The Melbourne Climate Futures Academy (MCFA) Seminar Series for 2023 is proud to welcome Dr Christian Downie from ANU.
The political activities of industries associated with the production and consumption of fossil fuels have thwarted state efforts to advance climate policy around the world. In this talk, Christian Downie from the Australian National University, follows the money and interviews the lobbyists to explore how industries oppose climate policy and what can be done to overcome it. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data from the United States over the last decade, Christian examines the financial resources of industry groups, the diversity of their political activities, and identifies strategies for policymakers seeking to design ambitious climate policies.
About the Presenter
Christian Downie is an Associate Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University. He was previously an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow at ANU, and before that a Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New South Wales. Christian has worked as an advisor to several Australian Government agencies, including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Christian holds a PhD in international relations and political science from the ANU, and has spent time teaching or researching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Balsillie School of International Affairs among others. Christian is the author of more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. His latest book is Business Battles in the U.S. Energy Sector: Lessons for a clean energy transition.
