In need of some summer reading? The Climateworks team have compiled their ‘must reads’ of 2021: a mix of op-eds and long reads, pivotal to the year that was. Plus, catch up on all our digital events.
The ocean is essential to tackling climate change. So why has it been neglected in global climate talks? Sali Bache for The Conversation.
The latest from Jeff Sparrow, Crimes Against Nature, examines the economics of saving the planet. Read an extract on The Guardian.
Carbon farming is booming. ABC Background Briefing
Companies and countries expect nature to offset too much carbon. Doreen Stabinsky and Kate Dooley for The Conversation.
We are the 1 per cent: the wealth of many Australians puts them in an elite club wrecking the planet. The Conversation
The International Energy Agency’s frequently cited Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector report.
COP26: not what all people and the planet need, but there is a renewed endeavour. Anna Malos for Climateworks.
Yes, Cop26 could have gone further – but it still brought us closer to a 1.5C world. James Shaw for The Guardian.
Reconciliation Week 2021: Recent favourites for allies from the Climateworks team.
Catch up on all virtual events from Climateworks in 2021
The Briefing Room.
In July, Climateworks hosted a UN Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue, putting the spotlight on sustainable food and land use systems, and the role Australia can play in supporting climate outcomes.
In August, Climateworks hosted the second in its Briefing Room series for 2021, with an expert panel discussing the net zero transition for the industry system. Australia can be competitive and remain a major export economy as the world decarbonises. But the transition challenges are real, and the solutions go beyond anything a single player can achieve alone.
In October, Climateworks hosted Chasing Southeast Asia’s green future. Southeast Asia plays an increasingly important role globally, with the combined GDPs of the ASEAN trading group making it the fifth largest economy in the world. But do these countries have the capacity to adapt to the imminent shift towards net zero emissions? Our expert panel discussed the biggest challenges for the Southeast Asian region, the unique opportunities that can be leveraged, economic levers that can be pulled, and how the region can align with global efforts to reverse emissions.
In November, our expert panel discussed the future of infrastructure in Australia for the final Briefing Room of 2021: After COP26 – How infrastructure can help deliver net zero. Infrastructure influences around 70 per cent of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Now that Australia is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, how do we adapt infrastructure planning to enable this? What needs to shift in infrastructure decision-making, policies and investments to succeed in the race to net zero emissions?
Launch event
Ambitious targets are just part of the equation for a 1.5 degree future. For decision makers in both business and government, the question is: how do we get there? State and corporate climate action – closing in on 1.5 launched two new reports from Climateworks. One identifies leading policies and initiatives from Australian state and territory governments. The other identifies ‘best practice’ for corporate commitments and action, drawing on analysis from the Net Zero Momentum Tracker project which has analysed Australian company commitments over the past two years.
