The Briefing: Bushfire Royal Commission emphatically warns of global warming, stops short of recommending emissions reduction Editors' Picks The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Report has made extensive references to the role of global warming in exacerbating future disasters, while framing…
Illuminating Indigenous culture through plants Friday September 11, 2020 By Zena Cumpston Culture Researcher Zena Cumpston’s new booklet on indigenous plants encourages their use and appreciation – providing a portal through which a wide audience may begin to…
Premium Interviews Unsettling complacencies: EPA Chair Kate Auty wants public servants to resist retreating into their comfort zone Thursday July 23, 2020 By David Donaldson Australian Capital Territory It's not enough to keep having "the same old conversations", argues new Victorian EPA Chair Kate Auty. For her, improving diversity and community engagement has…
Australia’s 20-year-old environmental laws ‘ineffective’, review finds Tuesday July 21, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Energy & Environment The federal government has rejected the call for an independent regulator to monitor compliance and enforcement of Australia’s environmental laws, stating it would add unnecessary…
Promoted Compassion in disaster management and public policy Thursday July 16, 2020 By KPMG Career Advice Mark Crosweller AFSM has a stellar 35-year career in emergency management, including operational experience as a firefighter as well as roles in senior executive leadership…
Rewilding: lessons from the medieval Baltic crusades Tuesday May 12, 2020 By Aleks Pluskowski & Alex Brown & Rowena Banerjea Editors' Picks Significant time depth is rarely considered in future planning. But understanding environmental change, and planning for the future impact of our species, must include a…
How oil prices got wrapped up in the coronavirus outbreak Tuesday April 14, 2020 By Clark Merrefield Economy & Industry Here’s how oil prices became wrapped up in the COVID-19 outbreak, and what the research says about how oil market volatility and stock prices usually…
Premium Case studies Driving voluntary behaviour change in a rural community: lessons from the Wharekopae river rehabilitation project Friday February 21, 2020 By David Donaldson Case studies A community-centred project in NZ is helping rehabilitate a polluted but popular swimming river. Working collaboratively with farmers and addressing funding issues has seen widespread…
Sustainability and environment commissioner calls on ACT and NSW to work together on environmental policy Monday February 17, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Australian Capital Territory Climate change, the ecological footprint, population growth and development pressures are the major drivers of environmental challenges for the ACT, according to the territory's commissioner…
Premium Interviews ‘I put myself in their shoes’: how working closely with diverse stakeholders helps Sustainability Commissioner Gillian Sparkes achieve impact Monday February 17, 2020 By David Donaldson Career Advice Victoria's sustainability commissioner on why it's important to measure the economic value of biodiversity, how she got where she is, and her approach to stakeholder…
Premium Case studies Fronting up to the community is key to ethical leadership — and wins public trust Monday February 3, 2020 By David Donaldson Career Advice Buck-passing is all too easy within a bureaucracy — indeed, in a large organisation governed by rules it is often difficult to fault anyone in…
Why collective action is the key to saving our forests Tuesday January 21, 2020 By Justin Adams Energy & Environment To grasp how primary tropical forests can make or break our future, consider three interwoven dynamics. First, forests support the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people,…
NSW forest privatisation plan up in flames, Labor and union want it shelved Friday January 17, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Energy & Environment The New South Wales government’s 2020 plan to privatise the state’s plantation forests has been delayed by the bushfire crisis. Labor and the union representing…
Ex-Home Affairs staffer says ‘compassionate politics’ needed to deal with climate change Tuesday January 14, 2020 By Shannon Jenkins Energy & Environment A former Department of Home Affairs staffer has criticised the federal government for failing to adopt a 2018 plan on preparing for natural disasters, including…
Research shows Morrison’s plan to cut ‘green tape’ invites corruption, says transparency group Monday November 25, 2019 By Stephen Easton Economy & Industry The Australian arm of Transparency International has taken a stand against the trend towards light-touch regulation and sounded the alarm over the Morrison government’s plans…