Introduction

This book addresses the predominant conundrum in the study of Australian climate policy: why have successive Australian governments of different political persuasions failed to adopt strong greenhouse gas reduction policies, despite Australia’s high vulnerability to the physical impacts of climate change? The orthodox response has highlighted the privileged access to government, and possible ‘arm-twisting’ tactics, of Australia’s fossil fuel lobbies, which have a vested interest in preventing any significant action to reduce emissions. Guy Pearse’s and Clive Hamilton’s ‘greenhouse mafia’ hypothesis of 2006 (conveyed in Pearse’s book High and Dry) and 2007 (conveyed in Hamilton’s book Scorcher) popularised this conspiratorial understanding. This book aims to challenge this hypothesis by offering a deeper explanation for Australia’s weak response to the climate challenge.