Howard Bamsey (RegNet)
Howard Bamsey on Australia and climate change negotiations: at the table, or on the menu?
In this Lowy Institute paper, RegNet Adjunct Professor and former Special Envoy on Climate Change, Howard Bamsey writing with Kath Rowley, argues that not paying proper attention to the current international climate change negotiations raises several risks to the Australian national interest.
Executive SummaryThe climate change negotiations are changing the global economy in ways that matter to Australia. New norms, standards, rules, and even laws will require Australia to change. These developments create challenges and opportunities for Australian businesses and individuals. Australia’s national circumstances — especially its relatively high current dependence on industries that emit large quantities of greenhouse gases — are distinctive, so Australia must work harder than others to advance its interests.
Failure to pay proper, high-level attention to the negotiations would seriously endanger the national interest. By actively engaging in negotiations in a strategic and creative way, Australia can help ensure that the next global agreement provides a smooth adjustment for the global and the Australian economy. This would minimise potential adverse impacts on Australia, and secure access to the new economic and other opportunities that action on climate change brings.
Read the entire paper on the Lowy Institute website.
Read more about Howard Bamsey’s work on his RegNet profile.
