This document sets out principles to guide the development of sound long term policy to address climate change. These principles reflect extensive discussions between the diverse organisations participating in the Australian Climate Roundtable, encompassing business groups, unions, institutional investors, environmental groups, research organisations and social policy organisations.

The principles address the goals of climate change policy and the ideal characteristics of policies to meet the goals.

The principles spring from the considerable common ground between the existing policy approaches of each group, and have been revised and clarified to ensure that they cover areas of essential need and joint agreement. Each organisation maintains their own existing policy priorities, with which they have judged these principles to be compatible.

The following organisations have agreed to the joint principles:

• Australian Aluminium Council
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• Australian Council of Social Service
• Australian Council of Trade Unions
• Australian Industry Group
• Business Council of Australia
• Energy Supply Association of Australia
• Investor Group on Climate Change
• The Climate Institute WWF Australia

The Australian Climate Roundtable, is an alliance of major business, union, research, environment, investor and social groups that has come together to put the climate policy debate on common ground and offer a way forward.

Our broad coalition has come together because climate change and climate policy both impact our missions and members. We believe Australia should play its fair part in global efforts to avoid 2°C and the serious economic, social and environmental impacts that unconstrained climate change would have on Australia. Avoiding unconstrained climate change will provide important benefits and opportunities to Australia.