Articles

The climate and ecological mental health emergency – evidence and action

What was Achieved at COP26?

As the dust settles on the international climate negotiations at COP26, 1.5°C may still be alive but it’s on life support and the road from Glasgow remains an uphill climb, writes Professor Jackie Peel

Where to find courage and defiant hope when our fragile, dewdrop world seems beyond saving

The COP26 climate conference in Glasgow is over. Despite some progress, deep concerns remain about the outcomes. The final pact at least mentions the importance of exiting coal and the door remains open to ratcheting up national targets in 2022. But we’re all still on a long, hard road, writes Prof John Wiseman.

‘The Australian way’: how Morrison trashed brand Australia at COP26

Australia has again proved itself a climate laggard on the world stage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison might be a marketing supremo, but he can’t spin his way out of his government’s failures. But Morrison’s refusal to ramp up emissions reductions is starting to backfire, writes Prof Robyn Eckersley.

Global deforestation deal with fail if countries like Australia don’t lift their game

At COP26, Australia and 123 other countries signed an agreement promising to end deforestation by 2030. But there have been many such declarations before. What really matters, writes Dr Kate Dooley, is countries changing their policy domestically, bringing fossil fuel emissions to zero and restoring degraded lands.

Artists are not at the negotiating table at COP26 but art is everywhere. What can they accomplish through their work?

What can art accomplish at a high-stakes political meeting? Everything and nothing, depending on whom you ask, write Dr Christiaan De Beukelaer, Eloise Jane Breskvar and A/Prof Peter Christoff. They argue the way forward for climate art is not to imagine fatalistic or idyllic futures, but to sketch out pathways to get there.

Redefining farmland value for climate and food security

Translating environmental, economic, health, climate and resilience benefits from regenerative agriculture requires financial innovation, write Prof Rod Keenan, Dr Natalie Doran-Brown, Prof Richard Eckard, Oliver Miltenberger, A/Prof Ben Neville, A/Prof Brad Potter, Prof Naomi Soderstrom and Phillip Cormie.

If all 2030 climate targets are met the planet will heat by 2.7 degrees. That’s not ok.

If nations fulfill their latest promises to reduce emissions by 2030, the planet will warm by at least 2.7℃ this century, the United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap report has found, overshooting the crucial agreed temperature rise of 1.5℃. Dr Andrew King and Prof Malte Meinshausen discuss what this means.

Opportunities for traditional owners in the carbon economy

Empowering Indigenous land management through emissions reductions and the carbon economy will have the best outcomes for people and the environment, write Ms Loulou Gebbie, Mr Daniel Miller and Prof Rod Keenan. Ideas for collaboration are being explored with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation.

Despairing about climate change?

Many are struggling to navigate the climate emergency. Education can take a leading role in shaping more climate-resilient futures, helping our young people to become active citizens when it comes to the places and spaces they live in, write researchers including Dr Iderlina Mateo-Babiano and Dr Dominique Hes.

The case for an Australian Climate Accord

Australia lacks national leadership on climate policy, but an Australian Climate Accord could foster agreement on reducing emissions while improving Australia’s living standards write Ms Ella Plumanns Pouton, Prof Rod Keenan and Prof Lee Godden. They propose convening a dialogue to develop an Accord.

The future of our cities is Indigenous

Australia’s unceded cities are still part of Country, and if we care for them they will care for us as we face the climate challenge, writes Ms Maddi Miller. She writes that as we head toward 1.5 °C, we must listen when we are welcomed to Country – to not harm the land and the waterways, and respect Country and each other.

Nature doesn’t recognise borders but countries can collaborate to save species. The Escazú Agreement shows how.

Most conservation efforts are designed and implemented by individual countries. But these approaches are too geographically limited and do not address problems seeping across borders and driving ecosystem decline. Researchers, including Dr Rebecca Runting, show how a transboundary approach is essential.

Australia given serious health warning on climate change

Research monitoring the health impact of climate change highlights the escalating global emergency and the threat to the Australian way of life, write A/Prof Celia McMichael and Prof Mark Stevenson. They discuss this year’s report in the Lancet journal, which makes for grim reading, not least for Australians.

The betrayal of our young

COP26 is a chance to listen to our young people on climate change, but given recent trends, it may just mean empty words, according to one father and daughter, Prof Sarath Ranganathan and Maya Ranganathan. COP26 is a chance to finally begin to respect and empower young people, improving governance in general.

Indigenous knowledge and the persistence of the ‘wilderness’ myth

Indigenous and local people are now excluded from many areas deemed “wilderness”, leading to the neglect or erasure of these lands. Researchers including A/Prof Michael-Shawn Fletcher, A/Prof Lisa Palmer and Mr Wolfram Dressler show that Indigenous and local peoples must be engaged in any way forward.

Advanced modelling for network planning under uncertainty

The Melbourne Energy Institute analysed current industry practices in transmission network planning and provided recommendations on how to develop a state-of-the-art planning methodology subject to long-term uncertainty, whilst considering the associated risk and the role of new technologies.

Recycled tyres create sustainable pavements

Recycled tyres are being used to create environmentally-friendly permeable pavements in Australian cities. Researchers at the UoM have led the research underpinning ‘Porous Lane’s’ sustainable pavements. Among other benefits, recycled tyres are a less carbon-intensive option than other products.

