Productivity Commission Roundtable Discusses Promoting Better Environmental Outcomes

The Productivity Commission hosted a Roundtable on the topic Promoting Better Environmental Outcomes in Canberra on 20 August 2008.

Australian governments are responding to environmental policy challenges - in particular, threats to the environment - in various ways and with varying effectiveness. Policy measures that meet their objectives in low cost ways have proven difficult to formulate.

The Commission's Roundtable explored ways to promote better environmental outcomes from a practical policy perspective. Matters discussed included:

• the effectiveness of a range of current approaches to environmental issues
• the strengths and limitations of market-based and cooperative solutions
• institutions and incentives for better policies and outcomes.

Invitees to the Roundtable included Professors Gary Libecap and Robert Stavins from the USA, who are eminent international experts in the field, as well as senior government officials, business and consumer representatives, policy analysts, academics and commentators.

The Chairman's opening address and keynote speakers' papers are available from the Commission's website. The full proceedings - which will also include summaries of the session discussions - will be published by the Commission later this year.