Australian Climate Change Policy: Analysis of Key Issues and Impacts

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Australian climate change policy, examining its key components, drivers, and historical context. The report delves into the policy's description, including the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy, and evaluates its effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing climate-related risks. It explores the policy's impacts on the economy, environment, and various sectors, such as coasts, cities, and agriculture. Furthermore, the analysis assesses the policy's consistency with social work values, highlighting the importance of ethical principles, social justice, and human relationships in addressing climate change challenges. The report also discusses the policy's historical background and the factors driving its development, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and the need for carbon emission reductions. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and emphasizing the significance of climate change policy in protecting communities, preserving ecosystems, and ensuring a sustainable future for Australia. This report is available on Desklib, a platform for students to access past papers and solved assignments.

Policy analysis - Australian
climate change policy

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Policy description........................................................................................................................1
Policy drivers..............................................................................................................................2
Policy history and welfare state context......................................................................................3
Policy problem and concepts......................................................................................................3
Policy impacts.............................................................................................................................4
Consistency with social work values..........................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
As per the Environmental protection agency, climate change is considered to be as one of
the measure which tends to change the climate which has been extended for the specific period
of time. This study will largely focus on the Australian climate change policy. This study will
critically examine the key issues associated with the policy and also critically evaluate the policy
against social work values.
Rationale
The main reason for carrying out the specific study on Australian climate change policy
is that it tends to put high degree of significant risk on the community, economy and natural
environment. This is a wide subject topic and the climate has been changing which largely
influence various factors in a certain specific way. This study is carried out for my own academic
and personal interest.
MAIN BODY
Policy description
Climate change policies tends to be one of the crucial importance as it our designed in a
way which are very useful in reducing the air pollution and greenhouse gas emission. The
National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy is considered to be one of the effective
phenomenon which is very useful in managing the risk associated with the change in climate
(McCright, Dunlap, & Marquart-Pyatt, (2016)). Social policies is an effective approach which
helps the various authorities of the state to appropriately deal with the range of social problems.
There are more stringent set of the carbon policies which in turn has been taking place across the
globe (A short history of the future: Australian climate projections 1987–2015, 2016). The
international Panel on Climate Change 2013-2014, tends to state that it largely effects the
economy, pollution, policies and ecosystem. Carbon pricing in turn is considered to be as one of
the effective pricing strategy which has been replaced by the Direct action plan at Federal level
(King, Karoly & Henley, (2017)). Emissions Reduction Fund in turn is considered to be as the
appropriate voluntary scheme which in turn tends to aim at providing incentives to the various
individuals and organizations which tends to focus on adopting to the new set of technologies
and practices which in turn are considered to be very necessary in reducing the carbon emission.
This Emissions Reduction Fund was demonstrated in order to effectively meet the 2030 target of
the Australia in order to reduce the carbon emission across the economy. The ERF is beneficial
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in reducing greenhouse gas emissions of Australia while delivering set of valuable co-benefits to
Australian households, businesses and environment.
Clean Energy act of the Australia in turn is considered to be as one of the most prominent
approach which in turn largely helps in effectively evaluating the key relationship between social
protection and environment. What is the problem represented to be in turn is considered to be as
one of the most effective approach which in turn helps in effectively dealing with the various set
of problems (Mackey & et.al. (2015). The carbon tax in turn has been introduced in the year
2011, this efforts in turn has eventually resulted in the reduction in the change in the climate
despite of the several set of criticism. The key goal associated with the Australian climate change
policy is to effectively focus on reducing the emission by around 60 percent which is estimated
to be below 2000 levels by the end of the year 2050. The key elements associated with the
climate change policy is to create a long term vision plan to reduce the impact of global warming
and also increases the various set of actionable policy options which eventually leads to better
climate change results and outcomes.
Policy drivers
Climate change in turn largely exacerbates the existing risk associated with climate. Rising
sea levels in turn is considered to be as one of the reason which results in rising the sea levels
which in turn tends to largely increase the risk of damage which in turn has eventually resulted in
storm surges. Climate change also exacerbates the coastal erosion with the high degree of risk of
damage associated to the coastal infrastructure (Higham & et.al. (2016)). Climate change tends
to put high degree of significant risk on the community, economy and natural environment.
Building high degree of resilience to the physical impacts associated with the climate change.