How your super fund could be destroying the planet

Dr Samuel Alexander co-authored a short article on the need for the Australian superannuation industry to decarbonise their portfolios. A recent report has found that many of the largest 20 funds have some aspiration to reduce fossil fuel investments but only three had committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

MEI joins the Aviation Impact Accelerator Initiative

The Melbourne Energy Institute has joined an international group of experts in aerospace, economics, policy, and climate science, who are building the Aviation Impact Accelerator, an interactive evidence-based simulator that allows you to explore scenarios for achieving net zero flight.

This is how bad climate change is likely to get

Researchers, including Dr Andrew King, explore what Earth might look like under a projected pathway that would lead to global warming of between 2℃ and 3.5℃, relative to pre-industrial levels in this article for The Conversation.

Climate science in the Courtrooms

Dr Lauren Schuijers examines in The Conversation how climate science is making a difference in the courtroom including in recent cases brought in Australia by the Bushfire Survivors group and Australian children.

Communicating climate change has never been so important

With climate action more critical than ever, Dr Simon Torok and Dr Linden Ashcroft write in The Conversation that the IPCC needs to communicate its scientific findings clearly and strongly to as many people as possible. They explore how the IPCC is going.

Here’s what you need to know from the latest IPCC report

Researchers, including A/Prof Malte Meinshausen write in The Conversation on the findings of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It is the most sobering report card yet on climate change and Earth’s future.

Scientist investigating Australia's past says Indigenous cultural burning key to controlling bushfires

A/Prof Michael-Shawn Fletcher’s work provides essential data on the crucial role of fire in Australia’s ecology, writes the ABC. His findings have implications for understanding the past and how we approach the future.

US scheme used by Australian farmers reveals the dangers of trading soil carbon to tackle climate change

Soil carbon is a key part of the government’s technology-led emissions reduction policy. Farmers can earn carbon credits to be sold in emissions trading markets. But not all carbon credits are created equal, as researchers, including Prof Richard Eckard, write in The Conversation.

The perfect storm: How can we feed the world without wrecking the planet?

“How can we feed the world without wrecking the planet?”, asks Prof Tim Reeves, writing we need to change the way we think about our agri-food systems. He argues that we need to use systems-thinking, not compartmentalised thinking, to find solutions to interconnected problems.

The government’s idea of ‘national environment standards’ would entrench Australia’s global pariah status

Australia is one of only a handful of megadiverse countries. Yet, Australia risks global pariah status on biodiversity. Indeed, Australia has one of the worst track records in the world for biodiversity loss and species extinctions. Researchers, including Prof Brendan Wintle, write in The Conversation.

Top economists call for budget measures to speed the switch to electric cars

The vast majority of Australia’s pre-eminent economists back measures to boost the take-up of electric cars according to a poll in The Conversation including those at the University of Melbourne: Lisa Cameron, Kevin Davis, Chris Edmond, Allan Fels, Guyonne Kalb, Guay Lim, and Leslie Martin.

Why the next five years are an opportunity to buy us time on climate change

This article from ABC News examines why the next five years are crucial in combating climate change, with expert advice from Zebedee Nicholls, Climate & Energy College, on use of the carbon budget.

Solar justice: Who should pay for the grid?

Unless solar system owners fairly contribute to the use of the grid, those least able to least able to pay or participate in the energy transition will foot the bill, Dr Dylan McConnell, Climate and Energy College writes for ABC News.

Sustainable cities: greening the old alongside the new

Recent findings by the UNEP estimate that existing building stock was responsible for approximately 28% of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019. Alexei Trundle examines how the global community can retrofit existing human settlements to become more sustainable.

New Book: Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis

Professor John Wiseman’s new book explores how we can remain hopeful and courageous in the face of the climate emergency. Interviews with David Karoly, Katharine Hayhoe, Tim Flannery, Anna Rose, Victoria McKenzie-McHarg and Grant Blashki are available on the MSSI website.

Pacific north-west heatwave shows climate is heading into ‘uncharted territory’

Speaking on the recent Pacific north-west heatwave in the US, Dr Andrew King said that the number of deaths already linked to the heatwave demonstrated that “even in a wealthy region of the world there is vulnerability to exceptional heat extremes”. He told Carbon Brief that “[a]s the planet continues to warm and more frequent and intense heat extremes occur, we need to increase resilience to heat and work out how to protect the most vulnerable people.”

It takes more than words and ambition: here’s why your city isn’t a lush, green oasis yet

A new paper from researchers, including Dr Georgia Garrard in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, looks at what is holding back greening in our cities. They found that the greatest barriers were understaffing, a lack of intra-organisational processes, and risk-averse organisational cultures, barriers that can be overcome.

Pursuit: Healing Country

Associate Professor Luke Burchill writes in Pursuit on the importance of recognising the deep knowledge First Peoples bring in managing and adapting to environments over millennia, as we adapt to climate change.

Newsroom: Endangered frogs rescued from fire zones for breeding program

A new breeding program for the spotted tree frog is part of the Victorian Government’s Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program, supporting on-ground action to help at-risk species impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires. The project is a collaboration between Zoos Victoria, the Victorian and NSW environment departments and the University of Melbourne.

Read articles about climate research from researchers across the University