Australian government no longer has control of policy: By Global Forces

Introduction

The effects of globalisation upon Australia's environmental, economic and social frameworks have sparked heated discussions in the country's political arenas and beyond. Therefore, it's important for Australia being a sovereign country to learn about the risks and benefits of globalisation while learning how to adapt to its effects. In this article, we'll look at how Australia's policy debates have been affected by globalization's monetary and social dimensions (MacDonald, 2018). The report will contend that globalisation is unavoidable and provide suggestions for how Australia might lessen the impact of globalisation at home. 

As an outcome of globalisation, barriers to trade and investment are falling, travel times are getting shorter, people from different parts of the world are mingling more, and national economies are becoming more intertwined with one another. The effects of globalisation may be seen in many areas, including the economy, society, culture, politics, even the environment. Globalisation has been around for millennia. Nonetheless, the extent and velocity of globalisation after World War II and, subsequently, the improvements in the worldwide economy during the previous three decades, are unparalleled (Karp, 2018). No nation can be considered an island in today's globally interdependent and economically intertwined globe. Islands in terms of geographical sense encompass both states like Tasmania and countries like Australia.

Human rights, commerce, criminal activity, terrorist activities, and the environment are just some of the areas where international law may have domestic impacts in Australia, like Charlesworth, Chiam, Hovell, and Williams (2006) demonstrate in their book No Country is an Island: Australian and International Law. They suggest that knowledge of globalisation processes is essential for people and public officials.

Wider Political/social context

According to official Australian government statements, Australia aims to have zero nett emissions by the year 2050. By 2050, each Australian region have pledged to be Net Zero. Renewable Energy Commitments and a Net Zero Carbon Commitment are the means to this end. The Australian government has made it a priority to develop and implement technological means of reducing emissions and strengthening adaptation and resilience towards climate change.

The Government has made the following pledges on climate change: The Declaration of Paris. In October of 2021, Australia submitted to the UNFCCC a revised version of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). 

• Adopting a goal of zero emissions by the year 2050 was a part of this. 
• A commitment to decrease glasshouse gas emissions between 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels has been reaffirmed (Pitts & Versluys, 2015). 
• Declaring our commitment to seven low-emissions technologies targets. 

The Aim of the Paris Agreement to Reduce Emissions: 

• Australia has committed to reducing emissions by 26–28 percent below 2005 levels before 2030 as part of the Paris Agreement. 
• Australia needs to achieve emission reductions of 455-443mt CO2e to meet the aforementioned targets (Karp, 2018).
• The regulator for clean energy oversees many domestic programmes with the goal of speeding up carbon abatement. 

Funding to reduce emissions (ERF)

Incentives for businesses and people to adopt emission-lowering practises and technology are invested in as part of these programmes. carried out via distribution of Australian Carbon Credits Units (ACCUs). Corporate buyers invest in carbon offset projects that are qualified to issue ACCUs. 

 

Figure 01: Australia’s Net zero goals (https://www.aofm.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-01-12/Aust%20Govt%20CC%20Actions%20Update%20Jan22.pdf#:~:text=Australia%20submitted%20its%20revised%20National,net%20zero%20emissions%20by%202050.&text=Reaffirming%20its%20target%20to%20reduce,%2D28%25%20from%202005%20levels.&text=Committing%20to%20seven%20low%20emissions%20technology%20goals.)

Australia may sell your ACCUs to be returned to the government or exchange them with other people. 

• • Too far, ERF has funded 1,000 projects that are reducing carbon emissions. The LRET is a target for the widespread use of renewable energy. 
  • Promotes capital expenditures on large-scale solar power plants. CER accomplished its 33,00 GWh goal for 2020-2030 in January 2021. 
  • The CER's backing for mega-renewable projects hasn't wavered. 

• Household photovoltaic systems and solar-powered water heaters are only two examples of the kinds of small-scale renewables that the Small-Scale Renewable Energies Scheme (SRES) aims to promote. Having 3 million solar power systems (1 in 4 houses) installed throughout Australia, the country has the greatest adoption of rooftop solar across the world.

Government context

Driving forces 

• Shifts in the worldwide distribution of consumer demand

Once skewed towards advanced nations, global demand is now more evenly distributed, forcing businesses to rethink their strategies for competing in a world where large consumer markets are scattered around the globe. McKinsey predicts that by 2025, developing countries would buy the majority of manufactured goods worldwide. This includes transportation equipment, construction materials, and industrial gear. Over fifty percent of all expected consumption during 2030 will come from emerging nations. These countries' involvement in international trade, finance, people movement, and data exchange continue to grow.

