Change2

Creating a better future

Is Australia a leader or a laggard? - On the Couch Episode 3

Welcome to our third episode of On the Couch. This time we ask our panel the question when it comes to sustainability is "Australia a Leader or a Laggard?"

Add a Comment

You need to be a member of Change2 to add comments!

Join Change2

Comment by Simon Wright on December 16, 2009 at 10:18am
Mans, Steve, Leon
There is no doubt we are one of the recalcitrants, something that was highlighted in a recent report on G20 along with Canada and Russia. The reality is that we are not as far behind as we think we are in terms of actions - pockets of innovation do exist - but we are way further behind than we think in terms of our general philosophy and approach. Undoubtedly for me, the key issue has been an absence of political and corporate leadership, with each in each's pockets. And it's not just on climate change or environment that we lag, it's on sustainability in the context of staff, products, customers and community. A lack of agreement in Copenhagen (which now seems likely) will open the way for somebody to fill this leadership void. Sadly the NGOs lack the power and the community lack the will - life is just too easy for those most engaged in the debate - so the outlook is not great, at least on our shores. Enjoy the holiday !!
Comment by Leon Young on December 15, 2009 at 9:20am
Mans and Steve, I think you've both hit it on the head. One of the most infuriating arguments made over the past 2 years against putting a price on carbon has been 'why should we go first?'. There needs to be some clear communication to the Australian public that we are not first, in fact we are a long way behind much of the world. There also needs to be re-enforcement of the fact that we profit enormously from the emissions of countries such as China and therefore it is entirely reasonable we should pick up some of the cost.
Comment by Steve Fanale on December 15, 2009 at 9:04am
Recent Liberal party activity indicates to me that we are a laggard. We still don't have bipartisan support on a way forward and if Australia is to significantly improve it's "polluting" record then changes need to be made at the top. ie government and big business
Comment by Mans Carlsson-Sweeny on December 14, 2009 at 6:54pm
Having lived in Australia for almost a year it is crystal clear to me that Australia is a severe laggard in terms of sustainability. Apart from being one of the biggest polluters in the world per capita, the country has had fantastic opportunities to become a leader, particularly within renewable energy but has unfortunately chosen a different route, i.e. to focus on feeding China's hunger for resources and short-term profits instead. In many cases the mentality is: "sure I care about the environment, but why should Australia be at the forefront?” It is not. However, I can think of many reasons why Australia should care to be at the forefront (even strictly financially speaking), including economic impact from droughts and bushfires (both for the agricultural sector and for the public at large), loss of tourism revenue from the dying Great Barrier Reef, refuges from islands that will become submerged, etc.

Another sign of being a laggard is when numerous people in the country’s second largest political party genuinely don't believe in global warming. When it comes to the investment community, Australia has the largest number of UN PRI signatories but many of the ones I have met with have simply signed up for marketing reasons. As long as investors and politicians (whose interest is derived from the public) don't put in a bigger effort, Australia will simply fall further behind the rest of the world.

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Latest Activity

Jessi Copeland posted blog posts
Apr 15
Ivetta Gerasimchuk updated their profile
Apr 12
Jessi Copeland posted a blog post

Green-e Energy Certifies NIPSCO’s New Green Power Option for Indiana Customers

Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) today announced that Merrillville, Ind.–based Northern Indiana Public Service Company’s (NIPSCO’s) new Green Power Program has been certified by Green-e Energy. NIPSCO joins the growing network of renewable energy providers that offer clean energy options certified by Green-e Energy, North America’s leading certification and verification program for renewable energy."We are pleased that residents and businesses in Indiana now have a certified renewable energy…See More
Feb 13
Jessi Copeland posted a blog post

JustGreen® Renewable Energy Credits Now Green-e Certified

Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) today announced that Just Energy’s new renewable energy certificate (REC) product, "JustGreen RECs," is now certified by Green-e® Energy.  Just Energy, one of North America’s largest green energy providers with $70M invested in green energy projects, joins the growing network of renewable energy providers that offer products certified by Green-e Energy, North America's leading certification and verification program for renewable energy."We are very excited to…See More
Jan 29

© 2013   Created by Change2.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service