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By Bethany Shegog, RMIT University, UNFCCC, 2021 Beth is studying a Bachelor of International and Global Studies. Her policy paper focuses on Promoting Climate Action Through Energy Efficient Communities. Executive Summary The global momentum for energy security has paved the way for renewable energy to mitigate climate change. Net zero commitments are one of the key catalysts for growing the capacity and technologies of renewable energy in Australia. However, the sheer mass and rapid transition to renewable energy requires effective development and distribution of technology globally. This policy paper identifies how community organisations can be an important driver in the clean energy transition. It suggests that grants be offered to a large variety of community organisations that offer solar system installation, energy efficient technology and training, and resources on energy efficient communities; ultimately supporting sustainable development through renewable energy development.

By Lucy Burton, Department of Defence, GLOBSEC, 2021 Lucy Burton works for the Department of Defence as a policy officer. Her Policy Paper discusses Australia’s Future in Antarctica. Executive Summary When Australia considers its immediate strategic environment, it is framed within the concept of the Indo-Pacific Region. This region is referenced consistently in government strategies, action plans and policies, and ranges ‘from the north-eastern Indian Ocean, through maritime and mainland South East Asia to Papua New Guinea and the South West Pacific’ (Department of Defence, 2020). The southern border of Australia’s strategic environment is demarcated by the Antarctic continent, and in terms of strategic framing, is largely disregarded. Australia is a major provider of logistics and supplies to Antarctica, and a claimant to 42% of the continent – approximately three quarters the size of mainland Australia (Slevison, 2016). Australia’s proximity to Antarctica and growing geopolitical interest from global powers should draw a greater focus from Canberra. As the norms and rules that have governed Antarctica since the Cold War are challenged, Australia will need a coordinated strategy to prevent strategic disadvantage (Bergin, & Press, 2020). The 2020 Defence Strategic Update recognised that Australia’s strategic environment had deteriorated more quickly than predicted in the 2016 Defence White Paper (Department of Defence, 2016, 2020). Canberra is responding to changing strategic circumstances; however, more must be done to focus attention on Antarctica. This paper makes three recommendations as to how the Australian Government can develop and execute a coordinated strategy, shape the strategic environment, and promote Australia’s interests and presence in Antarctica. To achieve this, Canberra must ensure alignment across government and private sectors. With a coordinated approach, Canberra will be in a better position to facilitate collaboration with similarly interested Antarctic states. To promote Australia’s presence and interest in Antarctica, Canberra should drive the development of a sovereign Antarctic industry, attracting international researchers, better integrating the Australian economy with Antarctic activities and ensuring resilient supply chains.

By Beatrice Belarmino, Department of Defence, GLOBSEC, 2021 Beatrice Belarmino works for the Department of Defence as a policy officer. Her Policy Paper discusses The ADF and the Global Supply Challenge. Executive Summary From a health crisis to a geo-economic challenge, COVID-19 has exposed critical vulnerabilities not only in our health systems but also the resilience of our global supply chains. These vulnerabilities are not new but have been widely overlooked in favour of low production cost and high profits (Beaumont, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light questions regarding Australia’s ability to sustain high-intensity defence operations in times of adversity. With a rapidly degrading strategic environment, a reduced warning time to predict conflict, and a vulnerable supply chain, the current pandemic brings to light challenges to short-term preparedness that the defence force face especially when new capability is not guaranteed to be in service for another 20 years. This policy paper proposes measures to complement long-term Australian Defence Force capability with short-term preparedness through investments in supply chain resilience strategies which will allow for better risk mitigation and optimal inventory in times of crisis. ADF logistics will be bolstered by a resilient supply chain that can adapt and overcome future shocks to achieve maximum sustainable effort during strategic operations. This policy paper also recommends the introduction into service of Blockchain technology to enhance collaborative partnerships during crises.

