Reports

L’Australie est parvenue à découpler la croissance économique des principales pressions environnementales et a réalisé des progrès remarquables dans l’extension des aires protégées. Elle continue toutefois d’afficher une intensité d’utilisation des ressources et une intensité carbone parmi les plus élevées de la zone OCDE et l’état général de la biodiversité dans le pays est médiocre et en voie de dégradation. Pour s’acheminer vers une économie plus verte, il faudra renforcer l’action publique à l’égard du changement climatique et tenir compte de la biodiversité de manière systématique et plus efficace dans tous les secteurs. Ceci est le troisième Examen environnemental de l’Australie. Il évalue les avancées du pays en matière de développement durable et de croissance verte, et comporte des chapitres spéciaux consacrés à la protection des espèces menacées et à l’utilisation durable de la biodiversité ainsi qu’à la gestion des produits chimiques. Cette version abrégée contient le résumé, ainsi que l’évaluation et les recommandations officielles du rapport, issues des trois chapitres sur les tendances et faits récents, la gouvernance et la croissance verte, ainsi que des deux chapitres détaillés sur la protection des espèces menacées et la biodiversité ainsi que sur la gestion des produits chimiques. La version intégrale du rapport est disponible en anglais sur le site de l’OCDE.

This edition of the Reader’s Companion accompanies Skills Matter: Additional Results from the Survey of Adult Skills that reports the results from the 39 countries and regions that participated in the 3 rounds of data collection in the first cycle of PIAAC, with a particular focus on the 6 countries that participated in the third round of the study (Ecuador, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Peru and the United States). It describes the design and methodology of the survey and its relationship to other international assessments of young students and adults. The Survey of Adult Skills, a product of the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), was designed to provide insights into the availability of some key skills in society and how they are used at work and at home. The first survey of its kind, it directly measures proficiency in several information-processing skills – namely literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments.

Innovative ways of working with Indigenous Australians are needed to improve their employment prospects, especially as many work in jobs that are most likely to be impacted by digitalisation and automation in the future. This report considers both quantitative and qualitative data regarding employment, skills, and entrepreneurship opportunities for Indigenous Australians. A number of case studies were undertaken with employment and training providers in the cities of Sydney and Perth to gain insights into the delivery of employment and skills programmes targeted to Indigenous Australians. The report highlights critical success factors to better link Indigenous Australians to high quality jobs while also providing recommendations regarding future employment and skills programming.

Australia requires a strong system of adult learning to position firms and workers to succeed as skill demand changes. The country has scope to improve the coverage and inclusiveness of its adult learning system as coverage has declined since 2012, and several vulnerable groups are under-represented. Financial incentives, if carefully designed, can raise participation in adult learning by addressing cost and time barriers. This report summarises the advantages and disadvantages with various financial incentives to promote adult learning based on international and Australian experience. Drawing from these insights, as well as analysis of individual and firm-level barriers, the report provides policy recommendations for how Australia could reform its financial incentives to boost participation.

The ASEAN+6 group comprises the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and six other countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, the People’s Republic of China ('China'), India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. This group includes the world’s fastest-growing and most dynamic energy consumption centres. They are led by China, India and ASEAN, the emerging Asian economies, whose share of global energy demand is expected to reach 40% by 2040, up from only 20% in 2000. Energy demand in the ASEAN+6 countries is set to take diverse paths. In India, for example, low per capita energy use and a high population growth rate indicate the potential for substantial energy demand growth. In Japan, by contrast, a declining population and increasing energy efficiencies are contributing to a continuous fall in energy consumption. Countries of the region also differ in their natural resource wealth and their levels of socio-economic and technological development. These countries share common challenges, however, in ensuring the security of their energy supplies. Given their shared geographical location, they could help one another meet these energy security challenges by deepening regional co-operation. This report starts by giving an overview of the energy security issues of the region. Subsequent chapters cover the key energy sectors of oil, natural gas and electricity. They identify the main energy security issues, including a high level of vulnerability to natural disasters and heavy dependence on imports of fossil fuels, which must pass through major global chokepoints. The report provides policy advice, primarily for the region’s developing countries, based on the emergency response systems and accumulated experience in energy security of the International Energy Agency and its member countries.