Leading company directors have expressed widespread concern over energy and climate change policy, and have warned the lack of clear direction is affecting investment and affordability.
Directors across the private, public and non-profit sectors said climate change was the number one long-term and number two short-term issue for the federal government to address when responding to the Australian Institute of Company Directors' (AICD) half-yearly report on director sentiment.
AICD
chief executive Angus Armour said there was a "great deal of
convergence" surrounding what was a "very serious policy issue".
 |
"In the context of the current election, the director community, which I
think represents the views of the broader community, would be looking
for competing parties to be very clear in what they intend to do," he
said.
"We’ve reached a point where a
second-best option that was agreed on a bipartisan basis, that would
carry forward the next five or 10 years, would still be better than no
policy certainty at all."
While
taxation reform remains a significant short-term issue for directors,
it dropped on a relative level as concern for government action on
climate change rose by 12 percentage points in the past six months.
Directors'
immediate priority remains energy policy, with 50 per cent nominating
it as the most important area for government action.
Renewable
energy was considered the top area of importance for infrastructure
investment by 51 per cent of directors, ahead of regional
infrastructure, water supply, roads and telco networks such as the NBN.
Mr Amour said there was "widespread" concern across the community about climate and energy policy affecting investment and affordability.
Mr Amour said there was "widespread" concern across the community about climate and energy policy affecting investment and affordability.
Climate
change was identified as the third biggest economic challenge facing
Australian business, following global economic uncertainty and China's
outlook.
"It’s not just business," Mr Amour said. "It’s
non-profits, it’s small business - everyone is calling for certainty
around climate change police and energy policy.
"The
length of time that’s passed without certainty for energy policy has
clearly made it a top of mind issue for our community."
The report also showed directors were the least confident about the outlook for business they have been since the first half of 2015.
The report also showed directors were the least confident about the outlook for business they have been since the first half of 2015.
The
number of directors who predict the Australian economy to be weak over
the next year has nearly doubled over the past six months, with 50 per
cent having a low assessment of the health of the domestic economy.
Links
- Experts find 'integrity issues' with Coalition's direct action policy
- Directors' doom and gloom should be wake-up call for Canberra
- Coal's days are numbered, top government adviser says
- Health system needs to be protected from climate change: doctors
- Flying cars could help in the fight against climate change
- Ipsos poll: Voters back Labor to deal with climate change
- The other climate risk being taken by ASX companies
- 'Like paying someone else to go on a diet': Labor's carbon permit policy attacked from both sides
- Experts find 'integrity issues' with Coalition's direct action policy
- Radical climate action 'critical' to Great Barrier Reef's survival, government body says
- Underwater, Seychelles President makes emotional plea to save the seas
- 'State and planet': new environment minister highlights plans for climate change action
No comments:
Post a Comment