By Kupakwashe Matangira, Freya Phillips National Scholar, CSW, 2021 Kupawashe is our Freya Phillips National Scholar. She is studying a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at UNSW. Her policy paper focuses on Enabling Meaningful Participation of Young Women in Decision Making. Executive Summary Young women have been disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic (Grattan Institute, 2021, p.6). However, young women have rarely been consulted in community decision-making. The outcome of this has been policies that are unable to fully address their needs (Grattan Institute, 2021, p.3). To address this, systemic change focussed on centralising their participation in crisis decision-making is needed. This paper posits such can be achieved through the creation of a 'National Action Plan for Young Women's Meaningful Participation' premised on consultation and collaboration, coupled with the implementation of a ‘Girl’s Empowerment Fund’.

By Aleksandra Markovic, Western Chances, CSW, 2021 Aleksandra is a Western Chances Scholar and has completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne. Her policy paper focuses on Mandatory Bystander Intervention to Decrease Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Executive Summary The rise of sexual misconduct within the Australian parliament has been alarming. Questions are being raised about how Australian workplaces are safeguarding their employees against workplace sexual violence. A 2018 study by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that almost two in five women reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace within the last five years (Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 2020). Moreover, 40 per cent of these incidents were witnessed by at least one person, and in most cases, witnesses did not try to intervene (Judd, 2021). These statistics demonstrate a clear need to reform workplace culture and apply measures that promote a safe environment. They also demonstrate a gap in staff training. If training is effectively developed, these tools can help foster a supportive environment and equip employees with the skills to hold each other accountable. However, there is currently a lack of funding allocated towards evaluating and measuring effective training methods in reducing sexual harassment in Australian workplaces. Consequently, this paper recommends introducing a mandatory bystander intervention training program across all Victorian workplaces. This training will place a positive duty on employees and also evaluate the effectiveness of in person training programs.

By Adriana Haro, University of Newcastle, CSW, 2021 Dr. Adriana Haro recently completed her PhD at the University of Newcastle and is a part of the iLead Plus program. Her policy paper focuses on Sexual Harassment and Assault at the University of Newcastle. Executive Summary In Australia, one in twenty university students have experienced sexual assault, including one in six experiencing sexual harassment since starting university (Heywood et al. 2022:1-2). Despite numerous reports, campaigns and recommendations, sexual based violence is still happening at Australian Universities. This paper contributes two key recommendations to improve transparency and response to sexual based violence at the University of Newcastle, with possible applicable contributions to the wider university sector in Australia.

By Harriet Renn, RMIT, CSW, 2021 Harriet studied at RMIT. Her Policy Paper focuses on A Critical Feminist and Sustainable Development Perspective on Pacific-Australia Mobility Executive Summary This paper highlights a gap in the Pacific-Australia Mobility Program (PALM) where women and gender-diverse individuals fall through the cracks (Ball, 2015; Taylor, 2015; World Bank Group, 2017). Although the number of women participating in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility programs has increased over the years, women still represent a minority. In 2015, women amounted to 13-14% of participants in the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) (Taylor, 2015; World Bank Group, 2017). Numbers are similarly low in the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) (McAdam, 2020), leading to some women and families being left behind for extended periods. The intersection of climate change plays a crucial role in this debate. To address this gap, this paper recommends allowing family accompaniment (FA) in the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) and introducing a new permanent visa pathway for PALM nations, along with an integration and pre-settlement plan for the development of a greater diaspora. These recommendations align with the ‘Plan for a Stronger Pacific Family’ announced by the Labour Party during their 2022 election campaign, which is gradually being implemented by the sitting parliament. This paper contributes a critical feminist and sustainable development perspective to bring gender equality, social well-being and strategic foresight into mobility policy design and implementation.

By Elly Hanrahan, Freya Phillips National Scholar, UNFCCC, 2022 Executive Summary Australian landscapes and waterways have suffered heavy degradation due to land clearing, drainage infrastructure, and intensive agricultural practices implemented since colonisation. Landscape rehydration methodologies could offer a holistic solution through simple water-focussed techniques that can increase water availability, carbon sequestration, habitat availability, and resilience to extreme climate events at scale. Currently, misaligned state and territory planning legislation and inadequate funding impede the adoption of landscape rehydration. This policy proposal suggests aligning planning regulations and allocating 20% of the Future Drought Fund to support community co-designed landscape rehydration projects.

