Cameron Hepburn

Saving the planet: it’s down to business

Hepburn, C. (2008), Sydney Morning Herald, 1 September 2008.


Australia’s green paper on climate change takes us from pariah state towards leadership, but there is still significant room for improvement, writes Cameron Hepburn.

Climate change is the most significant challenge facing the global economy over the coming decades. The basic science of global warming is simple and has been understood for more than 100 years. Granted, we are uncertain about precise impacts at the local level. But it is clear to anyone who looks at the evidence, including several thousand Nobel Prize-winning scientists, that we are running grave risks. But, at the same time, the transition to a cleaner economy provides extraordinary opportunities for wealth creation.