Energy Futures for Australia

Project 2.1

Developing an integrated approach to the assessment of options

Introduction

One of the most important issues facing Australia today is how to provide energy for a growing population and a growing economy whilst reducing the amount of associated greenhouse emissions impacting on the earth’s atmosphere and climate.

Also, while much is known about the science of climate change, there is still relatively little understanding of climate change risk. How much climate change is “dangerous” – what are the natures and levels of the risks that we face as the global mean temperature increases, how are they distributed geographically, and what should be the balance of effort between minimising climate change and adaptation to the changes that we know will take place?

These are the questions which Australia 21’s Energy Futures Project seeks to address. The aim is to develop an integrated, holistic approach to a sustainable energy future for Australia, one which integrates known information and plugs research gaps within the following six themes: energy supply and demand; climate change and climate risk; emerging energy technologies, economic well-being; societal implications of energy choices; institutional and governance opportunities and constraints.

An important start has been made on researching these questions, with the support of the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment. The thrust of that research has been to examine what could be achieved in Victoria by way of deep cuts to the existing level of emissions, and the possible pathways to achieving those cuts in a manner that does not produce social or economic duress.

Australia 21 is now seeking sponsors and research partners to enable the analysis to be extended to other States and an integrated national level, and to develop the analytical tools and methodology.