Turning policy practice into action: introducing the National Strategies Policy Library
“Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. Accelerated and equitable action in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts is critical to sustainable development."
- IPCC, 2023, AR6 Synthesis Report Headline Statements.
As complex environmental problems continue to reshape our ways of living, understanding how to become more resilient is vital to secure a liveable future for all.
With over 90% of Australians living in urban spaces and 85% within 50km of the ocean, understanding the intersectionality of environmental obstacles and people is crucial for just adaptation. To meaningfully adapt to climate change, future actions should acknowledge and recognise past and continuing injustices against marginalised groups that inhibit their ability to respond to climate-related threats.
Future Earth Australia’s (FEA’s) three National Strategies focus on these intersections – A National Strategy for Just Adaptation, Sustainable Oceans and Coasts, and Sustainable Cities and Regions.
We are pleased to announce the release of Future Earth Australia’s Policy Brief Library pertinent to our three National Strategies.
The Policy Library is designed to increase accessibility to the National Strategies and engage with decision makers to turn policy into action. Implementation plans are included in each strategy to provide well-considered pathways to action across government, science, industry and community.
Empowering First Nations Peoples, voices, practices and leadership is a key theme across all three strategies, particularly the importance of self-determination, Country and meaningful co-production of knowledge and solutions.
Two-way implementation is actioned by Future Earth Australia through Parliamentary Submissions to transition to equitable and sustainable futures. We recently provided a policy submission on the draft Sustainable Oceans Plan grounded in evidence-based research included in the Sustainable Oceans and Coasts National Strategy.
FEA’s submission for the draft Sustainable Oceans Plan recommended the following:
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Include clear, measurable, and quantifiable actions for each proposed national priority through an action plan
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Explicitly acknowledge the interconnectivity of the proposed national priorities to enable transdisciplinary opportunities and avoid fragmentation and siloing
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Empower Indigenous communities to lead in the co-management of Sea Country, with representation at all decision-making levels
Future Earth Australia’s National Strategies, Policy Library and Parliamentary Submissions provide specific, actionable and comprehensive recommendations towards achieving a more sustainable, just and resilient Australia.
Please view Future Earth Australia’s new Policy Library.
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View Future Earth Australia and the Australian Academy of Science’s Parliamentary Submission to the draft Sustainable Oceans Plan here.
View the draft Sustainable Oceans Plan here.
Read the IPCC’s AR6 Synthesis Report here.