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2011 Garnaut Climate Change Review: Update

Alison Turnbull is the PIARN Program Manager. She attended the first of Professor Ross Garnaut’s briefings on his Garnaut Climate Change Review—Update 2011 earlier this month. She provided the following summary:

According to Professor Garnaut, the re-emergence of climate change policy demonstrates greater community interest in the topic and support for action, and acknowledges that this area requires a complex response – more than any other public policy.

The test of the original review was community awareness and Government involvement in the topic, but this follow-up review will be focused on getting a firmer result.

The forthcoming papers will address a number of lessons learnt since the 2008 Review:

  • There was too low a discount rate in valuing future costs of mitigation;
  • The uncertainty of science meant a cautious approach in 2008. Now it is understood that the uncertainty of science increases the need for action;
  • There are emissions constraints when considering the development of developing countries; and
  • It is too late for mitigation – focus on adaptation measures is required.

In order to address these points and further developments across a range of subjects including climate change science and impacts, emissions trends, carbon pricing, technology, land and the electricity sector, the review will release a series of papers in early 2011 in the following areas:

  1. Weighing the costs and benefits of climate change action (released February 3 at the briefing)
  2. Progress towards effective global action on climate change (released February 7)
  3. Global emissions trends (released February 11)
  4. Transforming rural land use (March 1)
  5. The science of climate change (March 10)
  6. Carbon pricing and reducing Australia's emissions (March 17)
  7. Low emissions technology and the innovation challenge (March 23)
  8. Transforming the electricity sector (March 29)

The final report is to be presented to the Government by 31 May 2011.
To access the reports or for more information visit the Garnaut Review website.