Swimming against the current: Australian climate institutions and the politics of polarisation

Figures & data

Figure 1. Australian GHG emissions, 1990–2030

Source: Government of Australia (2020).

Table 1. Timeline of Australian climate institutions, 1990–2020

Political moments	Period	Institutional events
Dec ‘91: Paul Keating takes over as Labor PM March ‘96: Coalition wins election; Howard becomes PM June ‘02: Howard govt refuses to ratify Kyoto	1990–2004	Oct ‘90: Govt and COAG adopt ‘Toronto targets’ of 20% reduction by 2005 (with ‘no regrets’ strategy) Feb ’94: National Greenhouse Advisory Council est’d April ‘98: Australian Greenhouse Office is established May ‘99: Govt creates GHG Abatement Programme Jan ‘03: NSW’s ETS is implemented
Dec ‘06: Kevin Rudd becomes Labor leader, makes climate action a central feature of Labor’s priorities Oct ‘07: Howard promises to create national ETS	2004–2007	Jan ‘04: State/territory govts create the National Emissions Trading Taskforce (NETT) May ‘07: Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading releases ‘Shergold Report’: recommends ETS
Nov ‘07: Labor forms govt; Rudd takes over as PM, Howard steps down as Liberal leader Dec ‘07: Australia ratifies Kyoto Sept ‘08: Malcolm Turnbull becomes Liberal leader Dec ‘09: Abbott replaces Turnbull as Liberal leader, voids CPRS deal. June ‘10: Julia Gillard becomes PM after Labor leadership challenge Aug/Sept ‘10: Election results in hung parliament. Gillard signs agreements with Greens/independents to form govt June ‘13: Rudd becomes PM in Labor leadership challenge	2007–2013	Sept ‘08: Final Garnaut report released, proposes ETS. Aug ‘09: CPRS Bill is rejected in the Senate (42 to 30) Sept ‘09: Renewable energy target increased to 20% Dec ‘09: CPRS rejected again by Senate March ‘10: AGO formally disbanded, with remaining functions absorbed by Dept of Climate Change Sept ‘10 Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate Change (PMCCC) is established Feb ‘11: Climate Commission is created to provide expert information to the public Nov ‘11: Clean Energy Act and ETS passed by Parliament April ‘12: Clean Energy Regulator is established June ‘12: Clean Energy Future Package creates Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Climate Change Authority, and Australian Renewable Energy Agency July ‘12: Price on carbon comes into effect
Sept ‘13: Coalition wins election; Abbott becomes PM Sept ‘15: Turnbull becomes PM in leadership challenge Aug ‘18: Morrison becomes PM in leadership challenge	2013–2019	Sept ‘13: Climate Commission abolished. June ‘14: Govt introduces Direct Action Plan (Carbon Farming Initiative & Emissions Reduction Fund) July ‘14: Carbon price repealed. CEFC and CCA are kept as part of a Senate deal to scrap carbon price March ‘17: Secretaries Group on Climate Risk formed

Figure 2. Australian renewable energy growth (GWh), 2008–2018

Source: Garnaut (2019).

Figure 3. Australia’s federal climate institutions, 2020

Table 2. Major climate policies of the Morrison Government as of 2020

Policy/program	Description
Emissions Reduction Fund (CER)	Reverse-auctions to fund initiatives that reduce GHG emissions.
20 Million Trees Program (Dept of Agriculture & Enviro)	Funds the planting 20 million trees.
Clean Energy Innovation Fund (ARENA)	Funds clean technologies from demonstration phase to deployment.
National Landcare Program (Dept of Agriculture & Enviro)	Funds GHG mitigation projects and practices in the agriculture sector.
Energy Efficiency Program (Dept of Industry, Science & Resources)	Develops energy efficiency standards in refrigeration and lighting.
Blue Carbon Program (Dept of Agriculture & Enviro)	Funds projects that protect carbon stored in coastal ecosystems.
Carbon Farming Futures Program (Dept of Agriculture & Enviro)	Funds research and on-farm trials of activities that reduce emission.
CCS R&D Fund (ARENA)	Funds CCS projects; encourages industry investment in the technology.
Low Emissions Coal Initiative (Dept of Industry, Science & Resources)	Funds deployment of technologies to cut GHG emissions from coal.
ERF Safeguard Mechanism (CER)	Ensures reductions purchased via ERF aren’t offset by other increases.
Renewable Energy Target (CER)	Mandates additional generation of electricity from renewables.

Source: Government of Australia (2020).

Government of Australia, 2020. Climate policies. Available from: https://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change.

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Garnaut, R., 2019. Superpower: Australia’s low carbon opportunity. Melbourne: Black Inc.

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