Toby Phillips

Economic Director

Expertise: Just transition, technology policy, climate change, economics, public policy

Toby Phillips is the Centre for Policy Development’s Economic Director, and leads our Just Transition focus area in Australia. He drives work on policy ideas and partnerships to build a more environmentally and socially sustainable economy. This work encompasses climate policy, wellbeing-approaches to government decision-making, and structural challenges to Australia’s economy. Toby holds a Master of Public Policy from Oxford University and a BSc(hons) in chemistry from Flinders University. He has previously served on the board of the Australian Republic Movement, and currently chairs the board of Scouts Australia.

Publications

Risk and Reward: Getting more from Australia’s specialist investment vehicles

Risk and Reward demonstrates that allowing Australia’s specialist investment vehicles to make riskier investments would

Submission on Future Made in Australia Community Benefit Principles

CPD’s submission on the Community Benefit Principles aims to ensure that public support provided under

Sharing the Benefits: Ensuring new industries strengthen communities

Sharing the Benefits is a report from the Centre for Policy Development that outlines how

Submission to the proposed design of the Net Zero Fund

CPD’s submission to the Net Zero Fund makes four key recommendations with a focus on

Submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into Delivering quality care more efficiently

The Centre for Policy Development’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry on Delivering quality care

Submission to the Productivity Commission inquiry into Investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and the net zero transformation

The Centre for Policy Development’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry on Investing in cheaper,

In the media

Toby Phillips & Mara Hammerle: The government’s clean energy funds are playing it too safe

These specialist investment vehicles are meant to crowd in private finance and accelerate emerging tech, yet most money still goes to projects the market would fund anyway.

Capital Brief
3 March 2026

Sharing the benefits of the net zero transition with communities

CPD Economic Director Toby Phillips speaks with ABC's Sam Bradbrook about the Sharing the Benefits report and the case for tying public funding to real community outcomes.

ABC South East SA
5 December 2025

Fuelling rural ambition may ease renewables resistance

The Sharing the Benefits report by the Centre for Policy Development argues any renewables project backed by the federal government should have to clearly demonstrate community benefits.

AAP
4 December 2025

Principles for public funding of green projects

Billions of public dollars for projects and new industries could flow through a more principled matrix for greater community benefits and less resistance, policy experts say.

The Energy
4 December 2025

‘Reckless’ Coalition energy policy would upend innovation pipeline

The opposition’s net zero-less energy plan would upend Australia’s energy innovation agency and green bank so they could fund controversial technologies favoured by the conservative party like carbon capture and nuclear.

InnovationAus
17 November 2025

‘Tinkering’ with the NRF on Net Zero comes under fire

The government is facing criticism for “tinkering” with its arm’s length industry fund after a third of its available $15 billion allocation was diverted to fresh net zero plans, which includes support for heavy polluters.

InnovationAus
2 October 2025