T-axing Greenhouse Gases ― An Australian Perspective

Lex Fullarton takes a closer look at the three pillars of the sustainable development framework known as the “Triple Bottom Line” (TBL). The concept of the TBL is that for a project to be sustainable it must not simply be profitable in economic terms, but it must also benefit society and enhance the natural environment. In the twenty-first century, the greatest threat to Earth’s natural environment and the population of the planet is the rise of greenhouse gas emissions caused from burning fossil fuel as an energy source. The rise of GHG emissions has resulted in a rise in the ambient air temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and is resulting in a significant change in climatic conditions on Earth.

Fullarton scrutinizes the problem of getting industry and governments to understand the significance of creating harmony within the TBL. One of the main problems is that partisan politics tends to fragment the factors of the TBL rather than bring them together. Fullarton takes a strong stand in suggesting that taxation systems, which have traditionally been viewed primarily as a means of raising government finance, can be effectively applied to influence industrial and consumer attitudes towards transiting away from polluting fossil-fuel energy sources towards non-polluting renewable energy use.

Lex Fullarton, PhD, describing himself as the proverbial Australian bush lawyer, holds higher degrees in tax law from Curtin University in Western Australia, and completed his PhD in Taxation at the University of New South Wales in 2013. He worked as a tax-practitioner and public accountant in Western Australia for over 20 years before he turned to solar farming on the arid landscape surrounding Carnarvon, Western Australia, in 2005. His Solex Project has since become a demonstration of how renewable energy can effectively compete with fossil-fuel powered industries. They can be turned into socially positive, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable enterprises. Lex is author of the books Heat, Dust and Taxes (2015), Watts in the Desert (2016), and The Artful Aussie Tax Dodger (2017). He was born and lives in Carnarvon, Western Australia.