The Conversation

The Morrison government’s great refusal to take action on climate may come back to haunt Australia when we seek the cooperation of other countries. Robyn Eckersley, Professor of Political Science, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia’s largest parrot has just been listed as an endangered species. Here’s why they’re in trouble – but it’s not too late to save them. Christina N. Zdenek, Lab Manager/Post-doc at the Venom Evolution Lab, The University of Queensland Rob Heinsohn, Professor of Evolutionary and Conservation Biology, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We cannot claim that inducing others to reduce emissions gives us a moral license to emit in their place. Christian Barry, Professor of Philosophy at the ANU, Australian National University Garrett Cullity, Professor, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We must take significant and rapid action now, to ensure cities play their part in limiting dangerous global warming and withstand the climate challenges ahead. Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Georgia Warren-Myers, Senior Lecturer in Property, The University of Melbourne Judy Bush, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Heading into the final days of the Glasgow summit, the goal of limiting heating below 2℃ looks attainable, and 1.5℃ is still within reach. There is still room for hope. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

One of Europe’s last intact mobile and vegetated dune ecosystems is in danger of being loved to death. What can be done? Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new climate projection found Glasgow pledges leave the world off-track for limiting warming to 1.5℃. What needs to happen in the final days of frantic COP26 negotiations to close the ambition gap? Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute and Climate Council researcher, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

First Nations leaders Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai filed a landmark class action against the Australian government to protect communities in the Torres Strait from climate change. Eddie Synot, Lecturer, Griffith Law School, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Despite vastly different political systems, we can draw some interesting parallels between Russia and Australia on the climate front. Ellie Martus, Lecturer in Public Policy, Centre for Governance and Public Policy, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

But the government will use the legislation for the fund to try to wedge Labor. Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A review of studies of Parramatta demonstrates an extensive deep-time archive of Indigenous activity extending over 14,000 years. Alan N Williams, Associate Investigator, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW Jo McDonald, Director, Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, The University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealanders are increasingly concerned about the state of the environment, but many don’t feel a strong enough connection to nature to become involved in conservation projects. Scott Burnett, Research assistant, Massey University Apisalome Movono, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Massey University Regina Scheyvens, Professor of Development Studies, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It’s encouraging to see the Morrison government move past its claim electric vehicles would ‘end the weekend’. But the new plan is not the national electric vehicle strategy Australia deserves, and badly needs. Jake Whitehead, Tritum E-Mobility Fellow & Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Jessica Whitehead, Industry Fellow, The University of Queensland Kai Li Lim, St Baker E-Mobility Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Shipping requires vast amounts of fuel, and the questions of which country is responsible for emissions makes reaching agreements a mammoth and glacial task. Peter van Duyn, Maritime Logistics Expert, Centre for Supply Chain and Logistics (CSCL), Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We already have most technologies Australia needs to make the clean energy transition. What’s missing is a plan to deploy them at huge scale. Simon Holmes à Court, Senior advisor, Climate and Energy College, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Eco-anxiety is an understandable response to the many crises the world faces. Here are four ways to help you cope. Teaghan Hogg, PhD student, Clinical Psychology, University of Canberra Léan O'Brien, Lecturer, University of Canberra Samantha Stanley, Research Fellow in Psychology, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Week one in Glasgow has delivered more climate action than the world promised in Paris six years ago. But progress still falls well short of what’s required to limit warming to 1.5℃. Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute and Climate Council researcher, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research shows just 2% of the Great Barrier Reef remains untouched by bleaching since 1998. Its future survival depends on how much higher we allow global temperatures to rise. Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University Sean Connolly, Research Biologist, Smithsonian Institution Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

If we fail to balance the social impacts of climate change with responsible climate action, we risk substituting one kind of harm for another – and this would be a disaster of another kind. Nick Bainton, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Most concerning is the long-term upward trends of CO₂ emissions form burning fossil fuels, which are far from trending towards net-zero by 2050. Pep Canadell, Chief research scientist, Climate Science Centre, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; and Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO Corinne Le Quéré, Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science, University of East Anglia Glen Peters, Research Director, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo Pierre Friedlingstein, Chair, Mathematical Modelling of Climate, University of Exeter Robbie Andrew, Senior Researcher, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo Rob Jackson, Professor, Department of Earth System Science, and Chair of the Global Carbon Project, Stanford University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.