Invest
Australia attended the G7 as a ‘green laggard’, new report shows
Following a weekend at the G7, Australia has been labelled a “green laggard” as a consequence of letting its green competitiveness significantly slide over the past two decades.
Australia attended the G7 as a ‘green laggard’, new report shows
Following a weekend at the G7, Australia has been labelled a “green laggard” as a consequence of letting its green competitiveness significantly slide over the past two decades.
Germany, Italy and the United States took to the G7 summit as global leaders in green competitiveness, while Australia stood out as an environmental gremlin, having neglected its green production capabilities for over two decades.
According to a new global analysis published on Friday involving Monash University and the Grantham Research Institute, Australia now barely ranks in the top 100 of 231 countries and territories that were assessed on the basis of their green competitiveness, well behind Germany, Italy, the United States and China.
In fact, of the countries considered, Australia appears to be in the least favourable starting position to competitively export products with environmental benefits – it is cited to have just 12 ‘green strengths’ compared with 59 in Canada and 153 in China.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Australia lagging other nations, when it really ought to be a leader,” Dr Penny Mealy, research fellow within SoDa Labs in the Monash Business School and Research Associate at the University of Oxford, said.
“The writing has been on the wall for some time. Demand for emissions-intensive products is on the decline, and countries are now seeking to preferentially favour trade in green goods,” Dr Mealy said.
While Australia does have some competitive export products – such as electric signal, safety and traffic controls and rail/tramway construction materials – the study found that it is now mission critical for Australia to get more proactive about decarbonising its production processes and investing in the new productive capabilities that will allow it to thrive in the green economy.
“China has rapidly increased its competitiveness in green products over the past 20 years and is now the world leader in exporting solar photovoltaic cells, fuel cells and electric soil heating apparatus, among other products,” Dr Mealy said.
“Australia, on the other hand, has seen a significant decline in its green production capabilities over the past two decades and now lags behind many countries in terms of its capacity to competitively export products relevant to the green economy.”
Dr Mealy emphasised Australia’s incredible endowments in renewable energy, as well as its fairly decent track record in green patenting, in stressing the need for the current “green laggard” to up its global export competitiveness.
RELATED ARTICLES
Economy
Australia's June quarter GDP growth driven by consumer and government spending
Australia's economy has shown unexpected resilience in the June 2025 quarter, with household and government consumption driving growth despite a significant decline in public investmentRead more
Economy
Australia's GDP surprise is real but operators should heed the growth mix warning light
Australia’s June-quarter growth beat expectations on the strength of household consumption and government spending, even as public investment sagged. The upside surprise signals resilience, but the ...Read more
Economy
Households carried the quarter: what Australia’s upside GDP surprise means for strategy now
Australia’s economy expanded faster than expected in the June 2025 quarter, with GDP up 0.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 1.8 per cent year-on-year — the strongest pace in two years. The kicker ...Read more
Economy
Inflation dynamics in Australia: Electricity subsidies and labour market in focus
In a recent economic analysis, experts from State Street have highlighted significant developments in Australia's inflation landscape, attributing the changes primarily to the withdrawal of ...Read more
Economy
Australia's economic growth driven by consumer and government spending: A closer look at the June quarter
Australia's economy has delivered a surprising performance for the June 2025 quarter, surpassing expectations with a growth rate of 0.6% quarter-on-quarter and 1.8% year-on-year. This unexpected ...Read more
Economy
Australian and Korean leaders meet to unlock billions in new trade opportunities
In a significant effort to bolster economic ties and explore new avenues for investment, Australian and Korean leaders, alongside business executives and government officials, are gathering in Seoul ...Read more
Economy
Australia’s growth beat is real — but it’s the wrong kind for capacity
Australia’s economy outpaced forecasts in the June quarter as households opened wallets and government spending did the heavy lifting, even as public investment sagged. The signal for boardrooms: ...Read more
Economy
Australia’s growth is back—but it’s the wrong kind of strong
GDP surprised on the upside in the June quarter, powered by households and government outlays even as public investment slumped. The Reserve Bank stayed hawkish, signalling that sticky services ...Read more
Economy
Australia's June quarter GDP growth driven by consumer and government spending
Australia's economy has shown unexpected resilience in the June 2025 quarter, with household and government consumption driving growth despite a significant decline in public investmentRead more
Economy
Australia's GDP surprise is real but operators should heed the growth mix warning light
Australia’s June-quarter growth beat expectations on the strength of household consumption and government spending, even as public investment sagged. The upside surprise signals resilience, but the ...Read more
Economy
Households carried the quarter: what Australia’s upside GDP surprise means for strategy now
Australia’s economy expanded faster than expected in the June 2025 quarter, with GDP up 0.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 1.8 per cent year-on-year — the strongest pace in two years. The kicker ...Read more
Economy
Inflation dynamics in Australia: Electricity subsidies and labour market in focus
In a recent economic analysis, experts from State Street have highlighted significant developments in Australia's inflation landscape, attributing the changes primarily to the withdrawal of ...Read more
Economy
Australia's economic growth driven by consumer and government spending: A closer look at the June quarter
Australia's economy has delivered a surprising performance for the June 2025 quarter, surpassing expectations with a growth rate of 0.6% quarter-on-quarter and 1.8% year-on-year. This unexpected ...Read more
Economy
Australian and Korean leaders meet to unlock billions in new trade opportunities
In a significant effort to bolster economic ties and explore new avenues for investment, Australian and Korean leaders, alongside business executives and government officials, are gathering in Seoul ...Read more
Economy
Australia’s growth beat is real — but it’s the wrong kind for capacity
Australia’s economy outpaced forecasts in the June quarter as households opened wallets and government spending did the heavy lifting, even as public investment sagged. The signal for boardrooms: ...Read more
Economy
Australia’s growth is back—but it’s the wrong kind of strong
GDP surprised on the upside in the June quarter, powered by households and government outlays even as public investment slumped. The Reserve Bank stayed hawkish, signalling that sticky services ...Read more