The emission of the Carbon dioxide is generally gown which helps in bringing positive impact
on the economy (Reducing carbon emissions). The Australia’s share associated with the work
emission mainly constitute of 1.5% in the year 2005. The percentage in turn has however
declined to 1.1% by the year 2030 and to 1 percent by the end of the year 2100.
Australia in turn tends to largely have high degree of per capita emission associated with
the carbon dioxide across the world. Australia focuses on using coal power which helps in
decreasing the use of the electricity (Anwar & et.al. (2015)). Emissions of carbon has been
falling over the period of years. The Australia has been becoming hotter with every period which
eventually results and extreme heat and also extreme fire because of the climatic change (Urban,
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(2015)). This has eventually resulted in increase in the temperature of Australia and increase in
the frequency of the droughts, bushfires, floods which has been linked to the high degree of
climatic change. Australia in turn tends to largely have high degree of per capita emission
associated with the carbon dioxide across the world. Australia focuses on using coal power
which helps in decreasing the use of the electricity. Emissions of carbon has been falling over the
period of years. However, this has been considered as critical issue for the government as well as
economy as it will largely affect the climate and environment of the Australia.
Policy history and welfare state context
Climate change in Australia has been considered to be one of the critical issue from the
beginning of 21st century. The Australia has been becoming hotter with every period which
eventually results and extreme heat and also extreme fire because of the climatic change (A short
history of the future: Australian climate projections 1987–2015, 2016). This has eventually
resulted in increase in the temperature of Australia and increase in the frequency of the droughts,
bushfires, floods which has been linked to the high degree of climatic change. The environmental
protection agency tends to focus on various changes associated with climate like precipitation,
temperature, wind patterns et cetera which in turn largely influence the environmental conditions
for the various decades (Howes & et.al. (2015)). Around $2.5 billion money in turn has been
largely spent which helps in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change Australia
policy is influenced by the current characteristics associated with global warming, heat
temperature, pollution, etc.
Policy problem and concepts
Australia is vulnerable to the various effects associated with the global warming for the
next hundred years (Morrison, Duncan & Parton,. (2015)). There has been semi arid areas as
well as extensive arid areas which are already having warm climate conditions with existing
pressure on the water supply and also high annual rainfall variability. Lack of an explicit level of
the carbon pricing signal is in turn considered to be as the one of the key essential element
associated with the internalisation of greenhouse gas emissions (Health professionals in
Australia, including social workers have expressed alarm at the government’s failure to act to
protect citizens). It is very difficult for the government to completely analyse about the various
set of projects which has been taken down in the absence of Emissions Reduction Fund.
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The Emissions Reduction Fund is based on erroneous assumptions which eventually states
that the externality associated with global warming is not priced (Barnett & et.al. (2015)). The
cost associated with the extreme weather conditions tends to eventually range from various set of
environmental impacts and in turn also tends to high degree of occurrence of the financial cost
which has been incurred by the businesses, government and household.
Policy impacts
Climate change policy tends to have high degree of the significant impact on both the
economy as well as the environment which in turn are highly influenced from the climate change
across the various number of sectors. Decisions which has been made in turn has high degree of
lasting consequence on the future generation (McCright, Dunlap, & Marquart-Pyatt, (2016)).
Australian climate change policy tends to have high degree of climate change impact on the
coasts, cities, built environment, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, water resources, health and
wellbeing, natural resources, disaster risk management, etc. The increased level of the
heatwaves has eventually resulted in the high degree of risk related to injury, death and disease
(A short history of the future: Australian climate projections 1987–2015, 2016). The key benefit
associated with the climate change policy is that, it is very useful in the avoidance of the climatic
conditions and also helps in ensuring the net adverse impacts. Policies are very useful in
effectively setting the key priorities for the future which in turn eventually helps in facilitating
the decision making capability on the international policies. These climate change policies are
very useful as it helps in targeting various different communities and population of the Australia.
An effective policy is considered to be very useful in running away the cost associated with the
climate change. It also helps in effectively reducing the global warming emission which helps in
curtailing the cost associated with the climate change.
