This draft report was released to assist participants in preparing a submission to the public inquiry into Barriers to Effective Climate Change Adaptation. Climate change adaptation is action by households, firms, other organisations and governments to respond to the impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided through climate change mitigation efforts. An effective national...

This paper examines the sources of the decline in Australia’s productivity growth since the record highs of the 1990s, focusing on the last two complete productivity cycles (ending in 2007-08). It offers a different perspective by looking for a general or macro-economic explanation and then tracing the origins to specific industries. It identifies quite specific...

The federal government gives just over $4 billion in direct subsidies to mining companies each year, mainly in the form of cheap fuel and tax breaks for building roads and railways, this policy brief reveals. This is at a time when the industry is earning record profits. Significantly, the subsidies and tax concessions set out...

China’s rapid economic growth means that Chinese environmental problems are also global problems. It would require several Earths to support the global population if every Chinese (not to mention the Indian population as well) consumed resources at, or even near, the level of the average citizen in wealthier, developed countries. The deputy group leader of...

This paper examines productivity trends in the Australian utilities industry and highlights some significant issues relating to the measurement and interpretation of changes in measured productivity over time. Key findings: Multifactor productivity (MFP) growth in Australia’s market sector has been considerably below average since 2003-04. Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste services), have played a...