The Conversation

International cooperation is crucial if we are to have the best chance of limiting global warming. So who are the key players? Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia’s top economists say Australia can’t “free-ride”, allowing others to cut emissions while it gets the benefits. Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Setting this as our target would see Australia become a valued and relevant party to negotiations at Glasgow, rather than a resented freeloader. So how do we get there? Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new analysis shows almost all emissions reductions will be the result of state government policies, and will have virtually nothing to do with the federal government. Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new modelling approach improves projections of Antarctica’s future ice loss. It shows a low-emissions scenario would avoid the collapse of West Antarctica’s ice sheet and limit sea-level rise. Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Mario Krapp, Environmental Data Scientist, GNS Science Nick Golledge, Professor of Glaciology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Click through a timeline to make sense of Australia’s long, tumultuous years of shifting climate policies ahead of next month’s international climate summit in Glasgow. Kate Crowley, Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The United Nations climate summit in Glasgow next month is the first real test of whether the world can limit global warming below catastrophic levels. Wesley Morgan, Researcher, Climate Council, and Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Japan, South Korea and China are all moving away from overseas coal financing. For Australia, the writing is on the wall – the clean energy transition is inevitable. Christian Downie, Associate Professor, Australian National University Llewelyn Hughes, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Populations of noisy miners have boomed since colonisation, and today they’re a huge threat to other native birds. 45 attempts to cull them in 30 years have left us with more questions than answers. Courtney Melton, PhD Candidate in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland April Reside, Researcher, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland Jeremy Simmonds, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Conservation Science, The University of Queensland Martine Maron, ARC Future Fellow and Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Michael Clarke, Emeritus professor, La Trobe University Paul McDonald, Associate professor, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Nationals’ concerns about the effects on regional Australia are legitimate, but greater forces in favour of a net-zero emissions target will likely push the policy over the line. Geoff Cockfield, Honorary Professor in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, University of Southern Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Extreme weather is behind much of the crisis, but it will make the transition to new energy sources more complicated. Lurion De Mello, Senior Lecturer in Finance, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Offsetting may be controversial, but we need it to reduce emissions. Here’s how it can be done with integrity. Alison Reeve, Deputy Program Director, Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

By spending $2 billion each year for about 30 years, we could restore much of Australia’s severely denuded landscapes. Bonnie Mappin, PhD Candidate, Conservation Science, The University of Queensland James Watson, Professor, The University of Queensland Lesley Hughes, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many valuable scientific breakthroughs were originally published in a non-English language. New research shows more effort is needed to transcend language barriers to improve conservation science. Tatsuya Amano, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Feral horses trample endangered plant communities, destroy threatened species’ habitat and damage Aboriginal cultural heritage — and their numbers are increasing. Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University David M Watson, Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Desley Whisson, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Maggie J. Watson, Lecturer in Ornithology, Ecology, Conservation and Parasitology, Charles Sturt University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Wild sandalwood populations in Australia have been slowly collapsing for decades. New research found the Western Australian government has been warned repeatedly for a century. Richard McLellan, PhD candidate, Charles Sturt University David M Watson, Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Kingsley Dixon, John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Cyclists in Melbourne are less likely than those in Dublin or Seville to ride in the rain. Understanding why is crucial. Richard Bean, Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Dorina Pojani, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland Jonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Reaching net-zero emissions will require intense policy focus, private investment and clear accountability – conditions only a firm numerical target can provide. Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Science, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When a plant is stressed, it mobilises its resources and often converts its starch reserves back to sugar. As soon as this happens, the stressed plant becomes sweeter than its healthier neighbours. Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Spring has settled in and fruit is starting to ripen. Read this before you start helping yourself to the edible plants growing in your neighbourhood. Alexandra Crosby, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney Ilaria Vanni, Associate Professor, International Studies and Global Societies, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.