By Isabella Notarpietro UNSW Co-op Program Y20 Youth Summit, 2022 Executive Summary There is increasing acceptance that anthropogenic climate change necessitates an urgent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions, with Australia recently committing to a 43% reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050. The transition to net zero, however, will come at a cost and there is currently an ‘investment gap’ between the existing and required financial investments in emission-reducing initiatives. With investors and businesses becoming increasingly aware of the threats and opportunities posed by climate change, climate-related financial disclosures have emerged as a key method to close the financing gap by funnelling capital away from emission-intensive activities and towards decarbonisation initiatives. Despite widespread support for climate-related financial disclosures among G20 economies, Australia currently has no plans to support the economy-wide integration of globally interoperable, high quality and transparent disclosures. This places Australian businesses and the broader community at a disadvantage in terms of attracting international capital to fund the transition to net zero. This policy paper therefore recommends; 1) in line with processes adopted by the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and European Union, the establishment of a cross-departmental and cross-regulatory taskforce to determine the most effective way to introduce climate-related financial disclosures across the Australian economy; and 2) the development of a roadmap for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures, in order to provide investors, the financial sector and the Australian community with transparent information and an effective regulatory framework Policy Recommendations The following recommendations are proposed to enable the rapid and economy-wide introduction of mandatory climate-related financial disclosures in Australia to finance the transition to net zero. The recommendations are based on actions already adopted by other key global economies competing for capital: Establish a taskforce to coordinate the introduction of climate-related financial disclosures throughout the Australian economy. Develop a Roadmap for the phase-in of mandatory climate-related disclosures, outlining the implementation mechanisms, expected coverage, timelines and required regulatory actions. Policy Recommendation One: Establish a taskforce to coordinate the introduction of climaterelated financial disclosures throughout the Australian economy. Climate-related financial disclosures mark a significant shift in how environmental matters are considered in fiduciary systems. Rather than undesirable externalities that are only discussed in annual environmental reports, climate-related risks must be integrated within existing financial reports and used to inform business strategies. In Australia, this dynamic has generated uncertainty for existing financial regulatory bodies on how to best introduce and supervise climate-related disclosures, as despite the establishment of the CFR climate change working group in 2017 there is no clear plan for disclosure implementation. While the working group provides a good basis for cross-regulatory collaboration, more high-level government coordination is needed to effectively introduce mandatory climate-related financial disclosures across the Australian economy (Climate Change Authority, 2020; The Investor Agenda, 2021). A cross-departmental and cross-regulatory taskforce, that would include mechanisms for investor, business, and civil society participation, could provide an effective means to achieve this objective. 6 Such an approach has already been adopted in the UK, which in 2022 became the first G20 country to introduce mandatory climate-related financial disclosures. The decision represented the culmination of the work of a cross-departmental and cross-regulator taskforce established in 2019 to ‘explore the most effective approach to implementing the recommendations of the TCFD’ across the entire UK economy (HM Treasury, 2020b). The taskforce included members from all departments and regulatory bodies involved in the financial sector. Similarly, in 2020 Hong Kong established a sustainable finance cross-agency steering group, with a core component of the group’s remit to manage ‘climate and environmental risks to the financial sector’ (Hong Kong Monetary Authority, 2021). The steering committee included representatives from a broad array of public institutions including the Environmental Protection Department and stock exchange body. In both cases, the establishment of a taskforce represented a crucial first step towards the introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures into the economy. The European Union (EU), recognising the need for input from a diverse range of stakeholders impacted by climate-related disclosures, established an additional technical expert group composed of members from civil society, academia and the private sector to provide recommendations on TCFD implementation and sustainable finance more generally (EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, 2019; European Commission, 2022). Structure Australia could benefit from this international experience by establishing a taskforce that combines the approaches taken by the UK, Hong Kong, and EU. Specifically, the taskforce should have both a cross-departmental and cross-regulatory panel and an expert advisory group. The