Transition to a clean energy future: the role of climate change litigation in shaping our regulatory path. As the world seeks a clean energy future, courts in Australia and other key fossil fuel-producing nations, like the United States, are increasingly hearing cases seeking to block the use of coal due to its climate change effects. This project critically assesses the role such climate litigation plays in generating regulatory momentum to address climate change.
Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal ca ....Responding to Climate Change: Australia's Environmental Law and Regulatory Framework. Climate change presents Australia with unparalleled sustainability challenges. Impacts on environmental resources will require an integrated legal and socio-economic regulatory response. An effective and adaptable environmental law framework will be crucial for adaptation and mitigation measures. The project addresses this need by undertaking a comprehensive, interdisciplinary evaluation of Australia's legal capacity to respond to climate change, so identifying appropriate governance structures and regulatory tools. This analysis is vital to positioning Australian environmental law to manage climate change impacts and associated social, ecological and economic costs and to ensure compliance with international obligations.Read moreRead less
The Australian Judiciary: A National Socio-Legal Analysis. Courts and judges constitute a key social and legal institution, with a distinctive obligation to maintain the rule of law. The knowledge produced by this research will benefit the judiciary, the courts, government and the public they serve. Research findings will be used by courts and government to shape policy in recruitment, selection and professional development. It will assist individual judicial officers to manage their workload ....The Australian Judiciary: A National Socio-Legal Analysis. Courts and judges constitute a key social and legal institution, with a distinctive obligation to maintain the rule of law. The knowledge produced by this research will benefit the judiciary, the courts, government and the public they serve. Research findings will be used by courts and government to shape policy in recruitment, selection and professional development. It will assist individual judicial officers to manage their workloads and provide valuable information for courts in managing independent professionals. This research will improve public and scholarly understanding of Australia's courts and will help sustain an institution essential for safeguarding Australia.
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Civilizing Divorce: Social Change, Law and the Transformation of Parenthood. The project will leave policy-makers, professionals, law reformers, and parents and their children themselves, better equipped to navigate their way through a major process of transformation in the way our intimate lives are structured. It will help take some of the 'heat' out of the child custody debate, to see current changes as an integral part of a broader process of change in our emotional relationships, and to br ....Civilizing Divorce: Social Change, Law and the Transformation of Parenthood. The project will leave policy-makers, professionals, law reformers, and parents and their children themselves, better equipped to navigate their way through a major process of transformation in the way our intimate lives are structured. It will help take some of the 'heat' out of the child custody debate, to see current changes as an integral part of a broader process of change in our emotional relationships, and to broaden the conceptual resources available to policy-making and law reform concerning post-separation child custody.Read moreRead less
Between social enterprise and social movement: responses to environmental change at the intersection of rights and regulation. This socio-legal project will illuminate the diverse ways in which formal law blocks or encourages the efforts of ordinary citizens to respond to the challenges of reducing our carbon footprint. It will significantly develop the foundations for designing effective governance structures to support ethically-motivated citizen initiatives.
States, Coalitions and Climate Change Governance. Australia will suffer a greater adverse effect from climate change than most other developed countries, yet it is also placed to do well as part of an effective global mitigation effort. The success of this mitigation effort will be crucially dependent on the co-operation of lead states. This project analyses the dynamics of climate change co-operation. It will have national benefit in helping Australia to understand the emerging coalitions that ....States, Coalitions and Climate Change Governance. Australia will suffer a greater adverse effect from climate change than most other developed countries, yet it is also placed to do well as part of an effective global mitigation effort. The success of this mitigation effort will be crucially dependent on the co-operation of lead states. This project analyses the dynamics of climate change co-operation. It will have national benefit in helping Australia to understand the emerging coalitions that will shape the future of climate change and how Australia might best mediate its influence internationally in order to secure effective climate change mitigation.Read moreRead less
Harnessing the oceans to combat climate change: Developing law and policy frameworks for ocean energy and climate change mitigation. A major policy objective of the Australian Government is to address the adverse effects of climate change on the Australian economy, natural resources and national security. This project will analyse the adequacy of the current international and Australian legal and policy frameworks to prescribe regulatory principles for ocean energy activities and ocean based cli ....Harnessing the oceans to combat climate change: Developing law and policy frameworks for ocean energy and climate change mitigation. A major policy objective of the Australian Government is to address the adverse effects of climate change on the Australian economy, natural resources and national security. This project will analyse the adequacy of the current international and Australian legal and policy frameworks to prescribe regulatory principles for ocean energy activities and ocean based climate change mitigation activities which both protect and preserve the marine environment and its resources from adverse impacts and equitably accommodate other uses of the ocean. Australian legislative approaches to regulating these activities will be analysed to identify regulatory gaps and options developed to enhance Australia's regulatory framework.Read moreRead less
The design and application of taxation laws to domestic and cross-border transactions triggered by carbon emissions trading schemes. The introduction of a national emissions trading scheme is the cornerstone of the Australian Government's response to climate change, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The goal of this and other similar emissions trading schemes is the reduction of carbon emissions in the most cost effective manner. By promoting the harmonisation of the taxation treatment of p ....The design and application of taxation laws to domestic and cross-border transactions triggered by carbon emissions trading schemes. The introduction of a national emissions trading scheme is the cornerstone of the Australian Government's response to climate change, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme. The goal of this and other similar emissions trading schemes is the reduction of carbon emissions in the most cost effective manner. By promoting the harmonisation of the taxation treatment of permits on an international level, this project will promote the establishment of a uniform price for carbon and thereby support global initiatives to reduce emissions. Only a coordinated international response has the potential to reduce global emissions and therefore mitigate the impact of climate change on Australians and the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
The resilience of property: inundation, displacement and local relocation in the Asia-Pacific. This project responds to increased risks of population movement as a result of natural disasters and climate change in the Asia-Pacific. The project analyses local relocations in Indonesia and Solomon Islands, in order to support sustainable resettlement of displaced persons in their home environments.
Creating a Comprehensive International Law of Sustainable Energy: The Contribution of Law to Sustainable Development and Climate Change. This project provides a legal initiative that will contribute to the achievement of a sustainable energy future. Australia is already experiencing the impact of the failure to achieve this gaol through climate change, threats to energy security and increased destabilisation of international peace and security. All sections of the community must respond to thes ....Creating a Comprehensive International Law of Sustainable Energy: The Contribution of Law to Sustainable Development and Climate Change. This project provides a legal initiative that will contribute to the achievement of a sustainable energy future. Australia is already experiencing the impact of the failure to achieve this gaol through climate change, threats to energy security and increased destabilisation of international peace and security. All sections of the community must respond to these challenges and the project provides a contribution from the law. The realisation of the project may also lead to increased demand for energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies and infrastructure that could result in the development of commercial opportunities for Australian companies.
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