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"Climate Change is a hot-button topic today and one that requires skill to examine and grasp different viewpoints. This book introduces readers to multiple perspectives on the topic and encourages them to objectively view local, national, and global connections to help them form knowledgeable points of view."--

SUMMARY This is the Climate Change Authority's second review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET). The RET targets reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector and thereby contributes significantly to reducing Australia's overall emissions. In its 2012 review of the RET, the Authority found that the RET was stimulating considerable investment in renewable energy and argued that a stable and predictable policy was essential to sustain this investment. It concluded that no major changes were warranted to the overall RET design, but suggested some minor operational changes. The uncertain future of the Authority until recently has limited the time available to conduct this review. Largely for that reason, the Authority has focused on what, it its view, are the most important issues. The Authority has also drawn on both its 2012 Authority review, and on the review conducted this year by a panel headed by Mr Dick Warburton AO LVO. The RET and Australia's emissions reduction goals In 2010, when the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) was set at 41,000 GWh, it was estimated that this contribution, with contributions from the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) and other pre-existing renewables (notably hydro), would together represent at least 20 per cent of Australia's (then) projected total electricity demand in 2020. Given that electricity accounts for approximately one-third of Australia's emissions of greenhouse gases, renewable sources were seen as making a significant contribution to Australia's broader emissions reduction goals. Reducing emissions in the electricity sector plays a pivotal role in climate change policies around the world. Unchecked climate change is widely seen as posing serious risks for the Australian community and its economy. Together with the broader international community, Australia has agreed to a goal of limiting global warming to no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This requires ...

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Series Preface -- Introduction -- PART I CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS -- 1 John Houghton (2001), 'The Science of Global Warming', Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 26, pp. 247-57. -- 2 Brent Sohngen and Robert Mendelsohn (1998), 'Valuing the Impact of Large-Scale Ecological Change in a Market: The Effect of Climate Change on U.S. Timber', American Economic Review, 88, pp. 686-710. -- 3 Kenneth D. Frederick and David C. Major (1997), 'Climate Change and Water Resources', Climatic Change, 37, pp. 7-23. -- 4 Gary Yohe and Michael Schlesinger (2002), 'The Economic Geography of the Impacts of Climate Change', Journal of Economic Geography, 2, pp. 311-41. -- 5 Allan D. Brunner (2002), 'El Nino and World Primary Commodity Prices: Warm Water or Hot Air?', Review of Economics and Statistics, 84, pp. 176-83. -- 6 Robert Mendelsohn, William D. Nordhaus and Daigee Shaw (1994), 'The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis', American Economic Review, 84, pp. 753-71. -- 7 John Quiggin and John K. Horowitz (1999), 'The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis: Comment', American Economic Review, 89, pp. 1044-45. -- 8 Robert Mendelsohn and William Nordhaus (1999), 'The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis: Reply', American Economic Review, 89, pp. 1046-48. -- 9 Roy Darwin (1999), 'The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis: Comment', American Economic Review, 89, pp. 1049-52. -- 10 Robert Mendelsohn and William Nordhaus (1999), 'The Impact of Global Warming on Agriculture: A Ricardian Analysis: Reply', American Economic Review, 89, pp. 1053-55. -- PART II EVALUATING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

Climate change is a cause for concern both globally and locally. In order for it to be tackled holistically, its governance is an important topic needing scientific and practical consideration. Climate change governance is an emerging area, and one which is closely related to state and public administrative systems and the behaviour of private actors, including the business sector, as well as the civil society and non-governmental organisations. Questions of climate change governance deal both with mitigation and adaptation whilst at the same time trying to devise effective ways of managing the consequences of these measures across the different sectors. Many books have been produced on general matters related to climate change, such as climate modelling, temperature variations, sea level rise, but, to date, very few publications have addressed the political, economic and social elements of climate change and their links with governance. This book will address this gap. Furthermore, a particular feature of this book is that it not only presents different perspectives on climate change governance, but it also introduces theoretical approaches and brings these together with practical examples which show how main principles may be implemented in practice.