• Foreign treaties

It is possible for foreigners as well as international organisations to impose their will upon Australian law and policy. Only a fraction of the roughly 900 international agreements to which Australia stands a party had been enacted into domestic law during the moment of the hearing. It is challenging, if not unattainable, administrative challenge for decision-makers to make themselves informed of and adhere with all applicable treaties, or to inform those who may be impacted by their choices that they will not take relevant treaties into account. Althaus, Bridgman, and Davis (2013) argue that policymakers are looking to foreign experiences not merely for comparison but additionally for practical guidance because of the connection among global solidarity as well as local identity (Hill & Hult, 2016). Some laws mandate that government agencies comply with international agreements to which Australia serves as a party. For instance, section 28(c) of the Australian Postal Corporations Act 1989, section 7 of the Australian Maritimes Safety Authority Act 1990, and section 160(d) of the Broadcasting Services Act of 1992 all require agency decision-makers to behave in a way that is in accordance with Australia's responsibilities under any international treaty or consensus to which Australia remains a party.

Australia has committed to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by the year 2050, and its major platform for explaining how and why it expects to do so is the long-range Emissions Reduction Program. There are five pillars upon which the Plan rests: 

• Common use of similar devices 
• Improve commercial and residential options 
• Bring down the price of cutting-edge and upcoming energy technologies 
• Keeping the lights on at a price that people can pay 
• Take ownership of your development. 

The Plan specifies the following actions the government will take: 

• The price of low-emissions technology should be lowered.
• Put these tools into widespread use.
• Create openings for change in both emerging and established markets (Zajda, 2020)
• Encourage international cooperation.

Issue/Problem

Some have suggested that liberal democracies involving Australia ought to remain cautious in their support of international accords because of the lack of democracy inside global organisations like the United Nations and its affiliates. Researchers define democratic gap as the disconnection between political accountability and decision-making. 

Globalisation is driven in large part by multinational businesses, special interests, and lobbying organisations. In order to compete in global markets, Australian companies must adopt worldwide best practises. Companies often support trade accords like the World Trade Organization's Marrakesh Declaration and criticise human rights, employment, and environmental treaties. Human rights advocates, on the other hand, tend to support human rights agreements but reject commercial deals. 

The implications of manufacturing becoming global tend to be somewhat diverse. Offshoring, which results in lower production costs and more profitability, also increases unemployment rates for people with lower levels of education (Hill & Hult, 2016). Although it has resulted in the creation of employment, generally at low wages, in underdeveloped nations, it has also contributed to worker exploitation. Multinational corporations face problems including tax avoidance and fledgeling capital, which may have a severe effect on the ecology and economy of host nations. 

Australia's economy has grown for 27 years through a row, a feat made possible by the country's resilience amid the Asian economic crisis along with the global economic collapse. The mining, production, real estate, banking, and insurance industries have all benefited from Australia's reputation as a prime location for foreign external investment (Coulter, 2018). This developed nation's robust economy allows it to provide the necessary infrastructure plus social services. However, there are risks associated with a globalised economic system, including money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption, including the illicit trade of illegal substances, the trafficking of people, and the funding of terrorism. Australia has to work with other nations and international organisations to find solutions to these problems.

Purpose of the paper 350

Many poisonous plants and bushes have arisen as a consequence of globalisation and industrialisation, which have led to the widespread use of different chemicals in agricultural soil. Significant harm has been done by this hazardous waste because of the way it has interfered with the genetic makeup of plants (Shahzad et al., 2022; Song et al., 2022a). The readily accessible land and water have been taxed by this one. Many mountains have had to be eroded to make space for a tunnel or highway. New construction has invaded vast stretches of formerly uninhabited area (Guo et al., 2021). People may be drawn to these advances despite the potential for negative effects on the environment. Many scientific investigations have concluded that plastic, which does not break down in the environment, is one of the most hazardous pollutants (Sharma et al., 2021; Song et al., 2022b).

However, plastic is fantastic for export packaging since it keeps goods fresh for long periods of time. Consequently, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of plastic, leading to widespread pollution. Scientists disagree on how to measure globalization's impact on environmental degradation in poor countries.

As a result of probable decreases in productivity and spikes in infrastructure along with service costs, climate change will keep on to exert a major impact on our economy (Coulter, 2018). More frequent and severe heatwaves, brought on by climate change, are expected to produce among 700,000 and 2.8 million more missed workdays year by 2061. 

Climate change is predicted to have a significant impact on several industries in Australia, including real estate and agriculture. 

