Improving consumer influence in policy decisions for climate resilient homes

More and more Australians are living in sustainable homes that not only use much less energy and water, but are also comfortable, healthy and affordable to live in.

But many more live in inefficient homes that are cold and damp in winter, dangerously hot in summer or cost a fortune in bills to keep at a healthy temperature.  Energy waste also adds to Australia’s carbon emissions, while climate change impacts such as heatwaves will increasingly expose vulnerable people living in poor quality housing to serious health risks.

The Climate Resilient Homes project is a national coalition of community, consumer and environment groups calling for action to raise the energy and water performance of all Australian homes – new and existing.

Issue

In Australia, construction and use of the built environment accounts for 45% of annual energy consumption and 18% of Australia’s carbon footprint. New housing construction accounts for much of this, making improving housing sustainability critical to addressing climate change. Building codes and regulatory frameworks have traditionally been developed between government and industry with little or no consumer input. They do not adequately incorporate or incentivise energy efficiency in residential home construction resulting in poor energy efficiency and higher household running costs.

Response

Renew is spearheading an innovative collaboration between environmental and anti-poverty organisations, including the Australian Council of Social Service, to advocate for stronger adoption of energy efficient housing and developed a consumer advocacy strategy to promote residential energy efficiency in new and existing homes.

Providing insights into poverty and inequality in Australia

The Poverty and Inequality Partnership is a five year research and impact collaboration to sharpen the national focus on poverty and inequality in Australia. The partnership monitors trends in poverty and inequality over time, explores drivers, and develops solutions to sharpen the focus and stimulate action to tackle these policy challenges. 

Issue

A combination of factors contribute to poverty – a lack of money or resources for the basic needs of life – and inequality – unequal distribution of income and wealth. These factors include:

• Australia’s social security system: Our system for supporting people does not provide enough help to prevent people from slipping into poverty. Currently, the system is not working because the rates of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance have not been increased in real terms for 25 years, while the cost of living, especially housing, has risen dramatically.
• Unemployment and underemployment: There are not enough jobs available for people who are looking for paid work; and there are people who, while employed, need more paid work.  There is only one job available for every eight people looking for paid work, and often those jobs require specific skills or knowledge about new technologies.
• Increased costs of living, especially housing: The cost of housing and essential services is increasing. We all need a home. None of us can go about our lives, raise a family, go to work or stay healthy, without a stable and safe place to call home. Our housing system should make sure everyone has a secure, safe roof over their head.

Response

Through its research, the Partnership is demonstrating the role played by public policy – especially social security and taxation, but also housing and employment policy, among other areas – in determining the rate of poverty and inequality in Australia.

ACOSS has developed a suite of policy reform proposals to address to reduce poverty and inequality in Australia in the following areas:

• Quality community services 
• Action on climate change and affordable, clean energy
• Economics & tax
• Income support & employment
• Quality health services for all in need
• Housing & homelessness

Winning the national energy debate

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading climate change communications organisation. The Climate Council provides authoritative, expert advice to the Australian public on climate change and solutions based on the most up-to-date science available.

Issue

Australia’s energy infrastructure is ageing, inefficient, polluting and must be replaced over the coming decades. The cost of large-scale renewables is now cheaper than new fossil fuels and costs are expected to continue to fall. Globally the energy transition from fossil fuels is now happening apace, but there has been little forward planning by the Australian government to smooth the transition for workers, communities or energy consumers.

Response

The Climate Council’s 2017 project, “Winning the National Energy Debate”, was designed to cut through and make a substantive difference in changing public opinion on this hotly contested issue. The project used a public narrative change model, honed over the last three years, to help shift the debate around climate change. The Climate Council is contuining to provide expert advice to the Australian public on climate change. The Council’s Climate Media Centre is partnering with 350.org Australia to Change Australia’s Story on Gas – one of the Impact Fund’s 2022 Collaborations.

The Fight for our Reef project is mobilising the Cairns tourism industry and local climate change movement to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Existing policy and investment decisions are being economically rather than environmentally led and are not protecting the Reef. There is a lack of acknowledgement or urgency on the part of governments in Australia to recognise and respond to the threat of climate change and its effects on the Great Barrier Reef. The mining and other industries have had a significant influence over government policy.

The project is bringing an industry voice in support of the environment into the climate change debate by working at a grassroots level to engage and mobilise local community members and reef-based industries to advocate for stronger protection of the Great Barrier Reef.

You can read more information about the project here.