Through systematic research and collaboration with industry and government, this project will deliver valuable resources, including policy maps, comparative analyses and practical recommendations. These will provide heavy industry with tools to align with and benefit from Australia’s low-carbon policies, and help industry leaders engage effectively with policymakers.

The project will also explore future policy directions and propose actionable recommendations.

Key project activities include:

• Mapping Australian policies – identify, catalogue and summarise existing policies to provide a holistic overview that offers a high-level systemic perspective.
• Reviewing international policies – identify and review key policies supporting the decarbonisation of heavy industry to determine implications for industry development in Australia.
• Understanding future policy directions – reviewing existing policies in Australia and abroad, and engaging with policy administrators, to reveal insights into expected future policy directions around Australia’s heavy industry low-carbon transition.
• Policy analysis – compare existing policy approaches, consult with policy administrators and seek feedback from industry to identify factors in the policy landscape that influence heavy industry’s capacity to make decisions around expansion and technology adoption.
• Inform government – To ensure that valuable lessons gleaned from the research informs government policy in a meaningful manner, the project will develop an options paper to convey insights on which policy mechanisms are working and where there is room for improvement, and provide recommendations for policy reforms to improve heavy industry’s capacity and confidence to invest in the low-carbon transition.

• 3.1 Developing supporting frameworks for emerging low-carbon technologies
• 3.2 Assessing barriers and policy enablers for the production and trade of low-carbon products and commodities

• Industry roadmaps and transition strategies
• Low-carbon transition policy review

• A deeper understanding for industry and other stakeholders of current federal and state government policy around the heavy industry low-carbon transition.
• Enhanced understanding of key policy agendas across jurisdictions to support governments’ capacity to facilitate the international market competitiveness of Australia’s natural-resource-based heavy industries by: 1) understanding industry needs; and 2) identifying areas where existing policy approaches may be optimised.
• An options paper to inform policy to enhance heavy industry’s capacity and confidence to invest in low-carbon technologies while maintaining competitiveness.
• Working papers on domestic and international policies to inform development of the Australian Government’s sectoral decarbonisation plans.
• A workshop to provide HILT CRC industry partners with preliminary findings and solicit feedback.
• Clear comprehension of existing carbon-reduction policies and regulations to help ensure that business practices and planned investments comply with policy settings.
• Improved ability for industry stakeholders to align their business strategies with the evolving policy landscape and engage in constructive policy discussion.

RP3.008 A policy roadmap for Australia’s heavy industry low-carbon transition