• Agricultural and food output have decreased.
• Damage to or loss of property (Zajda, 2020)
• Investment in infrastructure and maintenance 
• Dangers to the Financial System 
• Wellness and health

Outline of the paper 300

The environmental problems caused by globalisation and the increasing international commerce in consumer products are turning into more critical importance. Diffuse pollution travels across large areas, even while efforts to solve environmental problems have mostly concentrated on lowering specific types of diffuse pollutants from specific sources like cars, ships, planes, and farms. While it could not be directly responsible for a great deal of pollution, when coupled with other, more dispersed causes, it may have a huge effect (Coulter, 2018). International talks and burden-sharing accords are often necessary to address these challenges, but they have proved elusive in the past. The difficulties of negotiating a worldwide climate pact that is both comprehensive and binding is indicative of this dilemma. 

Since environmental stability is crucial to the survival of the human race on Earth, we humans are unable to disregard the consequences of our activities. There are measures that humanity must do to keep the ecological equilibrium stable. The most essential thing is to get strong policies implemented and put those policies into practise, although there is plenty of discussion and disagreement regarding this in the current research. In the past, certain precautions have been taken to guarantee that any deals struck by the Executive are in Australia's greatest interest. Among these are the Prime Minister's appointment of a Treaties Council consisting of the Premiers along with the chief executives of the territories and states, and the drafting of a National Passion Assessment for proposed treaties that explain Australia's obligations and benefits (Moran, 2021). Given Australia's federal structure, these reforms have helped, but they haven't done much to shift public opinion on globalisation or make the procedure for creating treaties more democratic.

The global concerns and institutions that are at play today were not anticipated when the Australian Constitution was written. No proposal to modify the Constitution in light of new international problems is being made. In the future, other problems will appear (Hamilton, 2018). The High Court has previously ruled that the Constitution's foreign affairs powers provide the Commonwealth's parliament the authority to pass legislation enforcing Australia's treaty commitments. Only eight of the forty-four proposed amendments to the Constitution have been ratified by referendum. Australia's approach to signing international treaties has room for improvement, nevertheless.

Thesis statement/point of view 500

The political structure of Australia has been profoundly influenced by international treaties. The application of law is important to Australia's federal system. The Executive has the authority to ratify and ratify treaties. Therefore, giving international treaties the effect of local legislation is in violation of the principle of the division of powers as stipulated in the Constitution because it unintentionally grants lawmaking authority to the Executive, places the Executive beyond the Parliament, and disrupts the delicate balance among State along with Commonwealth powers (Adebayo & Acheampong, 2022). According to studies, Australian laws are just as fair as those required by international treaties, and the country's liberties and democratic norms are greater than those in most others. Even while globalisation has increased commerce, communication, and travel opportunities, it has not necessitated any changes to Australian law "except, perhaps, currently as is required for promoting commerce, travel, and communications."

Lessened Variety of Life

Loss of biodiversity is exacerbated by factors such as rising temperatures throughout the globe, deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and the destruction of habitats.

One of globalization's most touted benefits is the boost to economic growth that comes from countries and regions throughout the globe being able to concentrate on what they do best economically while relying on international commerce to meet their needs in areas where they fall short (Burgmann, 2020). Expertise in economics may often improve output quality. The loss of habitats, deforestation, and exploitation of resources are only some of the potential negative environmental impacts of up to the value. Some instances are shown below:

Coastal overfishing

Habitat loss has been exacerbated by the widespread adoption of cash crops like sugarcane, cacao, and fruit and vegetable plantations, particularly in tropical regions.

It's worth noting that certain countries have been able to pay more consideration for the standard of energy goods because to globalisation (Acheampong et al., 2022). Glasshouse gas emissions are the primary byproduct of these energy sources, and they have a major impact on climate change including global warming. Governments that put a premium on "energy sovereignty" and rely heavily on energy profits to maintain government finances are prone to generate issues in the business by subsidising or restrictions that make the shift to renewable energy sources more difficult.

Costs of Transportation Have Risen

Globalisation has affected the natural world, the economy, and society. The first impact of globalisation is an increase in the number of marketplaces in which businesses may sell their wares and acquire resources like labour and raw materials. Given these two factors, it follows that the finished product would go additionally than it ever has before—possibly to the other side of the world. Products were created, bought, and consumed at significantly higher rates in the past (Baker, 2018). Many adverse environmental effects may result from increased commodities transportation.

Longer transportation times mean greater fuel use and increased glasshouse gas emissions.

In order to move around, particularly on land, infrastructure of bridges and roads must be built, leading to deforestation (Free & Hecimovic, 2021). Loss of habitat and pollution are two potential problems that might result from such infrastructure construction.

