The Conversation

Energy storage really is the special sauce that makes renewables work anytime, anywhere – and everywhere. This makes the most of the existing electricity network, including transmission lines. Scott Hamilton, Adjunct associate professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Seeds buried in the soil tell of fire in the landscape. I sampled soil from 57 sites that experienced different patterns of fire. Over 15 months, I watched 39,701 plants grow to learn their secrets. Ella Plumanns Pouton, Researcher in Ecology, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia and the Pacific are now tipped to be hosts of the 2026 global climate talks. That brings opportunity – and scrutiny. Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Human activities now account for two-thirds of all methane venting to the atmosphere – and our efforts to staunch the flow are not yet bearing fruit. Pep Canadell, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment; Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO Marielle Saunois, Enseignant-chercheur, Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l’environnement (LSCE), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ) – Université Paris-Saclay Rob Jackson, Professor, Department of Earth System Science, and Chair of the Global Carbon Project, Stanford University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The first comprehensive overview of trade in Australian reptiles and frogs worldwide shows more species should be listed for monitoring under the international convention on wildlife trade. Sebastian Chekunov, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide Phill Cassey, Australian Research Council Industry Laureate Fellow, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Evidence suggests climate change could make snakes come out of hiding earlier. But it’s also likely to cause population declines or shifts in the long run, as snakes adjust to the new conditions. Damian Lettoof, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Wildlife Ecotoxicology, CSIRO Chris J Jolly, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in behavioural ecology and evolution, Macquarie University Timothy N. W. Jackson, Research Fellow and Co-head, Australian Venom Research Unit, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Think of single-phase power as a single-lane road. It’s enough to handle regular household appliances. Three-phase power is more like a three-lane highway. It’s designed to handle much heavier loads. Asma Aziz, Senior Lecturer in Power Engineering, Edith Cowan University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There are thousands of disused graveyards that could provide crowded cities with essential public green space. Rob Stokes, Industry Professor, Environment and Sustainability, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Better urban planning can help stem the loss of birds by protecting and connecting the areas of habitat they need to survive. Andres Felipe Suarez-Castro, Research Fellow, Ecological Modelling, Griffith University Rachel Oh, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

More frequent wildfires, emissions from rocket launches and more satellite debris burning up in the atmosphere all contribute to ozone depletion and could slow the recovery of the ozone layer. Laura Revell, Associate Professor in Environmental Physics, University of Canterbury Dan Smale, Principal Technician, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Richard McKenzie, Emeritus, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Emissions pathways act as a map of the future, showing us how to get from where we are to where we want to be. Anna Malos, Climateworks Centre - Country Lead, Australia, Monash University Josh Solomonsz, Policy Coordinator - Australia, Climateworks Centre Matthew Benetti, Policy Manager (Energy), Climateworks Centre Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Conservative, socialist or nationalist, what’s best for biodiversity? The results may surprise you. We studied 165 nations, examining threatened species numbers and the extent of protected areas. Matt Hayward, Professor of Conservation Science, University of Newcastle Andrea S. Griffin, Associate Professor in Wildlife Conservation Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Jacob Jones, Ph.D. Candidate in Conservation Politics, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We’re well on the road to net zero by 2050. Now a new report from Australia’s independent Climate Change Authority provides pathways for each sector of the economy. Let’s get on with it. Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Vague environmental claims are in breach of international best practice and Commerce Commission guidelines, which list the “dolphin friendly” label as a claim that should not be used. Kathryn Bradbury, Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There is ample evidence showing Indigenous Peoples and their territories are essential to the world’s biodiversity. We don’t need an unsupported statistic to prove it. Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Researcher in ethnobiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Adding biochar to degraded soils boosts how much water soils can hold and help farmers survive droughts. Sirjana Adhikari, Associate Research Fellow in Mineral Processing, Deakin University Ellen Moon, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering, Deakin University Wendy Timms, Professor of Environmental Engineering, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Choosing speed above all else gets clean energy built. But it comes with risks. Which path should Australia take? Anne Kallies, Senior Lecturer in Energy Law, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Seeing solar around your neighbourhood is a surprisingly large reason you might choose to do the same. Kaveh Khalilpour, Associate Professor in Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney Alexey Voinov, Professor in Sustainability Science, University of Twente Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The discovery of the Manawatāwhi pāua, unique to the Three Kings Islands, highlights the need to build taxonomic expertise to speed up work to describe thousands of as-yet unnamed species. Kerry Walton, Curator Invertebrates, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Hamish G Spencer, Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor of Zoology, University of Otago Nic Rawlence, Associate Professor in Ancient DNA, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia desperately needs skilled workers and materials to build transmission infrastructure and keep the energy transition on track. Chris Briggs, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.