Future Earth Australia Year in Review 2023

Kate Nairn, FEA Program Manager introduces the program's 2023 Year in Review.

 

2023 was a pivotal year for the international sustainability agenda, and so too for   Future Earth Australia. At the global level, we saw critical conversations about justice   equity, and climate adaptation take centre stage at COP28, where the international   community also marked the 'beginning of the end' of the fossil fuel era.

 Despite this incremental progress, earth's life support system remains under multiple and compounding pressures, and we cannot relent on any progress made during this 'critical decade'. 

In our own backyard, Future Earth Australia continued to advocate that the answers to these greatest sustainability challenges are found in many places, disciplines and communities.

We continued to galvanise our wide network of expertise to provide advice on key policy issues, and took steps to implement the three national strategies developed across the Future Earth Australia lifespan. 

The Future Earth Australia Secretariat and Steering Committee achieved this whilst navigating considerable structural change.

In 2023 the network embedded itself within the National Committees for Science, recognising our role as knowledge brokers with the international Future Earth community, and as trusted advisors within the Australian Academy of Science. 

Future Earth Australia's focus continues on climate adaptation, sustainable cities and regions, and oceans and coasts to be at the forefront of local, national and global sustainability discourse and policy change.

Despite this progress, the rejection of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament reminds us that there is work to be done. We will continue to reiterate that Indigenous sovereignty and knowledges are critical to developing truly transformative and regenerative futures, both for Australia and the world. 

I am grateful to Grander's Trust beginning our year with a generous donation. We finished the year with great momentum and a renewed sense of purpose. 

This Year in Review is a reminder of the essential role Future Earth Australia plays in the journey towards a sustainable and equitable future. I hope you enjoy reading about our activities and impact across 2023. 

In 2024, I am excited to expand the reach and impact of the network, including through negotiating exclusive access to the Belmont Forum for our members. I am thrilled to build on our positive vision and all our good work throughout the coming year. 

 

Kate Nairn
Program Manager
Future Earth Australia

Become a member of Future Earth Australia 

Future Earth Australia connects top Australian sustainability research organisations and is uniquely placed as an independent, cross-sector, transdisciplinary peak body. We provide Australian researchers and institutions pathways to collaborate nationally and internationally on global change and resilience issues. 

To discuss how your research organisation, NGO, or Department can help catalyse progress for sustainability transformations contact Kate Nairn: kate.nairn@science.org.au