Research

Global architecture of the consumptogenic system

Despite substantive changes in the global governance architecture over the last thirty years, including the rise of highly influential NGOs and private transnational organisations, International Organisations (IOs), such as the World Health Organization or the UNFCCC remain central PHE governance actors, increasingly tackling issue areas adjacent to their core mandate. Employing tools from network science, we will unpack the topology of the global PHE governance system. Although there is a large literature on IOs in general and the roles of IOs in specific domains such as climate change, little is known about the interlocking governance structures that characterise the population of IOs that make up the PHE supercluster complex and how that supercluster complex is structured. This understanding is needed because the patterns of relationships between IOs enable or constrain their behaviour. Fundamentally, understanding the constellation of PHE IOs is critical to enabling policy actors to effect interventions that promote the equitable health of people and the planet. 

Lead: Dr Nick Frank, Laureate Research Fellow (finished 2025)

Economic growth models

Growth models lie at the core of the consumptogenic system; however, the impact on PHE of variation in the operation of capitalism remains unexplored. Analytical approaches from comparative political economy will be used to tease out the ways in which domestic institutional logics embedded within advanced capitalist economies influence the achievement of PHE.  The first analysis will be of Australia's growth model, analysing the ways in which Australia's growth model and supporting growth coalition influence the achievement (or lack thereof) of PHE. This work will start to unpack the relationships between different forms of capitalism and PHE. Fundamentally, it is essential to understand these issues to navigate the future and ensure the survival of human populations and the planet.

Lead: Dr Nick Frank, Laureate Research Fellow (finished 2025)

Climate change mitigation policy and health equity

Climate change mitigation commitments can be understood as preventative public health policies in relation to the environmental, political, and social drivers of health inequity. However, evidence about the coherence between climate change mitigation policies and social and health equity goals is lacking. Many studies focus on the impacts of climate change for health, with relatively few examining the relationship between climate action (adaptation and mitigation) and health outcomes, and fewer still focusing on equity. To help address this gap, a rapid realist review will synthesise existing evidence in the academic literature to help identify guidance for policy and practice, as well as help to identify gaps in the evidence base and set an agenda for future research. The second part of the study is an analysis of countries’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to determine the extent to which they identify health equity-related implications of mitigation actions within their commitments, and how this varies between sub-groups of countries (for example based on country income level). These reports are key policy documents to understand the impacts of government action at the intersection of climate change, social equity, and health equity. We will use computational social science text analysis methods to determine the frequency of a range of key terms relevant to PHE within all 130 English-language NDC reports. By bringing together existing evidence about the implications of climate change mitigation policies for health equity, this research will provide a knowledge base to inform the design and optimisation of these policies along a range of health equity and justice-related targets, for a range of mechanisms in various policy domains, and at multiple levels.

Lead: Dr Megan Arthur, Laureate Research Fellow (finished 2024)

Public finance for energy systems

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key to addressing climate change and PHE, and to do this requires fundamental shifts in energy infrastructure and investment patterns that currently drive excessive fossil fuel production and consumption. Public finance has taken on new significance and may now be among the most consequential, but overlooked, tools available to do this. Export-credit agencies (ECAs) are state-owned financial institutions that are created to promote national exports by offering finance and insurance products that reduce the risks exporters face when doing business with a foreign buyer. ECAs do an enormous amount of business in the infrastructure sector, and particularly in energy. Similarly, development finance institutions matter for PHE. By the 2030s, an estimated US$2 trillion of the energy transition will need to occur in developing countries. Using advanced network analysis methods, we will map the networks of finance for fossil and clean energy infrastructure and seek to explain the variation in lending between fossil fuels and renewables. In doing these analyses, we will identify how public finance investment in the energy system could be reformed to align with PHE goals.

Lead: Dr Nick Frank, Laureate Research Fellow (finished 2025)

The Treasury view: Development of a wellbeing economy in Australia

This PhD project is focused on developing understandings of how economic institutions can advance a wellbeing economy in ways that improve planetary health equity. The research focuses specifically on how the Commonwealth Treasury’s institutional regime of authority may impact the development of a wellbeing economy that pursues planetary health equity in Australia. The consumptogenic system is a major driver of the planetary health equity crisis because it creates and sustains an economic environment that seeks to self-preserve at the cost of planetary health equity. As such, the goals, ambitions, beliefs, and drivers constituted within and by economic institutions are particularly influential for planetary health equity outcomes. Developing understandings of Commonwealth Treasury’s material, discursive/ideational and relational/social authorities contributes to governance literature on how to pursue a wellbeing economy for planetary health equity policy outcomes in Australia.

