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2 September 2026
The choice is not between digital growth and climate responsibility. A national decarbonization pathway can expand Australia's data centre capacity while protecting energy and water security, communities and critical services.
Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi
Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi
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27 August 2026
Industrial policy in Australia could be strategically leveraged to address food system challenges by promoting health, sustainability, social equity and economic resilience through coordinated innovation and exnovation, infrastructure support for local small producers, improved labour conditions and coherent cross-sectoral policies.
Sabrina Chakori, Anne-Marie Thow and Roy Green
24 August 2026
Australia’s long-standing Energy Rating Label is widely recognised but has been insufficient to overcome the affordability barrier, which prevents many consumers from purchasing energy-efficient appliances. The next step in promoting energy efficiency requires financial support measures, digital label integration, and enhanced practical energy literacy tools to enable effective consumer action informed by energy-efficiency knowledge.
Unyapan Thongpanchang, Bahareh Berenjforoush Azar and Sancheeta Pugalia
19 August 2026
Local governments play a critical role in addressing community health, wellbeing and climate challenges. Local government funding and more effective partnership between levels of government – through formalised agreements, capability-building and local knowledge integration – can create sustainable and effective programs for Australian communities.
Cliff Eberly and Esther Koh
Explore policy solutions for some of Australia’s biggest challenges
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13 August 2026
Social cohesion relies as much on accessible institutional support and everyday interactions with government and other service providers as on shared values. To encourage social cohesion, government must look at the types of structures that are in place to support connection and bonding, including culturally responsive mental health services, community hubs and settlement policies that support intercultural exchange.
Valentina Baú
11 August 2026
Children recorded as ‘missing’ from their out-of-home care placement are some of the most vulnerable in society. While their whereabouts are often unknown to their carers and caseworkers continue to interact with other public services, including hospitals, schools, police, homelessness services and justice systems. Linked administrative data can connect information across government agencies, revealing where children reappear and where opportunities exist for earlier and more coordinated intervention and support.
Amy Conley Wright and Stefanie Schurer
5 August 2026
Australia’s transition to Net Zero requires credible and durable policy frameworks for investment in critical infrastructure. The Safeguard Mechanism, which reduces regulatory uncertainty and signals progressively tightening emissions baselines, can help encourage investment in industrial decarbonisation. Its effectiveness, however, depends on addressing offset integrity, electricity affordability and commercial readiness of low-emissions technologies.
Mona Mashhadi Rajabi and Martina Linnenluecke
Supporting coordinated interventions through linked data for vulnerable youth
Children recorded as ‘missing’ from their out-of-home care placement are some of the most vulnerable in society. While their whereabouts are often unknown to their carers and caseworkers continue to interact with other public services, including hospitals, schools, police, homelessness services and justice systems. Linked administrative data can connect information across government agencies, revealing where children reappear and where opportunities exist for earlier and more coordinated intervention and support.
Building investor confidence in Australia’s Net Zero transition requires policy predictability
Australia’s transition to Net Zero requires credible and durable policy frameworks for investment in critical infrastructure. The Safeguard Mechanism, which reduces regulatory uncertainty and signals progressively tightening emissions baselines, can help encourage investment in industrial decarbonisation. Its effectiveness, however, depends on addressing offset integrity, electricity affordability and commercial readiness of low-emissions technologies.
A coordinated strategy to prevent falls and promote healthy ageing
Falls are one of the largest and most preventable drivers of hospitalisation, disability and loss of independence among older Australians. Despite decades of evidence demonstrating what works, Australia still lacks a coordinated strategy to prevent falls. As the population ages, the cost of inaction will continue to grow. NSW has an opportunity to take the lead and move from isolated programs to a coordinated approach to falls prevention.
Education is the key ingredient to making ‘AI in Australia’s Interest’ future-ready
With new national standards for Artificial Intelligence now on the horizon following the Australian Prime Minister’s recent announcement, there is an urgent need to reform education systems to prepare students for an AI-driven future by fostering resilience, creativity, empathy and lifelong learning. Through cross-sector collaboration and adoption of the Castlereagh Statement, Australia can realign educational priorities with the demands of an AI-influenced society.
Bridging evidence and action in Germany’s energy transition: lessons from adelphi
This article explores how adelphi facilitates structured, ongoing exchange between researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to support decision-making in Germany’s energy transition.
Completing the reform of capital gains tax: tax real losses like real gains
The Commonwealth Government’s capital gains tax reforms, effective July 2027, sensibly tax real gains by indexing capital gains to inflation. However, they fail to index losses, leading to higher taxes on assets that do not keep pace with inflation and creating inefficiencies in the tax system. A more symmetric treatment of real gains and losses will reduce economic distortions.
The policy cycle propelled social media age restrictions, so what can be done to fix it?
The rapid development and implementation of Australia’s social media age restrictions has led to a global race, as well as challenges in enforcement, implementation and evaluation here at home. Broader digital duty of care legislation could help address some of the underlying issues and better protect young people online.
Embedding evidence in early intervention policy: lessons from the Centre for Effective Services
This first article in a new series explores recent work by the Centre for Effective Services in connecting evidence, policy and practice to improve outcomes for children and young people in Ireland.
Housing growth needs green infrastructure: why funding and governance must catch up
As governments recognise green infrastructure as essential to delivering cooler, healthier and more resilient communities, policy must now shift from valuing these assets to embedding them within mainstream infrastructure planning, funding and governance.
Bankable, insurable, scalable: the policy framework Australia needs for modular housing
Australia has the technology to build homes faster. Turning modular housing into a mainstream housing solution now requires policy settings that support finance, insurance and a clear liability architecture.
