This report, co-published with the Climate Council, examines the dual crises of cost of living and climate change, detailing how fossil fuels exacerbate inflation and financial pressure on Australian families. With insights drawn from extensive surveys and polling, it highlights the profound impact of rising energy, food, and insurance costs, which are linked to climate-driven extreme weather events. The analysis includes detailed case studies and quantitative findings, illustrating how these pressures compromise family wellbeing, force cutbacks on essentials, and hinder children’s access to education, sports, and nutrition. The report advocates for systemic solutions, including a transition to clean energy, rooftop solar access, and policy reforms to alleviate economic stress and reduce climate pollution. It emphasizes the urgency for government intervention to provide equitable access to affordable, sustainable energy solutions.
Authors
Ben McLeod, Martin Rice, Josh Comer, Bianca Sands, Dinah Arndt, Nic Seton
- Pages
- 49
- Published in
- Australia
Table of Contents
- Key Findings 4
- 1. Introduction 8
- 2. Fossil fuels are compounding the cost of living crisis for families 13
- 2.1 How fossil fuels make inflation worse and life less affordable for Australians 14
- 2.2 Petrol is punishing household budgets, but there are cleaner and cheaper options 15
- 2.3 Polluting gas is costing us all too much 16
- 2.4 Climate change is already costing Australians dearly, as unnatural disasters push insurance prices up for everyone 18
- 3. Cost of living crisis forces kids to miss out 21
- 3.1 Everyday costs are squeezing household budgets, with Aussie families struggling to make ends meet 22
- 3.2 As families are forced to cut back, kids are paying the price 23
- 3.3 Climate change is making it harder to raise a family, and parents are anxious of how it might make things worse in the future 29
- 3.4 Australians are worried about both cost of living and the climate crisis 30
- 4. Re-powering Aussie homes with clean energy lowers costs of living but is out of reach for too many families 31
- 5. Conclusion 36
- 6. Recommendations 40
- Appendix: Methodology Details 43
- References 46
- Image Credits 48
