Determining urban water conservation and management strategies: a novel approach using field experiment and survey data. The project's national benefits are consistent with the research priorities that evaluate an environmentally sustainable Australia through efficient and sustainable water use. The project explores how households react to different demand side instruments and identifies water saving strategies preferred by the public. The findings can be used by decision-makers to select eff ....Determining urban water conservation and management strategies: a novel approach using field experiment and survey data. The project's national benefits are consistent with the research priorities that evaluate an environmentally sustainable Australia through efficient and sustainable water use. The project explores how households react to different demand side instruments and identifies water saving strategies preferred by the public. The findings can be used by decision-makers to select effective instruments to enhance water conservation, reduce water consumption and therefore use water sustainably according to Australia's ecological means. Read moreRead less
Economics of Conserving Australian Tropical Wildlife: An Analysis of the Role of Economic Valuation, Property Rights and Commercialisation. Australian tropical native animals are selected to analyse economic valuation (use and non-use valuation) of wildlife species and to assess systematically the role of property rights and commercialisation in conservation. The project will (1) reduce bias of Australian economic studies in favour of temperate species; (2) answer several unresolved questions ra ....Economics of Conserving Australian Tropical Wildlife: An Analysis of the Role of Economic Valuation, Property Rights and Commercialisation. Australian tropical native animals are selected to analyse economic valuation (use and non-use valuation) of wildlife species and to assess systematically the role of property rights and commercialisation in conservation. The project will (1) reduce bias of Australian economic studies in favour of temperate species; (2) answer several unresolved questions raised in the Parlimentary Report on Commercial Utilisation of Australian Wildlife; (3) advance economic theory (e.g. relating to dynamic influences on economic valuation) and provide new insights into property rights making use of empirical and experimental results, and (4) thereby contribute to public policy decision-making.Read moreRead less
Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal ca ....Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal capacity to respond to climate change, so identifying appropriate governance structures and regulatory tools. This analysis is vital to positioning Australian environmental law to manage climate change impacts and associated social, ecological and economic costs and to ensure compliance with international obligations.Read moreRead less
Energy efficiency, economic growth and the environment in China. This project will provide Australian government, business and the broader community with comprehensive knowledge about China's growth which is closely linked to the Australian resources boom and hence economic growth in recent years. It will give Australia a leading edge in understanding China within the context of sustainable development and provide an assessment of the impact that China's continued growth may have on the world in ....Energy efficiency, economic growth and the environment in China. This project will provide Australian government, business and the broader community with comprehensive knowledge about China's growth which is closely linked to the Australian resources boom and hence economic growth in recent years. It will give Australia a leading edge in understanding China within the context of sustainable development and provide an assessment of the impact that China's continued growth may have on the world in general and on the Australian economy in particular. The insights on China's energy and environmental sectors gained through this project will be vital for Australian businesses attempting to tap into the Chinese market, and Sino-Australian cooperation on climate change.Read moreRead less
Balancing the risk of harm with productivity in the mercurial firm: economic theory and applications to Australian policy. Australia has had at least one significant chemical spill per month for the last 30 years. While the Longford disaster fades from the news, James Hardy's asbestos problem fills its place. This project will develop a general conceptual framework in which to analyse the economics of risky firms. The framework will be used to evaluate Australian, International, and alternative ....Balancing the risk of harm with productivity in the mercurial firm: economic theory and applications to Australian policy. Australia has had at least one significant chemical spill per month for the last 30 years. While the Longford disaster fades from the news, James Hardy's asbestos problem fills its place. This project will develop a general conceptual framework in which to analyse the economics of risky firms. The framework will be used to evaluate Australian, International, and alternative policies. The end benefit to Australia will be an improvement in policy toward firms that cause accidents.Read moreRead less
Managing the risk of price spikes, dependences and contagion effects in australian electricity markets. Australian electricity markets are more volatile and spike-prone than other comparable markets. Price spikes account for large parts of total price variation, and companies that are unprepared to manage these risks adequately face potentially substantial losses. The economic reality of price spikes in our interconnected electricity markets which are small and geographically isolated, unlike th ....Managing the risk of price spikes, dependences and contagion effects in australian electricity markets. Australian electricity markets are more volatile and spike-prone than other comparable markets. Price spikes account for large parts of total price variation, and companies that are unprepared to manage these risks adequately face potentially substantial losses. The economic reality of price spikes in our interconnected electricity markets which are small and geographically isolated, unlike the proximate markets of Europe and North America, emphasises the imperative of this Australian-focused research. Results will enable forecasting of extreme prices and enable market participants to manage better their risks, in Australia's unique electricity environment, and reduce chances of large losses or default.Read moreRead less
Climate change and energy policy: elements of a robust policy mix. The national benefits of the project lie directly in assisting Australia achieve significant emissions reductions (at least 60% by 2050) as part of the global effort to avoid dangerous climate change. This needs to be done in an effective, efficient and equitable manner that takes into account other national policy goals including those of the energy sector. There are clear benefits in developing a framework that can assist in cr ....Climate change and energy policy: elements of a robust policy mix. The national benefits of the project lie directly in assisting Australia achieve significant emissions reductions (at least 60% by 2050) as part of the global effort to avoid dangerous climate change. This needs to be done in an effective, efficient and equitable manner that takes into account other national policy goals including those of the energy sector. There are clear benefits in developing a framework that can assist in creating a policy mix that explicitly deals with the complementarities and trade-offs that arise in the interaction of the various policy instruments employed to achieve these multiple goals.Read moreRead less
Designing Better Landowner Contracts to Protect Australia's Environment. There will be two main benefits from this project. First a reduction in the cost of protecting the environment and second, a greater awareness amongst regulators of the determinants of compliance costs and their variability amongst landowners. By making environmental contracts more efficient, this project will contribute towards making Australian agriculture more sustainable in terms of protecting biodiversity, conserving ....Designing Better Landowner Contracts to Protect Australia's Environment. There will be two main benefits from this project. First a reduction in the cost of protecting the environment and second, a greater awareness amongst regulators of the determinants of compliance costs and their variability amongst landowners. By making environmental contracts more efficient, this project will contribute towards making Australian agriculture more sustainable in terms of protecting biodiversity, conserving water and reducing the rate of soil loss.Read moreRead less
Solving the water crisis in Australian cities and towns with options contracts between urban and rural water users. We will equip water resource managers with a powerful and effective tool for the allocation of water resources between rural and urban sectors. The importance of this bridge cannot be understated. To date urban centres have endured stringent water restrictions to manage dwindling urban suppliers, while ignoring the potential benefits of purchasing water from the irrigated agricul ....Solving the water crisis in Australian cities and towns with options contracts between urban and rural water users. We will equip water resource managers with a powerful and effective tool for the allocation of water resources between rural and urban sectors. The importance of this bridge cannot be understated. To date urban centres have endured stringent water restrictions to manage dwindling urban suppliers, while ignoring the potential benefits of purchasing water from the irrigated agriculture sector. Furthermore, rural communities have suffered hardship due to restricted agricultural production during times of drought. This research proposal represents an exciting solution to both problems and offers the tantalising prospect of water shortages in our capital cities and towns becoming distant memories.Read moreRead less
Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ....Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ecology and soil science at the University of New England and graziers in an upper Murray-Darling subcatchment will analyse the transition to a common-property institution on this subcatchment. It will make a distinctively Australian contribution to international efforts to understand such transitions, and serve as a model for progress towards sustainability elsewhere in Australia.
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