The Conversation

Whether we can recycle plastic or not depends on what it’s made of (because there are many different types of plastic), if it’s sufficiently clean and if enough people will buy recycled products. Sukhbir Sandhu, Associate Professor in Sustainability, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The ruling could be a legal game-changer for small island nations that are trying to hold developed nations to account for the impacts of their greenhouse gas emissions. Clive Schofield, Professor, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia has all the key ingredients to build a booming battery industry. We just need to find the right cooks and co-ordinate all of this frantic activity to get this big opportunity right. Glen Thomas Currie, Energy Systems Program Impact Manager, Climateworks, Monash University, Monash University Anna Malos, Climateworks Centre - Country Lead, Australia, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Water is very heavy – and it can move. Until now, changes to water on land have actually offset much of the rising sea level from ice melt. How? Gravity Rebecca McGirr, Postdoctoral research fellow, Australian National University Anthony Purcell, Research Fellow, Australian National University Herbert McQueen, Research officer, Earth Sciences, Australian National University Paul Tregoning, Head, Climate and Ocean Geosciences, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As we launch into a Future Made in Australia, we need to map and better understand the social and economic risks – as well as potential benefits – for remote and disadvantaged communities. Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland John Burton, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Responsility in Mining, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our research shows decisions on the fate of public housing towers that are based on a proper process of considering all the evidence could go either way: demolish and rebuild, or retrofit. Trivess Moore, Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University David Kelly, Vice Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow, RMIT University Ralph Horne, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, College of Design & Social Context, RMIT University Robert Crawford, Professor of Construction and Environmental Assessment, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Any decision to authorise offshore drilling and other activities contributing to climate change will now need to be assessed under the law of the sea in addition to international climate agreements. Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Critical minerals are well named. They’re critical to the green transition – and sought by the US and China. Who will Australia sell to? Marina Yue Zhang, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney David Gann, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Development and External Affairs, and Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Mark Dodgson, Visiting Professor, Imperial College Business School, and Emeritus Professor, School of Business, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The phrase ‘net zero’ has a long history. Ruth Morgan, Associate Professor of History, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Migratory birds could bring the lethal bird flu variant that is assailing the rest of the world’s birds. Michelle Wille, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We developed My Climate View to help Australian farmers and producers better understand the risks and opportunities they face over the next 50 years. Road-testing with farmers was vital. Stephen Snow, Research Scientist, CSIRO Aysha Fleming, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Yuwan Malakar, Research Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There’s already demand for critical minerals and solar panels. But what about green hydrogen? Kylie Turner, System Lead, Sustainable Economies, Climateworks Centre Luke Brown, Head of Policy and Engagement, Climateworks Centre Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new report from the Transport Energy/Emission Research consultancy examines Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, finding it was weakened by late changes. Robin Smit, Adjunct Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Using DNA sequencing, the origins of one of the world’s most common insects, the German cockroach, have been traced back to Asia. Learning more about this urban pest can help us fight it effectively. Theo Evans, Associate Professor of Applied Entomology, The University of Western Australia Qian Tang, Research Associate in Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Native forest logging was meant to be over in Victoria. Why are the chainsaws still going? David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Kita Ashman, Visiting fellow, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When Labor took office, it promised to reverse nature’s decline. But that looks more and more like greenwashing Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, School of Business, UNSW Sydney Brendan Wintle, Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne Hugh Possingham, Professor of Conservation Biology, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Are wombats the accidental heroes of the Australian bush? After the Black Summer bushfires, we set up 56 cameras to capture animal activity in areas with and without wombat burrows to find out. Grant Linley, PhD Candidate in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Dale Nimmo, Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

For decades, Australia has sold uranium – but said no to nuclear reactors. That’s set to change, whether in nuclear submarines or even in plans for power plants. Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The majority of 25 surveyed developments around New Zealand lacked healthy, ecologically meaningful vegetation. Applying biodiversity targets for medium-density housing could turn this around. Yolanda van Heezik, Professor of Ecology, University of Otago Christopher K. Woolley, Post-doctoral Researcher in Ecology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jacqueline Theis, PhD Candidate (Ecology), University of Otago Maibritt Pedersen Zari, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Without a green energy transition Australia won’t meet its emissions reductions promises. But despite punching above its weight for years, the electricity sector isn’t transforming quickly enough. Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.