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Let's Tax Carbon
Could Australia become a full-employment, renewable-energy superpower?
Ross Garnaut says yes, and it starts with taxing carbon. A levy on the big polluters will help fund Australia to become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions.
In this path-breaking book, Garnaut focuses on the underpinnings of successful social democracy. He traces when economic policy has worked for Australia and when it hasn't, and critiques the Albanese government's stilted progress. He also explores the extraordinary low-carbon opportunity Australia has before it, utilising his unrivalled expertise on industrial development. Getting this right, Garnaut argues, would secure the economic base of Australia's social democracy.
A thought-provoking book by a visionary thinker, eminent economist and author of the bestselling Superpower.
'The nation's most prophetic economist'
—Ross Gittins
Ross Garnaut is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, and director of both the Superpower Institute and ZEN Energy. In 2008, he produced the Garnaut Climate Change Review for the Australian government. He is the author or editor of many books, including the bestselling Dog Days, Superpower, Reset and The Superpower Transformation.
Ross Garnaut says yes, and it starts with taxing carbon. A levy on the big polluters will help fund Australia to become a carbon-free energy giant, lower the cost of living and assist the world to cut emissions.
In this path-breaking book, Garnaut focuses on the underpinnings of successful social democracy. He traces when economic policy has worked for Australia and when it hasn't, and critiques the Albanese government's stilted progress. He also explores the extraordinary low-carbon opportunity Australia has before it, utilising his unrivalled expertise on industrial development. Getting this right, Garnaut argues, would secure the economic base of Australia's social democracy.
A thought-provoking book by a visionary thinker, eminent economist and author of the bestselling Superpower.
'The nation's most prophetic economist'
—Ross Gittins
Ross Garnaut is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, and director of both the Superpower Institute and ZEN Energy. In 2008, he produced the Garnaut Climate Change Review for the Australian government. He is the author or editor of many books, including the bestselling Dog Days, Superpower, Reset and The Superpower Transformation.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2024
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105 people want to read
About the author
Ross Garnaut
70 books17 followersRoss Garnaut is Professorial Research Fellow in Economics at the University of Melbourne. In 2008, he produced the Garnaut Climate Change Review for the Australian government. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling Dog Days (2013).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 26, 2025
Finally finished this. A bulk of it is an adpated collection of essays from the first two years of the Albanese government.
So obviously reading it after the election of Trump (and now into the Trump presidency) does give a strong feeling that its content is aged.
However, as with his previous books - there is an element of hope with his ideas (and it seems that ideas expressed in his early books are achieving political acceptance - if not also as a nation we are taking step towards enacting them) - and that's not really something that you come across much at all in our political time - especially re: economic policy from a progressive standpoint (see the loss of hope / aimlessness in the (not sos dominant) political left in the US).
So obviously reading it after the election of Trump (and now into the Trump presidency) does give a strong feeling that its content is aged.
However, as with his previous books - there is an element of hope with his ideas (and it seems that ideas expressed in his early books are achieving political acceptance - if not also as a nation we are taking step towards enacting them) - and that's not really something that you come across much at all in our political time - especially re: economic policy from a progressive standpoint (see the loss of hope / aimlessness in the (not sos dominant) political left in the US).
November 7, 2024
A collection of recent essays by one of Australia's most famous economists re climate change. Really knows what he is talking about. This books completes a quintet of books on climate change issues. Requires a basic knowledge of economics. I got lost several times.
March 31, 2025
A lot of material in this book. Garnaut's last on climate. Although written only last year some concepts perhaps dated with Trump's return. The final chapter well worth a read before we vote in 5 weeks' time.
January 1, 2026
5⭐️
Interesting look at Australian climate policy. Soft/borderline 5 stars.
Interesting look at Australian climate policy. Soft/borderline 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews