WEN VIC: In conversation: Integrating environmental and economic objectives with public policy challenges

In conversation: Integrating environmental and economic objectives with public policy challenges

The Women in Economics Network (WEN) Victoria branch invites you to an event next Wednesday 21 August at 6pm to explore the environmental policy priorities that Australia should focus on.

Our panellists will:

• discuss how to effectively integrate environmental and economic objectives within policy-making processes to address the challenge of balancing economic growth with sustainability
• highlight examples of successful government interventions in climate change, identifying the factors that contributed to success, and showcase the importance of inter-jurisdictional collaboration 
• share insights into the role of academic institutions in shaping environmental policies and regulations
• cover the skills young economists need to contribute effectively to public policy and regulatory efforts aimed at achieving net-zero.

About the Panellists

Liz Boylan - Partner, Deloitte Energy and Climate Advisory

Liz Boylan is a Partner in the Energy and Climate Advisory team at Deloitte in Melbourne. An international, commercial and environmental lawyer by background, Liz has over 15 years' experience advising governments on their energy and environmental policies.

Since joining Deloitte in 2018, Liz has provided strategic advice on long-term energy policy and investment decisions. Before joining Deloitte, Liz spent 10 years in the federal government working in energy and environment law and procurement including providing advice to the Foreign Investment Review Board on multi-billion dollar transactions for large transmission projects. Liz is an admitted Barrister and Solicitor in ACT and SA with her extensive background also including positions as a Departmental Liaison Officer for the Environment and Energy Minister and Senior Legal Officer at the Department of the Environment and Energy.

Liz holds a Bachelor of Law/Arts (Hons) from Flinders University and a Masters of Law (International Law) from the Australian National University (ANU).

Rebecca Billings – Commissioner

Rebecca was appointed part-time commissioner at the Essential Services Commission (Victoria) in 2020 and part-time commissioner at the Essential Services Commission South Australia in 2023. Rebecca is an economist with over 20 years' experience providing economic and policy advice to Government across a diverse range of regulatory systems. 

Rebecca's consulting roles include being a director at PwC, NERA Economic Consulting and Deloitte Access Economics. 

She was previously a senior economist at the Department of Treasury and Finance, where she supported the implementation of the Reducing Regulatory Burden reforms.

Stacey Paterson - Environmental and public policy economist

Dr. Stacey Paterson is an experienced natural resource economist with qualifications in economics and agricultural and environmental science. Stacey has experience across consulting research and public sector. Stacey’s previous roles include working in the agriculture/ environment team at Deloitte Access Economics, and for the Victorian Government’s Sustainability Fund. Stacey has recently joined ABARES  (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences). Stacey is passionate about bringing together clear economic thinking and frameworks with strong scientific evidence to provide evidence for well informed and sound decision making.

Anke Leroux - Associate Professor, Monash University

Anke is an environmental and natural resource economist and Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at Monash University.

She is particularly interested in problems of optimal natural resource use and conservation under conditions of risk, uncertainty and irreversibility. Her theoretical, empirical and experimental work has been published in the top journals of her field, including Quantitative Economics, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. She has applied her research on climate change adaptation to inform policy in the areas of optimal land use, biodiversity and habitat conservation, biosecurity, water, and energy.

Anke Leroux obtained her PhD from the University of Cambridge, U.K., where she was a Gates Scholar. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Council of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and is Co-Editor of Environmental and Resource Economics.

Session Moderator

Louise Prossor - Associate Director, Deloitte Access Economics

Louise is an Associate Director with a background in public policy and environmental economics, working in Deloitte Access Economics' Central Government practice. Louise started her career in the Victorian Public Service Graduate Program, after completing a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Environments. 

Louise worked for four years in an economics unit at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, assisting the department with economic analysis to support policy development across areas such as climate change, energy, environmental protection, water and waste. In 2021, Louise moved from the public to the private sector, joining Deloitte to manage policy and regulatory impact assessment, applying economic frameworks to identify and estimate behavioural responses to and impacts of these interventions to inform government decisions.

Event details

Date: Wednesday 21 August 2024

Time: 6pm start, running until approximately 8pm.  Attendees are welcome to arrive from 5.45pm.

Cost: $5 for members and $10 for non-members (become a member here)

Inclusions: Light bar snacks and non-alcoholic drinks

Venue: Level 30, Deloitte, 477 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000