taskforce should be coordinated by Treasury, as the department already has a team dedicated to climate risks and considerable experience coordinating government taskforces. The cross-regulatory and crossdepartmental panel should include members from all CFR bodies, financial accounting and auditing bodies (AASB and AUASB) and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Building upon the Hong Kong approach, the taskforce should also include members from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to ensure that the integration of climate-related disclosures in Australia supports domestic environmental objectives and aligns with global TCFD-related activities respectively. As the coordinating body, Treasury would be responsible for executing the taskforce’s secretariat duties. The expert advisory group is the other crucial element of the taskforce which seeks to ensure that all stakeholders impacted by the proposed changes are actively engaged. The expert group should be composed of representatives from the private sector and investor groups. However, following the example of the EU, the expert group should also include representatives from academia and relevant civil society bodies, including youth-led and First Nations organisations. Involving 7 stakeholders with expertise in environmental and social issues will be important to ensure that climate-related disclosure requirements reflect the interests and needs of the Australian community and therefore contribute to creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable financial system. Implementation The taskforce’s scope should be such that it would have a finite duration of 12 to 18 months (based on the timelines from the UK and EU). Both the panel and the expert advisory group would convene monthly and consist of approximately ten members each. Between meetings, the Treasury climate risk team would provide secretariat services to the taskforce, although the increased workload will likely necessitate additional resourcing to ensure the team’s standard work and other projects can still be executed. Based on similar taskforces coordinated by Treasury, it is estimated that approximately five to ten departmental staff will be required for secretariat duties (The Australian Government the Treasury, 2017). The taskforce will cost two to four million dollars which should be funded by the Federal Government under a New Policy Proposal covering this initiative (The Commonwealth of Australia, 2018). The success of the taskforce will be measured by the production of a roadmap for the introduction of mandatory climate-related financial disclosures (see Recommendation 2) within the temporal and budgetary constraints allocated. Furthermore, subject to deliberation at the political level, it is recommended that the outputs of the taskforce enable the economy-wide introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures by 2025 (Investor Group on Climate Change, 2022). Limitations There are three key limitations associated with this policy recommendation. Firstly, supportive industry bodies like ASFI may view the development of a government taskforce on climate-related disclosures as unnecessary or potentially threatening given the existence of the Australian Sustainable Finance Roadmap, which already includes some timelines and regulatory actions needed to support TCFD-aligned reporting. To address this concern, the taskforce should take the roadmap as a starting point for charting the introduction of mandatory disclosures and ASFI members should be engaged in the expert advisory panel. Secondly, while improving the quality, consistency and breadth of climate risk disclosures is a priority area for the CFR in 2021/2022, the same is not true for the Department of Treasury (The Australian Government the Treasury, 2022). Therefore, there may be reluctance in the department to provide the required resources for a new taskforce. This dynamic could be overcome through the allocation of additional funding from the Federal Government to support the establishment of the new taskforce. Thirdly and most importantly, as the introduction of strengthened climate-related disclosures is a politically contested issue, the recommendation would need to be socialised and advocated for by supportive 8 stakeholders within government prior to the establishment of the proposed taskforce and subsequent actions, as per Policy Recommendation Two below. Policy Recommendation Two: Develop a roadmap for the phase-in of mandatory climate-related disclosures, outlining the implementation mechanisms, expected coverage, timelines and required regulatory actions. Investors have indicated the desire for a clear signal of when mandatory climate-related disclosures will become compulsory in Australia (The Investor Agenda, 2021). Similarly, many businesses are hesitant to invest the resources required for climate-related financial reporting while regulatory expectations, reporting requirements and implementation mechanisms remain murky (The Investor Agenda, 2021). There is therefore a need to develop a clear, specific, and detailed roadmap outlining when different types of financial institutions will be required to produce TCFD-aligned disclosures, the mechanisms used to implement these requirements and the associated governmental and regulatory actions that will be taken to support businesses and financial institutions. This recommendation is built upon the example of the UK TCFD taskforce. The UK has a very similar financial regulatory landscape, with