The use of nudges as a local government environmental policy instrument. This project aims to design and rigorously test a range of behavioural nudges to improve the environmental behaviour of residents in the ACT, with a focus on adoption of low carbon technologies and the use of public transport. In partnership with the ACT Government, the proposal leverages recent research on cognitive biases to develop novel interventions and evaluate their effects via randomised controlled trials. Expected ....The use of nudges as a local government environmental policy instrument. This project aims to design and rigorously test a range of behavioural nudges to improve the environmental behaviour of residents in the ACT, with a focus on adoption of low carbon technologies and the use of public transport. In partnership with the ACT Government, the proposal leverages recent research on cognitive biases to develop novel interventions and evaluate their effects via randomised controlled trials. Expected outcomes include new concepts for citizen-government interactions; advanced knowledge in public policy and behavioural economics; a new statistical programming tool; new methods to optimise policy and practice; and positive environmental and economic impacts for local governments and individuals.Read moreRead less
Embedded emissions accounting: frameworks for trade in a net-zero world. This project aims to inform Government on potential accounting frameworks for greenhouse emissions embedded in tradable products. Public frameworks are urgently needed given the emergence internationally of trade-related climate policies such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms. The project expects to contribute to global knowledge on embedded emissions frameworks by combining economic, engineering, science and policy pe ....Embedded emissions accounting: frameworks for trade in a net-zero world. This project aims to inform Government on potential accounting frameworks for greenhouse emissions embedded in tradable products. Public frameworks are urgently needed given the emergence internationally of trade-related climate policies such as carbon border adjustment mechanisms. The project expects to contribute to global knowledge on embedded emissions frameworks by combining economic, engineering, science and policy perspectives. Expected outcomes include improved: capability within Government; understanding among Australian stakeholders; and integration with international approaches. Expected benefits include lower regulatory barriers to global emissions reductions, and fairer access to international markets for Australian producers. Read moreRead less
Compliance and enforcement of non-urban water extraction in New South Wales. This project will examine the compliance and enforcement practices of regulators and regulated communities in the water context. Results will provide legal and policy guidance to reshape compliance and enforcement strategies to effectively and efficiently enhance the legitimacy of water law, protect water resources and prevent overuse.
Sustainable Hydrogen Certification: A Multistakeholder Governance Approach. The project aims to assist policy analysts to devise a sustainable certification scheme for hydrogen that meets multistakeholder requirements. Its significance lies in challenging a techno-economic mindset focusing only on the fuel’s carbon intensity within a production plant. Taking a comparative historical approach, and incorporating the views of energy experts and stakeholders, the expected outcome is options for a ne ....Sustainable Hydrogen Certification: A Multistakeholder Governance Approach. The project aims to assist policy analysts to devise a sustainable certification scheme for hydrogen that meets multistakeholder requirements. Its significance lies in challenging a techno-economic mindset focusing only on the fuel’s carbon intensity within a production plant. Taking a comparative historical approach, and incorporating the views of energy experts and stakeholders, the expected outcome is options for a new sustainable certification scheme that addresses all technical, economic, social, environmental and governance requirements. The benefits to Australia are a ‘gold standard’ sustainable certification scheme that assures the country’s competitiveness in export markets and influence in global certification negotiations.Read moreRead less
Exploring social innovations in urban water systems with a novel modelling approach. The project will investigate how wide reaching social renewal takes place in the urban water sector. With improved understanding of how social innovation works, the project will develop a computer model to assist decision-making under conditions of high uncertainty with systematic scenario analysis.
Advancing the Ecological Footprint for Application to Policy Development. To be effective, policies that promote Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) must operate at many levels. For example, it is of little consequence if individual consumers are empowered to achieve greater sustainability but the capability of corporations and governments to do so remains limited. Our carefully chosen industry collaborations will ensure that effective environmental policy development can be implemented a ....Advancing the Ecological Footprint for Application to Policy Development. To be effective, policies that promote Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) must operate at many levels. For example, it is of little consequence if individual consumers are empowered to achieve greater sustainability but the capability of corporations and governments to do so remains limited. Our carefully chosen industry collaborations will ensure that effective environmental policy development can be implemented at the global, national, state and corporate level. This will allow us, as a nation, to better protect the resources upon which the environment and the economy rely. This research will also allow Australia to be a world leader in the implementation of sustainable development.Read moreRead less
The Kids in Communities Study: national investigation of community level effects on children's developmental outcomes. This project (a cross-disciplinary collaboration) will investigate community level factors influencing early childhood developmental outcomes using a mixed methods approach in up to 10 communities across Australia. This will result in a potential set of measures or indicators that reflect communities that are good for children.
Integrating measures of Indigenous land management effectiveness. Land management is the fastest growing Indigenous employment sector in Australia yet methods for assessing its effectiveness are poorly developed. This project will work with Indigenous land managers and their major environmental service delivery partners to develop and agree on measures of land management effectiveness to meet multiple objectives.
China's Industrialisation and Demand for Energy and Minerals. Understanding China's medium and long-term growth prospects and the implications for both demand and supply of resources are critically important to Australian economic policy and performance, as well as to investment decisions of Australian resource producers, and professional decisions of Australians in a wide range of occupations. Analysis of the medium and long-term demand for resources from China would be beneficial for Australia ....China's Industrialisation and Demand for Energy and Minerals. Understanding China's medium and long-term growth prospects and the implications for both demand and supply of resources are critically important to Australian economic policy and performance, as well as to investment decisions of Australian resource producers, and professional decisions of Australians in a wide range of occupations. Analysis of the medium and long-term demand for resources from China would be beneficial for Australian resource industries. It is also important to Australian budget, education and infrastructure policy. Increasing Chinese demand for resources will be critical in shaping global environmental policies.Read moreRead less
Family and Working Life in the North Eastern Goldfields: A Social History of Gwalia and Leonora (WA), 1890-1990. This project aims to supplement and use the results of a recent collection of oral history recordings along with rich documentary evidence and photographs to produce the first academic histories of the multi-cultural mining settlements of Gwalia and Leonora in the north-eastern goldfields of WA.These historical studies will focus on land use and the environment in the area, particular ....Family and Working Life in the North Eastern Goldfields: A Social History of Gwalia and Leonora (WA), 1890-1990. This project aims to supplement and use the results of a recent collection of oral history recordings along with rich documentary evidence and photographs to produce the first academic histories of the multi-cultural mining settlements of Gwalia and Leonora in the north-eastern goldfields of WA.These historical studies will focus on land use and the environment in the area, particularly the pastoral industry. The results will complement and build upon the significant community effort to preserve the heritage of Gwalia; will provide local resources to enhance the tourism potential of this remote area; and develop links with the main migrant-sending area in Bergamo, Italy.Read moreRead less