Examining The "Diabolical" Policy Problem

The Garnaut Climate Change Review draft report has suggested that climate change is a diabolical policy problem – "it is harder than any other issue of high importance that has come before our polity in living memory". The Garnaut draft report explains that the solution to this problem lies in appropriate and timely international action. Notwithstanding Australia's small contribution to the level of global emissions (approximately 1%), it has an important role to play, particularly in securing international agreement on the global mitigation response. Ultimately, Garnaut suggests that the solution to the climate change challenge is to remove the link between economic activity and greenhouse gas emissions.