multiple government agencies responsible for regulating different types of financial institutions (e.g. publicly listed companies, banks). To assist in the economy-wide implementation of disclosures while providing investors and the financial sector with clear regulatory signals, the UK TCFD taskforce was tasked with establishing a roadmap. The 14-page document, published in late 2020, outlined the ‘indicative milestones’ that regulatory agencies will implement over the next three to five years and the associated impacts on different types of financial institutions. More specifically, the roadmap outlined the policy mechanisms, phase-in dates and qualifying criteria for the proposed disclosure requirements, while outlining the key next steps that will be taken by taskforce members to both realise and build capacity for the new disclosures. Overall, the roadmap provided clear signals to the private sector of when and how disclosures would be introduced, while also maximising the efficiency of government resources by charting required actions and next steps from each agency (HM Treasury, 2020a). The taskforce established via Recommendation 1 would be tasked with developing a similar roadmap applicable to the Australian context. The roadmap should clearly outline the strategy, scope, and mechanisms for implementing mandatory disclosures and obtaining full-economy coverage by 2025 (Investor Group on Climate Change, 2022). The taskforce structure outlined in Recommendation 1 means that all government bodies that could be impacted by the new disclosures would be engaged in the roadmap development process. Similarly, the expert advisory panel will enable consultation on industry-specific phase-in timelines to account for differences in capabilities across private sector institutions. 9 The costs associated with the roadmap development have already been considered in the costs associated with establishing and running the taskforce (see Recommendation 1). Specifically, the meeting frequency, resourcing requirements and budget considered the need to develop a roadmap. The success of the roadmap will be quantified via the number of financial institutions and the amount of capital covered by mandatory, TCFD-aligned disclosures each year. In alignment with approaches adopted in similar jurisdictions and given the urgency of closing the investment gap, the roadmap should be constructed to obtain economy-wide coverage by 2025. Following completion of the roadmap, implementation progress and outcomes should be monitored and reported on annually by the relevant regulatory agencies and overseen by the climate risk team in Treasury. The costs associated with the implementation of the roadmap are beyond the scope of this policy proposal. Limitations/Barriers There are two key limitations associated with this policy proposal. Firstly, while there is support amongst investors for climate-related financial disclosures, many businesses are reluctant to start disclosing due to the resources required and/or the belief that environmental matters are beyond the scope of financial reporting. To overcome this challenge, it will be important for the taskforce to consult with key industry bodies throughout the development of the roadmap and clearly communicate the benefits that mandatory climate-related disclosures present to businesses. Furthermore, taskforce members should identify shortfalls in guidance material during the roadmap development process and assign actions for the publication of additional guidance material to assist businesses in producing high-quality and internationally aligned disclosures. A second key limitation relates to the scope of disclosures required under the TCFD framework. The existing reporting framework only requires the disclosure of Scope 1 and 2 emissions which derive directly from a business’ activities. Scope 3 emissions, which are produced indirectly through supply chains yet account for over 70% of emissions for most organisations (Deloitte, 2022), only need to be reported if they present a material business risk (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, 2021). Therefore, to ensure that climate-related financial disclosures realise their full decarbonisation potential and that Australian disclosures align with increasingly stringent investor expectations around Scope 3 emission reporting, the taskforce should carefully consider Scope 3 reporting requirements and implementation timelines. Conclusion With the effects of climate change already being felt around the world, the need to rapidly decarbonise the global economy and shift towards net zero economies is clear. Realising this 10 transition is contingent on closing the investment gap and therefore redirecting investment away from emission-intensive activities towards sustainable alternatives. Climate-related disclosures have emerged as a crucial tool for organisations to provide investors with the information required to make more sustainable investment decisions. As the world’s biggest economies move towards mandatory climate-related disclosures, there is a need to implement policies that facilitate the rapid, economy-wide integration of such disclosures in Australia. This action is crucial if we are to be competitive in attracting the international capital needed to enable emission reduction targets to be met. The recommendations outlined in this proposal offer an actionable, implementable, and targeted approach that meets the demands of investors, businesses, regulators and the broader Australian public.