IS ENOUGH SCIENTIFIC ENERGY GOING INTO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION POLICY?

Kate Austin - Student # 31696488

ENV616 – Environmental Policy for the 21st Century

A review of scientific contribution towards Australia’s energy and climate change mitigation policy development

AUSTRALIAN ENERGY POLICY

• Australia benefits from plentiful and diverse energy resources

• One of only 3 net energy exporters in the OECD

• World class wind, solar and geothermal resources largely untapped

• Energy sector is a major contributor to the Australian economy

• Australian Government’s Energy White Paper is focused on supplying domestic and foreign markets with Australian sourced fossil fuel resources

• Combusted fossil fuels are major contributors to GHG emissions and, as a result, anthropogenic climate change.

CLIMATE CHANGE – THE SCIENCE

• It is real – our earth is warming

• Significant contribution to warming effect from anthropogenic influences

• Australia is vulnerable to physical changes as a result

• Australia’s contribution to CO2 emissions considered low in comparison to other global actors – but is it?

• Consider Australia’s energy mix as an electricity source and our CO2 emissions profile…

THE ROLE OF SCIENCE IN SHAPING ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY

The role of science in informing and shaping policy involves:

• Providing clarity of understanding around the fundamental dimensions of issues facing policy-makers;

• Specifying parameters around known and verifiable facts and what remains unclear;

• Identification and analysis of options for responding to issues;

• Analysis of consequences of recommended courses of action across multiple dimensions to assess impact and viability as a policy response; and

• Raised public and political consciousness about the threat of climate change to the world’s ecosystems.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CO2 REDUCTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

• How do we reduce CO2 emissions to mitigate against the risk of climate change? A range of approaches recommended by scientists and policy advisors.

• Early approaches included command and control instruments with a more recent trend towards favouring market-based mechanisms.

• Consensus we need to cease, or significantly reduce our reliance upon fossil fuels

• Increase renewable energy generation sources into energy mix

• Climate change mitigation is not a single policy solution – need to adopt a range of policy instruments

SCIENTIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CO2 REDUCTION & MITIGATION – POLICY OPTIONS

Energy related policy options for the reduction of CO2 emissions:

• Carbon Prices – including carbon tax and emissions trading schemes;

• Subsidies and other taxes – Subsidies/rebates on capital outlays; Feed in Tariffs; Fuel/resource tax; Low interest or Guaranteed loans;

• Direct Government Expenditure – installation of government funded infrastructure including public electric vehicle recharging stations

• Regulatory Instruments - RET; Renewable energy certificate schemes; Electricity supply or pricing regulation; Building and technology standards; Fuel content mandates; Energy efficiency regulation; Mandatory assessment, audit or investment.

• Support for Research & Development (R&D) – general and demonstration; deployment and diffusion

• Information and Education – Mandatory energy efficiency labelling Twomey, 2012.

SCIENCES’ SUCCESS IN INFLUENCING ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY

Scientists have had varying levels of success in influencing energy and climate change policy in Australia. Some successes include:

• Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) 1998 – Australia first country to establish a dedicated agency to reduce GHG emissions

• Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET) scheme 2001

• Australia ratifies the Kyoto Protocol to reduce GHG emissions - 2007

• ‘Garnaut Review’ Climate Change Report released – 2008

• Wilkins Review – ‘Strategic Review of Australian Government Climate Change Programs’ released - 2008

• Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and Feed in Tariffs - 2011

• The Clean Energy Act 2011 carbon pricing mechanism ‘carbon tax’

• Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) 2012 – competitiveness and supply of renewable energy.

• Clean Energy Finance Corporation 2013 – finance renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-emissions technology projects.

SCIENCES’ CHALLENGE IN INFLUENCING ENERGY AND CLIMATE POLICY

A number of key energy and climate policy instruments and institutions previously introduced have, or are, being eroded including:

• In 2005 the IEA urges Australia to consider an ETS; Garnaut recommends similar in 2008. Australia was slow to respond with the Clean Energy Act 2011 carbon (tax) pricing mechanism which has since been repealed.