The clean energy economy in turn is considered to be as one of the most appropriate
approach which in turn helps in keeping the high degree of pace in order to remain competitive
within the economy. Reducing the emissions within the environment is considered to be very
useful in improving the health of the public. It is also considered to be very useful in effectively
enhancing the global and national security. These Australian climate change policy in turn are
very useful for the farmers because it tends to offer modest cost to the agricultural sector (Jang &
Hart, (2015)). These Australian climate change policy is prominent as it helps in preserving the
species and vital ecosystem. It helps in protecting the communities from drought, storm surges,
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pests threaten forests, wetlands, warming temperature, etc. Australian climate change policy is
very useful in effectively conserving the clean water and various water resources.
Consistency with social work values
Social workers in turn tends to largely influence the assumptions and values which in turn
tends to lie with the social work (Swinburn & et.al. (2019)). The key social values associated
with the morals, ethical principles, social justice, dignity, value of human relationship,
competence, integrity, etc. which in turn is considered to be very beneficial which in turn largely
comply with the various set of Australian climate change policy. Social workers tends to largely
influence the various goals and objectives of the Australian climate change policy (Williams &
et.al. (2015)). Australian Association of the social workers is an effective body which tends to
focus on carrying out necessary actions related with the Australian climate change which in turn
eventually results in high degree of consistency to attain future goals and objectives of the
Australian climate change policy.
CONCLUSION
From the study it has been summarized that, the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Strategy is considered to be one of the effective phenomenon which is very useful in managing
the risk associated with the change in climate. This Emissions Reduction Fund was demonstrated
in order to effectively meet the 2030 target of the Australia in order to reduce the carbon
emission across the economy. Clean Energy act of the Australia and The carbon tax are
considered to effective policies. Rising sea levels, bushfire, high temperature, global warming
are key issues. There has been semi arid areas as well as extensive arid areas which are already
having warm climate conditions with existing pressure on the water supply and also high annual
rainfall variability. It has been concluded that, Reducing the emissions within the environment is
considered to be very useful in improving the health of the public. These Australian climate
change policy is prominent as it helps in preserving the species and vital ecosystem.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anwar, M. R & et.al. (2015). Climate change impacts on phenology and yields of five broadacre
crops at four climatologically distinct locations in Australia. Agricultural Systems, 132, 133-144.
Barnett, J & et.al. (2015). From barriers to limits to climate change adaptation: path dependency
and the speed of change. Ecology and Society, 20(3).
Higham, J & et.al. (2016). Climate change, tourist air travel and radical emissions
reduction. Journal of Cleaner Production, 111, 336-347.
Howes, M & et.al. (2015). Towards networked governance: improving interagency
communication and collaboration for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in
Australia. Journal of environmental planning and management, 58(5), 757-776.
Jang, S. M., & Hart, P. S. (2015). Polarized frames on “climate change” and “global warming”
across countries and states: Evidence from Twitter big data. Global Environmental Change, 32,
11-17.
King, A. D., Karoly, D. J., & Henley, B. J. (2017). Australian climate extremes at 1.5 C and 2 C
of global warming. Nature Climate Change, 7(6), 412-416.
Mackey, B & et.al. (2015). Policy options for the world's primary forests in multilateral
environmental agreements. Conservation Letters, 8(2), 139-147.
McCright, A. M., Dunlap, R. E., & Marquart-Pyatt, S. T. (2016). Political ideology and views
about climate change in the European Union. Environmental Politics, 25(2), 338-358.
Morrison, M., Duncan, R., & Parton, K. (2015). Religion does matter for climate change
attitudes and behavior. PloS one, 10(8).
Swinburn, B. A & et.al. (2019). The global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate
change: the Lancet Commission report. The Lancet, 393(10173), 791-846.
Urban, M. C. (2015). Accelerating extinction risk from climate change. Science, 348(6234), 571-
573.
Williams, A. N & et.al. (2015). A continental narrative: human settlement patterns and
Australian climate change over the last 35,000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews, 123, 91-112.
Online
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A short history of the future: Australian climate projections 1987–2015. 2016. [ONLINE].
Available through< https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405880715300303>
Health professionals in Australia, including social workers have expressed alarm at the
government’s failure to act to protect citizens. See this report:
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/caha/pages/27/attachments/original/1496018461/
CAHA_Final_Consultation_Report_May_2017_FINAL.pdf?1496018461
Reducing carbon emissions: if you decide to focus your analysis on Australian or Victorian
policies on climate change mitigation you might start by reading an article in The Atlantic that
outlines how Australian policies on carbon emission reduction are failing to halt climate change:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/01/australia-caught-climate-spiral/604423/
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