Every vehicle and cargo container has the risk of harbouring an invasive species. 

International conventions regarding topics where territories and states possess concurrent or residuals authority, or where councils of local governments are responsible, such as the United Nations (UN) conventions on biological variety, toxic substances, industrial relations, natural and cultural resources, rights for people with disabilities, ethnic and gender-based equality, and armed conflict, have significant consequences for legislation and regulations at the national and native government scales (Baker, 2018).

The results of these pacts have already been felt in Tasmania. For instance, in order to kerb human activity and hence global warming, a UNESCO committee recommended adding more sites in Tasmania onto the registry of World Heritage sites.

It may be claimed in both circumstances that Tasmanians are against Australian standards of care and justice to fall below those of other countries. Despite the public benefit of international laws, this does not imply that Tasmanians wish to be ruled by international regulations or that every international agreement must be accepted into local legislation.

Conclusion

Globalisation has had an impact on contemporary Australia since it is a nation built and sustained by the hopes and dreams of individuals from many different cultures. It's clear that Australia's population and economy are doomed to remain intertwined with the rest of the globalised globe. Australia's environmental, social, economic, and cultural progress will all be slowed by its isolation. Policy players will keep looking for methods to adequately react to the worsening consequences of global warming as the implications of globalisation upon Australia being a sovereign federation becomes more widely acknowledged.

Recommendations

The document concludes with four suggestions aimed at calming public fears that foreign powers are exerting undue influence on Australian policy. Prior to the Commonwealth's Executive binds Australia for decades to come with new foreign responsibilities, it is proposed that a structure be put in place that enables individuals and state and territory parliaments to meaningfully contribute to the prerogative. Subsequently, the Federal Parliament's responsibility may be expanded to include influencing the choice to take upon fresh international duties, rather than only ensuring that existing international commitments are incorporated into domestic law. Thirdly, Australia may be better able to exploit the advantages of globalisation while addressing its problems thanks to effective regulatory frameworks, particularly within the fields of macro-economic policy as well as corporate governance which are closely handled by Australian public officials. Finally, Australia might have a significant role in urging global organisations to strengthen their governance and accountability frameworks.

References

Acheampong, A. O., Dzator, J., & Amponsah, M. (2022). Analyzing the role of economic globalization in achieving carbon neutrality in Australia. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 29(6), 559-578.

Adebayo, T. S., & Acheampong, A. O. (2022). Modelling the globalization-CO2 emission nexus in Australia: evidence from quantile-on-quantile approach. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(7), 9867-9882.

Baker, E. (2018, October 14). Hobart City Council candidate Yongbei Tang says she is the victim of Chinese influence fears. Sunday Tasmanian. Retrieved from https://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/hobart-city-council-candidate-yongbei- tang-says-she-is-the-victim-of-chinese-influence-fears/news- story/f39c217fa3e4886a95c7379c1f66c512

Burgmann, V. (2020). Power, profit and protest: Australian social movements and globalisation. Routledge.

Charlesworth, H., Chiam, M., Hovell, D. & Williams, G. (2006). No country is an island: Australia and international law. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales Press Ltd. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=291967. 

Coulter, E. (2018, May 19). UNESCO concerned at Tasmanian Government rezoning wilderness areas to allow development. ABC News. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-19/unesco-concerns-over-tasmanian- wilderness/9777682 

Free, C., & Hecimovic, A. (2021). Global supply chains after COVID-19: the end of the road for neoliberal globalisation?. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 34(1), 58-84.

Hamilton, C. (2018). Silent Invasion: China's Influence in Australia. Melbourne: Hardie Grant. 

Hill, C., & Hult, T. (2016). Global Business Today: Asia-Pacific Perspective. (4th ed.). North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Australia. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=5471233. 

Karp, P. (2018, October 19). Indonesia warns it will 'adjust' policies if Australia moves Israel embassy. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/australia- news/2018/oct/19/indonesia-warns-it-will-adjust-policies-if-australia-moves-israel- embassy 

MacDonald, L. (2018, October 3). Tasmania independence at risk from Chinese investment says Australian academic. ABC News. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-03/clive-hamlton-on-china-relationship-to- tasmania/10329236

Moran, A. (2021). Globalisation, postnationalism and Australia. Journal of Sociology, 57(1), 128-145.

Pitts, M., & Versluys, M. (Eds.). (2015). Globalisation and the Roman world: world history, connectivity and material culture. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=1754883. 

Zajda, J. ed., 2020. Globalisation, ideology and neo-liberal higher education reforms (pp. 1-9). Dordrecht: Springer.

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