Lead: Chelsea Hunnisett, Laureate PhD candidate

Decoding green deceit: What regulatory reforms are necessary to curb greenwashing in ultra-processed foods in ways that contribute to planetary health equity? 

The Decoding green deceit project explores how transnational food corporations deploy “green” or environmental claims in their sustainability narratives, simultaneously examining the effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks in reducing greenwashing in foods, as well as their overarching contribution to food equity, climate change, and the governance of planetary health. Climate disinformation is a major barrier to addressing the environmental crisis, with greenwashing enabling harmful industries to maintain business-as-usual practices under the “green" veil of sustainability. In food systems, greenwashing is increasingly prevalent in ultra-processed foods (UPFs), reinforcing misleading narratives that shape consumer perceptions while hampering the market for genuinely environmentally-sound foods. These deceptive practices have significant consequences for planetary health equity by delaying structural changes in food production, distribution, marketing, and consumption.

Lead: Roxana Tompea Hafner, Laureate PhD candidate

Hidden in plain sight: Private philanthropy’s knowledge priorities

Global North philanthropic organisations are influential actors in global governance. While their priorities have been widely investigated, especially when it comes to the wealthiest foundations, not much is known about the types of knowledge these organisations, collectively rather than individually, prioritise and why. However, the types of evidence and knowledge that is prioritised or regarded as more valuable, by influential actors like philanthropy, have pivotal repercussions for the way we act collectively, especially when evidence-based policy making is the mantra of many institutions, from government departments to international organisations. This research project explores what evidence and knowledges are prioritised by philanthropic organisations in the Global North, and what those priorities or emerging trends can mean for the transition to a system that prioritises planetary health equity.

Lead: Giorgia Dalla Libera Marchiori, Laureate PhD candidate

Social movements for healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems in Australia

The social movements project investigates how actors are mobilising in Australia for planetary health equity-aligned food systems. Industrial food systems function as central cogs in the consumptogenic system, therefore positioning food systems as a necessary lever for change. Historically, social movements have been essential in various instances of social change. This qualitative study explores food systems governance in Australia by asking: Is there a social movement for healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems? Which actors are involved? What are their ideas and interests? What strategies do they use to advance their objectives?

Lead: Dr Amy Carrad, Research Fellow and Hothouse Senior Project Officer

Paradigm shifts for planetary health equity

This research explores policy paradigms and pathways to paradigm shifts with a particular focus on the neoliberal governing paradigm and whether it is resilient or weakening. Through a synthesis of 60 peer-reviewed international case studies of policy paradigm shifts, and an analysis of Australian policies and budget speeches, we illuminate the different ways that policy paradigm shifts occur. Through this body of work, ten pathways for policy paradigm shifts were identified, which led to the development of a novel trigger-agent-mechanism (TAM) framework to describe different conditions for policy paradigm shifts. In addition, the investigations suggest that the influence of neoliberalism is waning gradually as its core tenets lose legitimacy and influence over policy at different times and to different extents. These research projects contribute to exploring the possibilities for transformative governance changes that are needed to advance planetary health equity.

Lead: Dr Hridesh Gajurel, Laureate Research Fellow

Politics of PHE

In Politics of PHE, we examine power – the various types, forms and spaces in which organised interests in Australia operate relevant to planetary health equity. Using both quantitative and qualitative analysis, we reveal the dominant ideas being advanced by these different actors and their likely impact on PHE. We ask politicians, the ultimate decision makers setting the economic, social and environmental direction of the country, who, what and how powerful interests work to influence their decisions. The aim is to identify key points of influence and strategies via which public interest actors can work to advance action on PHE.

Lead: Dr Sophie Robinson, Laureate Research Fellow

What would it take….?

