1 PiĐking Winners and PoliĐy UnĐertainty: Stakeholder PerĐeptions of Australia’s Renewaďle Energy Target Genevieve Simpson and Julian Clifton School of Earth and Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, AUSTRALIA, Genevieve.Simpson@uwa.edu.au Abstract Australias ‘eŶeǁaďle EŶergLJ Target ;‘ETͿ ŵaŶdates iŶǀestŵeŶt in renewable electricity generation through a renewable energy certificate market. A legislated national consultative review of the RET was carried out in 2012, resulting in 8,660 submissions. Respondents were invited to comment on the value of the legislated target, including whether the legislated target should be a fixed GWh target or a fixed policy-based percentage-of-demand target, and the impact of review processes on the renewable energy industry. This paper presents the first analysis of submissions and evaluates their implications for the future of this policy. There was a consistent alignment of opinion amongst respondents, with industry and fossil-fuel generation/retailer groups opposing the RET objectives, whilst these were supported by NGOs and the renewable sector. However, most respondents favoured maintaining the overall goal of providing 20% renewable electricity generation by 2020. Concerns were raised by most groups of respondents regarding policy continuity and excessive reviewing procedures. In its response to the review, the Climate Change Authority made a total of 34 recommendations, 18 maintaining the status quo. Only six recommendations were endorsed by the Australian Government that would result in changes to the scheme. It is concluded that such review processes can be significantly harmful to maintaining stability and certainty in an industry requiring long-term commitment for investments, and that the Australian Government continues to favour the status quo in responding to consultative review processes relating to renewable energy policies. Keywords Renewable Energy Target, Australia, Emissions reduction policy, Energy policy, Policy process 1. Introduction – The Renewable Energy Target Legislation and Review processes in Australia The role of renewable energy in replacing incumbent fossil-fuel generating electricity systems is assuming greater significance as governments are under pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The enduring question within the renewable energy policy framework is how much support (economically and otherwise) the renewable energy industry requires to thrive. Australia has had three manifestations of national legislation aimed at promoting the renewable energy industry and, in turn, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The measurable outcome of these poliĐies is to see aŶ iŶĐrease iŶ the proportioŶ of ĐleaŶ geŶeratioŶ teĐhŶologies in the electricity generation mix [1]. This is done by requiring electricity retailers to source a proportion of the eleĐtriĐitLJ for their Đustoŵers froŵ Đertified ĐleaŶ geŶerators through the purchase of renewable energy certificates, encompassing both large-scale renewable sources such as wind farms and small- scale sources such as household renewable technologies.