Policy
Engaged in multiple sectors, our team conducts rigorous consumer and policy research to uncover market failures and consumer harm. We actively collaborate with partners, leveraging national and international perspectives to identify and understand issues within markets. By openly sharing insights, we contribute to the creation of impactful policy solutions, fostering momentum for positive change and advocating for consumer welfare.
March 20, 2024
In this submission we discuss how elements of AANA’s commendable green code could be strengthened. The key issues we focus on include the need for consumers to have meaningful information to be able to make direct comparisons about the products and services being advertised to them, through setting specific expectations of advertisers with respect to communicating supporting evidence to consumers. We outline extensive problems with trustmarks and self-certification schemes, the influence of imagery, and vague and obscure language in advertising featuring green claims.
January 15, 2024
Many Australian consumers want to make purchases that support good environmental outcomes. However, it can be far too hard to identify what businesses are taking genuine environmental action. The Climate Active program can help organisations understand and reduce their carbon emissions, but it also plays an important role in providing information to consumers.
March 22, 2024
For the electric vehicle market to work well for all Australians, there need to be easy ways to have problems with faulty cars fixed and clear penalties for companies that fail to repeatedly offer repairs, refunds or replacements as required under Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Our research shows that complaints handling is not working effectively for people with faulty Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and there is a high risk that existing processes will also poorly serve people with EVs.
December 1, 2023
This joint submission between CPRC and Super Consumers broadly supports the Treasury’s initiatives to engage the investment and finance sectors in the transition towards a more sustainable economy. However, a sustainable finance regulatory framework should not only work for consumers by preventing inherently deceptive ‘green’ claims, but also provide meaningful information about the genuine sustainability features of investment products.
July 30, 2021
CPRC’s submission on the Productivity Commissions draft Right to Repair report supports the proposed recommendations. However, we consider the recommendations in current form are piecemeal and lack a relevant underpinning economic framework necessary to develop a holistic regime to tackle the range of overlapping issues.
November 25, 2022
The current consumer protection framework is not fit for purpose to support consumers with distributed energy resources (DER). The regulatory framework should center consumer outcomes to ensure that as novel products and services are introduced consumers have strong protections in place.
February 3, 2023
Improving the energy efficiency of Australia’s residential buildings will deliver three clear benefits. It will contribute to meeting Australia’s commitments to Paris Agreement, improve the comfort and health of residents and reduce households’ energy bills. In this submission CPRC provided data on the barriers and enablers to adoption of energy efficiency upgrades in residential properties. We surveyed 2000 Australians in September-October 2022 in a nationally representative survey. This submission provides a summary of the outcomes of previous research on consumers and energy across Australia.
February 15, 2023
In this joint submission with Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association (CPSA), Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC), Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) and Tenants’ Union of NSW (TU). Consumer advocates highlighted that this is a timely opportunity to rethink and redesign our energy frameworks and protections to better promote the interests and meet the needs of all consumers. As the energy system rapidly transitions to become more complex, sustainable and smarter the frameworks and protections must be reformed to ensure people have access to energy, energy products and energy services.
February 21, 2023
Consumer protections for the provision of distributed or consumer energy resources should be consistent with broader protections for energy consumers under the National Energy Consumer Framework (NECF). Consumer protections should be required regardless of what type of energy service is being provided. Energy supply is essential and anything that has the potential to interfere in or affect that supply of energy to a home needs to be regulated under the NECF. CPRCs submission focuses on issues related to consumer protections related to this issue as asked by the AEMC in the consultation paper.
February 21, 2023
Consistent disclosure of climate related risks is an important step towards all actors in our economy removing and managing these risks. While the consultation paper primarily focuses on improving disclosure for investment purposes, consistent information about climate risks and opportunities also matters to consumers. While not many consumers will engage directly with company disclosures to regulators, the statements made in these documents can be used as the basis for marketing claims that target consumers. If the quality of reporting improves, standardised information can also be used to compare products or brands in rankings for consumers. These benefits should be considered when assessing the reform.