• RET facing cuts to its current target of 41,000GWh down to 32,000GWh.

• Significant funding cuts were outlined in the 2014 Budget to key climate change policies and agencies including CSIRO and ARENA whilst increasing support for the fossil fuels industry.

• A review of the future of ARENA and Clean Energy Finance Corporation is underway.

• Policy backflips are resulting in market uncertainty – Renewable energy and energy efficiency investment continues to decline stymying the large scale projects scientists and experts say will help mitigate climate change.

• Warning: Political Leaders on both sides of politics lost positions over climate policy!

CHALLENGES INCORPORATING SCIENCE INTO POLICY

A number of factors impede successfully incorporating science into the political realm.

• Difficult to present accurate, relevant, policy-neutral data.

• Difficulties for scientists to translate technical terms and complex concepts into the actionable strategies of policy-makers.

• Energy and Climate Change policy issues are inherently intricate sharing common qualities:

• Complexity • Polarisation• Winners and Losers• Delayed Consequences

• Decision Distortion• National vs Regional Conflict• Misuse of Scientific Information

• Funding sources of scientific research seen to distort the credibility of findings.

• Difficult for scientists to appreciate that the science is one element of policy deliberations.

• Some scientists are reluctant to involve themselves in the political process.

CHALLENGES FACING AUSTRALIAN ENERGY POLICY MAKERS

Challenges integrating science and policy are broadly recognised

• Australia faces additional challenges

• Economic drivers – increased growth with resource-based economy

• Energy sector dominated by influential lobby groups

• Policy-makers agenda dictated by short-term view

• Belief in the science?

• Is this leading to a Government failure on energy and climate change policy?

IMPROVING THE SCIENCE-POLICY RELATIONSHIP - RECOMMENDATIONS

• Consider adopting an adaptive management approach to policy development - allowing flexibility to cater for learning and changing developments

• Clearly define and communicate the various roles and responsibilities of scientists and policy advocacy.

• Help policy makers understand the benefits of science in helping to shape policy and inform the constituency for the need for courses of action.

• Bridge the gap between scientists and policy makers - strengthen ties; help policy makers ask the right questions, translate the science into actionable information.

• Scientists can undertake analysis and deliver policy options to support decision-making including identifying risks and consequences of action and inaction across multiple sectors and portfolios.

• Must develop an Energy/Climate Change policy portfolio following an integrated and coherent design process – one instrument will not transform our energy segment and solve CO2 mitigation.

STABILITY FOR THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT

• Australia is under increasing pressure domestically and internationally to modernise our energy and climate policy.

• Our political environment remains unstable with scientists struggling to influence the political agenda for energy and climate.

• Climate change will create an ever unstable environment for which we seek stability through mitigation and adaptation measures.

• We should seek the same stability in our political environment.

• For without it – we will fail to set an agenda to meet our nations growing energy demands and we will expose the planet to growing CO2 emissions from the continued burning of fossil fuels…. In that fail in our broader obligation to humanity and future generations to mitigate the risks of climate change.

THANK-YOUANY QUESTIONS?

REFERENCESArvai, J., Bridge, G., Dolsak, N., Franzese, R., Koontz, T., Luginbuhl, A., Robbins, P., Richards, K., Smith-Korfmacher, K., Sohngen, B., Tansey. J. and Thompson, A. 2006. Adaptive management of the global climate research and climate policy. Climate Change, vol. 78, p.p. 217-225.

Beeson, M. and McDonald, M. 2013. The politics of climate change in Australia. Australian Journal of Politics and History, vol. 59, p.p. 331-348.