Using a problem-driven, constructivist, theory-generating research design, in this project we ask the question “What would it take to create policy and commerce that advances planetary health equity goals”? The aim is to identify the structural, institutional and discursive conditions that enable the creation of coherent multilevel policy and business practices that advance PHE. The study involves interviewing (ex)politicians, bureaucrats, industry leaders, investors, non-government organisations, civil society groups and technical experts across health, climate, energy, finance, and food domains. These domains are relevant for preventative action on climate change, inequities and health. Through these interviews we will look under the hood of policy making, uncovering who, what and how policy agendas can be advanced for PHE. We will study business and investment leaders to reveal ways to embed regenerative, equitable and healthy business activities. We will examine the power of NGOs and civil society to influence the policies and practices of industry and government.

Lead: Professor Sharon Friel, Laureate Fellow

Export-credit agencies rank among the leading public financial institutions in global energy investment, meaning they offer massive potential in creating an equitable global energy transition towards renewables. In this research, Sharon Friel and Nick Frank explore whether export-credit agencies are living up to this potential. 

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-026-01224-w

...Donna Green, Maddie Heenan, Ollie Jay, Harry Kennard, Arunima Malik, Celia McMichael, Mark Stevenson, Sotiris Vardoulakis, Aditya Vyas, Marina B Romanello, Maria Walawender, Ying Zhang

April 6, 2025

In this, the sixth report of the MJA–Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses.

This Perspective is authored by participants from our first year of the Future Leaders program. The paper articulates proposed future research directions emerging from shared understandings of intersecting governance and policy challenges, including sections on transdisciplinary and co-productive knowledge paradigms; political economy and governance; policy integration; and opportunities to advance planetary health equity.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2025.100245

In this commentary, we give examples of some of the avenues by which this transformation could occur, including those that draw on financial and governance mechanisms.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00278-X

Our analysis indicates much greater attention to economic issues than to social determinants in countries’ NDCs, particularly in high-income, high-emitting and carbon intensive economies. It seems there is a clear need to reorient policymaking toward health equity and social determinants within these critical climate change policy documents.

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad7edf

Transparent checks and balances must be built into these systems, with state actors using their regulatory power to guide financial practices in ways that are good for planetary health equity and hold financial actors accountable. Civil society groups can shine a light on these practices, articulate alternative visions and hold financial actors, and governments, to account. Ultimately, financial and commercial worlds must return to stakeholder primacy rather than that of the shareholder.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00187-7

To achieve this potential, this working paper recommends: ending fossil fuel-related financing, reducing domestic content requirements for clean energy projects, expanding domestic lending and equity financing for renewable energy, and enhancing ECAs' roles through blended finance frameworks.

https://iit.adelaide.edu.au/news/list/2024/08/21/mapping-networks-of-export-credit-for-fossil-and-clean-energy-infrastructure

In discussing these preventive actions, this article emphasises the urgent need to transform the consumptogenic system, with a focus on economic models, policy coherence, advocacy, and health sector leadership. 

https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52397

This exploratory analysis indicates that structural power within the supercluster complex for planetary health equity is not evenly distributed, is highly centralised and dominated by economic governance organisations.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2024.100207

...Donna Green, Maddie Heenan, Ollie Jay, Harry Kennard, Arunima Malik, Celia McMichael, Mark Stevenson, Sotiris Vardoulakis, Tran N Dang, Gail Garvey, Raymond Lovett, Veronica Matthews, Dung Phung, Alistair J Woodward, Marina B Romanello, Ying Zhang

March 24, 2024

In this, the seventh report of the MJA–Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing, assessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses.

https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52616

This commentary reflects on what should follow COP28's successes and failures. It highlights the need to focus on mitigation policies both at national and international levels to avoid the further exacerbation of the climate-health-equity crisis. It calls on governments, especially in high-income countries, to shift towards an economic system centre on wellbeing rather than GDP to create the environment for those mitigation policies to flourish and deliver positive outcomes for people and planet, as well as reshaping COP governance to rebalance power dynamics in the decision-making process.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00199-5

Taking the necessary bold mitigation action requires disrupting the consumptogenic system, and the entrenched power inequities that exist at the core of this system. Governments, especially in high-income countries, must use their regulatory power to curb excess commercial activities and stop further coal, oil, and gas projects.

