The Conversation

Fining and jailing Indonesian fishers taking shark fin is a knee-jerk solution. As long as sharks keep vanishing and demand for shark fin soup remains high, illegal fishing will continue. Anthony Schuyler Marinac, Lecturer, College of Business, Law and Governance, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Global biodiversity summits have so far lacked a clear target, but this could change if COP15 agrees on the 30x30 initiative to protect 30% of land and sea by the end of this decade. Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

After a decade of climate wars, Australia is suddenly united – with state, territory and federal goverments aiming for net zero by 2050 for the first time Alison Cleary, Sustainable Economies Lead, Climateworks Centre, Monash University Sarah Fumei, Senior Project Manager, Climateworks Centre, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The US-Australia Alliance is seen by many Australians as an incomplete project. Government rhetoric on climate cooperation must now become reality. Peter J. Dean, Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A solution for managing the growing populations of long-spined sea urchins may not be clear at the moment, but there is a path forward. Neil Andrew, Professor of fisheries and international development, University of Wollongong Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We need a way for our laws to protect both humans and nature when it comes to bushfire risk Phillipa McCormack, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealand may see more sponge bleaching as the northern coastlines are already experiencing almost continuous marine heatwave conditions, expected to extend into the coming summer. James Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Nick Shears, Associate Professor in Marine Science, University of Auckland Robert Smith, Lecturer, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We assessed 187 ASX200 companies – together they produce 32% of Australia’s operational emissions. Tom Wainwright, System lead - Sustainable Corporates, Monash University Coral Bravo, Senior Analyst, Climateworks Centre Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The sheer number of Chinese-funded dams pose a substantial risk to biodiversity. And yet, environmental regulation of these projects has serious flaws. Divya Narain, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Lightning doesn’t travel in a straight line, with many so-called ‘leaders’ coming down from the cloud in a series of jagged steps. Until now, no one has known why. John Lowke, Adjunct Research Professor of Physics, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Energy transition minerals are essential to tackling climate change. But First Nations people must have a genuine say in where and how this happens. Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland John Owen, Professorial Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Kado Muir, Chair of National Native Title Council and Ngalia Cultural Leader | EthnoEcologist, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plant breeders must now engage with kaitiaki if special relationships with a plant have been asserted. But Māori have no say on the introduction of exotic plants that could become invasive. David Jefferson, Lecturer, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Drawn by jobs - or escaping climate change - many people from the Pacific are moving elsewhere. John Connell, Professor of Human Geography, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We hear a lot about how humans eating meat is bad for the planet. But if every animal only ate plants, Earth would look dramatically different. Mitchell G. Nye-Wood, Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Booming prices for coastal properties are a mark of our reluctance to reckon with the climate change that is already upon us. We must start to properly account for and act on climate risk. Tayanah O'Donnell, Honorary Associate Professor, Australian National University Eleanor Robson, PhD Candidate, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Climate change is raising the number of days the Earth passes crucial thresholds of fire risk. But urgently cutting emissions can avoid the worst. Hamish Clarke, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Anne Griebel, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Western Sydney University Matthias Boer, Professor, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University Rachael Helene Nolan, Senior research fellow, Western Sydney University Víctor Resco de Dios, Profesor de ingeniería forestal y cambio global, Universitat de Lleida Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Environment ministers from both sides are determined not to see the Barrier Reef listed as in danger. The question is – why? Jon C. Day, PSM, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, spiralling inflation and energy shortages, tackling climate change has been central to the recovery plans of the world’s biggest economies. Katherine Lake, Research Associate at the Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Could tectonic processes in the early Earth have contributed to the rise of oxygen? David Mole, Postdoctoral fellow, Earth Sciences, Laurentian University Adam Charles Simon, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan Xuyang Meng, Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Andrews government has signalled a major shakeup of Victoria’s energy sector. But are they enough to bring the state’s energy prices down and reduce emissions? Ariel Liebman, Ariel Liebman Director, Monash Energy Institute and Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.