Australian Government. 2015a. Energy White Paper. April 2015. Department of Industry and Science. Viewed online on 13th April 2015 at: http://ewp.industry.gov.au/sites/test.ewp.industry.gov.au/files/EnergyWhitePaper.pdf

Australian Government. 2015b. Setting Australia’s post-2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions – Issues paper. March 2015. Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Viewed online on 13th April 2015 at: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/Issues_Paper_greenhouse_gas_1.pdf

Cortner, H. J. 2000. Making science relevant to environmental policy. Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 3, p.p. 21-30.

Curran, G. 2009. Ecological modernisation and climate change in Australia. Environmental Politics, vol. 18, p.p. 201-217.

Garnaut, R. 2011. Australia in the global response to climate change: Garnaut climate change review – update 2011 . Viewed online on 13th April 2015 at: http://www.garnautreview.org.au/update-2011/garnaut-review-2011/summary-20June.pdf

Holmes, J. and Clark, R. 2008. Enhancing the use of science in environmental policy-making and regulation. Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 11, p.p. 702-711.

International Energy Agency (IEA). 2015. IEA Energy Atlas Australia Electricity. Viewed online on 13th April 2015 at: http://energyatlas.iea.org/?subject=-1118783123

International Energy Agency (IEA). 2012. Energy policies of IEA countries – Australia: 2012 Review. Viewed online on 13th April 2015 at: https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iea.org%2Fpublications%2Ffreepublications%2Fpublication%2FAustralia2012_free.pdf&ei=O7o-VcXsDs_hoASOxYGoCg&usg=AFQjCNEzT3UQQHjQkjjf19J_JPfctiSDrA&bvm=bv.91665533,d.cGU

IPCC. 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.

REFERENCESJotzo, F. and Kemp, L. 2015. Australia can cut emissions deeply and the cost is low. Centre for Climate Economics and Policy for WWF – Australia. Viewed online on 20th April 2015 at: http://awsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/fs077_australia_can_cut_emissions_deeply_and_the_cost_is_low_21apr15_v2.pdf

Keohane, R. O. 2015. The global politics of climate change: Challenge for political science. Political Science, vol. 48, p.p. 19-26.

Lackey, R. T. 2007. Science, scientists, and policy advocacy. Conservation Biology, vol. 21, p.p. 12-17.

Parkinson, G. and Vorrath, S. 2015. 10 things we learned about….Abbott’s contempt for climate. Renew Economy. Viewed online on 24th April 2015 at: http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/10-things-we-learned-about-abbotts-contempt-for-climate-81165

Oikonomou, V. and Jepma, C. J. 2008. A framework on interactions of climate and energy policy instruments. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol. 13, p.p. 131-156.

Scott, J. M., Rachlow, J. L., Lackey, R. T., Pidgorna, A. B., Aycrigg, J. L., Feldman, G. R., Svancara, L. K., Rupp, D. A., Stanish, D. I. and Steinhorst, R. K. 2007. Policy advocacy in science: Prevalence, perspectives, and implications for conservation biologists. Conservation Biology, vol. 21, p.p. 29-35.

Singh, G. G., Tam. J., Sisk, T. D., Klain, S. C., Mach, M. E., Martone, R. G. and Chan, K. M. A. 2014. A more social science: Barriers and incentives for scientists engaging in policy. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 12, no. 3, p.p. 161-166.

Steel, B., List. P., Lach, D. and Shindler, B. 2004. The role of scientists in the environmental policy process: a case study from the American west. Environmental Science & Policy, vol. 7, p.p. 1-13.

Talberg, A., Hui, S. and Loynes, K. 2013. Australian climate change policy: a chronology. Parliamentary Library Research Paper Series 2013-14, 2 December 2013.

Twomey, P. 2012. Rationales for additional climate policy instruments under a carbon price. The Economic and Labour Relations Review, vol. 23, p.p. 7-32.

Wagner, G. and Zeckhauser, R. J. 2012. Climate Policy: hard problem, soft thinking. Climate Change, vol. 110, p.p. 507-521.

World Bank. 2015. 3.8 World Development Indicators: Energy dependency, efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions. Viewed online on 24th April 2015 at: http://wdi.worldbank.org/table/3.8