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02512-6

We analysed the Australian growth model, the politics that sustain this model, and the impacts of the model on people and the planet. We show that the Australian growth model has become more reliant on domestic consumption fuelled by rising house prices and a permissive credit environment to drive economic growth. The key drivers of the Australian growth model have created conditions that undermine economic equality, drive health inequities, and create excessive greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2023.2242796

The Planetary Health Equity Hothouse is a transdisciplinary research program that aims to present new conceptual thinking and empirical evidence around the complexities, dynamics, and trajectories of the global 21st century consumptogenic system, with a novel focus on the intersections between climate change and social and health inequities. Critically, it aims to provide practical strategies for socially-oriented actors, including governments, civil society, and international organizations to change the consumptogenic system and advance action for planetary health equity.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100195

...Mark Stevenson, Fay H Johnston, Celia McMichael, Fiona Charlson, Alistair J Woodward and Marina B Romanello

November 7, 2022 

The MJA–Lancet Countdown on health and climate change in Australia was established in 2017 and produced its first national assessment in 2018 and annual updates in 2019, 2020 and 2021. It examines five broad domains: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerability; adaptation, planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and public and political engagement. In this, the fifth year of the MJA–Lancet Countdown, we track progress on an extensive suite of indicators across these five domains, accessing and presenting the latest data and further refining and developing our analyses.

https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51742

This article lays out ways of advancing planetary health equity goals. To help achieve these, the health community must advocate for and engage in intersectoral policy discussions relating to the social determinants and the structural consumptogenic system. Acting immediately on these issues is critically important if we are to avert a planetary health inequity crisis.

https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51731

Recalibrating power inequities might be possible by compelling narration of ideas that advance equity and sustainability, strategic use of institutional processes, and social mobilisation among like-minded and unusual bedfellows."

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01544-6

On 9th and 10th December 2025, members of the Hothouse (and friends) attended the Monitoring Corporate Power workshop, organised by colleagues at Deakin University. The intent was to interactively discuss and demonstrate practical methods for monitoring corporate power, which meant dedicating quite a bit of time to each topic or session so we could do deep dives into the methods. This gave us the opportunity to see the applications and virtues of different methods, as well as, of course, the limitations and frustrations.

There are a couple of presentations I highlight in my comments here. I have been working on a project led by Ashley Schram, where we are drawing attention to how public policy does or undoes privilege, and what this means for health equity. Hearing Jason Ward say, “poverty is a symptom of greed”, resonated with me in relation to this body of work. It is similar to something Shamus Khan, who has done research on elites, says: “poor people are not why there is inequality; rich people are why there is inequality”. Instead of having public policy and research focused on the ‘disadvantaged’, questioning why systems continue to promoting advantages among those who already hold extreme advantage and privilege in our societies. Jason went on to deliver a session about analysing corporate tax. Taxation is a tool that societies have available right now to tackle economic inequality and thus the health inequities that ensue, but we are yet to see transformative tax reform because of issues such as those discussed in the workshop in relation to corporate political activity (which was the focus of the session facilitated by Jenn Lacy-Nichols and Katherine Cullerton).

John Mikler gave a great talk about different types of power – structural, instrumental, and discursive – and was encouraging us to pay particular attention to discursive power. He mentioned the term, ‘discourse coalitions’, which was a new term to me, where government and industry are speaking the same language. The media has a large role in perpetuating this language and particular narratives. In the privilege project, I analysed Australian agricultural policy, and you can ‘see’ discourse coalitions playing out there in the way industrial agriculture is depicted as essential for Australia’s economy through providing jobs and exports. You can see these sorts of narratives and discourse coalitions in gas and coal as well. These narratives inhibit people questioning who ultimately ends up benefiting from the profits of these industries.

Zooming out, a couple of cross-cutting points that I took away from the workshop are that sometimes data are available in existing databases or there are avenues to collect data primary data (business or philanthropic events/conferences), but they can be incredibly expensive to access, or data are in terrible formats or arrangements that require the researcher to spend a lot of time conducting data cleaning.

To finish on a note of hope, as we should aim to do: we – researchers in the collective sense – do have lots of tools and tricks up our sleeves to generate evidence that can arm other academics, NGOs, civil society to come together to push Governments to implement policies that would rein in corporate power to produce better outcomes for the public interest and not serving only private interests.

The blog highlights the importance of economic systems transformation to achieve planetary health equity, moving the focus from GDP growth and wealth accumulation to health, equity and planet. Read her blog in English here.

The original version in Italian can be found here. Thank you to the Beyond Growth Conference team for the opportunity to share our work with an Italian audience.