credits (franking credits and tax system proposed by Labor Party)
\nLabor Party’s Fair Go Action Plan
\nEven greater budget surplus revealed by Labor
\nDemocracy Sausage podcast: Voter fatigue and the fight to the finish line
\nPolicy Forum Pod Facebook Group
\nAustralia’s 2030 climate change target
\nWorldwide student climate strike
\nGreta Thunberg at World Economic Forum in Davos
\nLowy Institute poll on attitudes towards climate change
\nNational Energy Guarantee (NEG)
\nTony Abbott scraps carbon tax
\nEmissions intensity scheme removed by Turnbull... ","author_name":"Policy Forum Pod"}