Sydney Environment Institute

Spaces for Growth within the Informal Green Spaces of Sydney

When competition for land is tight, how might informal green spaces support urban #ecologies? As Catherine Gunawan writes, with careful management these overlooked spaces could unlock new opportunities to support urban biodiversity in cities like Sydney: www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-envir...

🌊 Ocean systems underpin national prosperity, resilience, and cultural identity. As a new report from Ocean Decade Australia reveals, the "blue economy" is rapidly emerging as a strategic consideration in Australian boardrooms: www.oceandecadeaustralia.org/news-item/22...

Followed by response from Beck Dawson, resilience expert. Beck has championed the use of robust community and technical research in her roles at the NSW Reconstruction Authority, Resilient Sydney, Resilient Cities Network Cities, and the Greater Sydney Heat Taskforce.

2026 Iain McCalman lecture: Dr. Rebecca McNaught will share stories of grassroots collaboration, creativity, and hope from the Northern Rivers - region at the epicentre of compounding disasters [2 March 2026, 6-8PM] 👉 Register: www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-envir...

Trump and Denmark dispute Greenland's future - ABC listen Denmark's foreign minister has declared his nation fundamentally disagrees with US President Donald Trump on the future of Greenland, following a high stakes meeting at the White House.

SEI Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Lian Sinclair spoke to ABC PM Radio about how #Greenland's #rare #earth deposits are not unique, and aggression towards Greenland serves no benefit for #renewable #energy production.

Listen now: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Sydneysiders must be warned. After heavy rain, it’s not safe to go back in the water We need to design strategies which ensure that swimmers and surfers in the harbour city are clear on the risk of shark encounters after heavy rainfall.

SEI researcher Associate Professor Chris Pepin-Neff @pepinneff.bsky.social warns Sydney-siders to stay out of the water after heavy rain, responding to recent cluster of shark bites: www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

Australia and the Global Race for Critical Minerals Critical minerals are vital for the energy transition, but supply chains remain vulnerable. Experts at SEI’s roundtable explored geopolitics, sustainability and Australia’s role. Listen to the podcast...

Critical #minerals are vital for the #energy #transition, but supply chains remain vulnerable. Experts at SEI’s roundtable explored #geopolitics, #sustainability and #Australia’s role. Listen to the #podcast for more insights.

This expert panel unpacks the limitations of green #capitalism and #growth driven economics. It explores initiatives that reimagine alternative economies built around #wellbeing, #climate #justice, and living within #planetary boundaries.

Rethinking growth: Post-growth, de-growth, donuts and well-being | The SEI Podcast Series SEI's Climate Justice Series

🎧 Sydney Environment Institute's latest panel discussion, 'Rethinking growth: Post-Growth, De-Growth, Donuts and Well-Being' is now available on our #podcast series: shows.acast.com/the-sei-podc...

Whether post-disaster #trauma or growing climate #anxiety, the impacts of climate change on our #collective #wellbeing are only expected to rise. On Fri 17 Oct,
@blancheverlie.bsky.social will join a panel discussion about the #mental #health impacts of #climate #change and what we can do about it.

The committee credited @thomvandooren.bsky.social for his “central role” in understanding and responding to the #biodiversity crisis. Through what he calls "field philosophy", Thom has drawn attention to the #social, #political and #ecological entanglements involved in every #extinction process.

Prof Thom van Dooren awarded prestigious Biophilia Award

Congratulations to Thom van Dooren who was awarded the prestigious 'Biophilia Award in Environmental Humanities and Social Sciences'. The BBVA Foundation recognises the #philosopher's contributions to understanding species #extinction from the perspective of the #environmental #humanities.

🌱 Test, measure + scale nature-based solutions in Sydney
🌱 Establish governance and funding models to recognise nature as an asset class
🌱 Re-cast nature as a financial asset that delivers economic and wider benefits
🌱 Streamline planning approvals for complex nature-based solutions

The report outlines key policy recommendations, including:
🌱 Embed nature-based solutions into all urban development and hazard planning
🌱 Integrate Indigenous + place-based knowledge into adaptation plans
🌱 Refine valuation frameworks to capture the full economic, social + ecological benefits

As Sydney’s flood risk grows and changes, traditional grey #infrastructure alone cannot keep pace. Sydney Environment Institute has partnered with AECOM and Committee for Sydney on a new report on the #resilience #dividend of #nature-based solutions:

🔗 Read here: sydney.org.au/wp-content/u...

Urban Rewilding: Nature - based solutions for resilience and regeneration Get tickets on Humanitix - Urban Rewilding: Nature - based solutions for resilience and regeneration hosted by Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative. Chau Chak Wing Museum, University ...

The discussion brought together leading thinkers and practitioners in #environmental protection, #ecological regeneration and #community climate #resilience, including @seisydney.bsky.social members Jo Gillespie, Dan Penny and Genevieve Wright. Read more about the event below ⬇️

Last week, the Henry Halloran Urban & Regional Research Initiative hosted a panel discussion on #urban #rewilding, exploring the different ways #nature-based solutions can be applied in urban environments to enhance #resilience and #regeneration.

Rethinking growth: Post-Growth, De-Growth, Donuts and Well-Being Get tickets on Humanitix - Rethinking growth: Post-Growth, De-Growth, Donuts and Well-Being hosted by Sydney Environment Institute. The Law Foyer, Level 2, New Law Building (F10), University of Sydney...

We're thrilled to see the interest in our upcoming panel discussion on #DeGrowth, #PostGrowth and #WellbeingEconomies - tickets have sold out! If you'd still like to hear leading thinkers unpack the #growth paradigm and explore #alternative #regenerative economic models, join the waitlist ⬇️

Khasi Indigenous place-based ontologies and biodiversity conservation Cana Nongkhlaw, recipient of the 2025 Iain McCalman Honours Research Award writes on Khasi land-based practices including living root bridge (Jingkieng Jri) and the importance of indigenous knowledge,...

Cana Nongkhlaw, recipient of the 2025 Iain McCalman Honours Research Award, writes on Khasi #land-based practices and #biodiversity #conservation: "Place-based ontologies are not static or romantic. They are adaptive, situated, and often forged in the crucible of loss and resistance."

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The research team recently hosted community #co-design workshops. Participants gathered to connect, learn and share #local-knowledges and #lived-experiences of #ExtremeHeat, #Storms and #Pandemic. These stories will inform a localised version of The Adaptation Game (TAG) to support disaster planning

Sydney Environment Institute and Sydney Policy Lab are leading a collaborative research initiative on #universities' role in #community #disaster #resilience. The project brings together students, staff, academics, community representatives and local gov to explore local disaster resilience needs.

Developing a collaborative research agenda for post-growth futures The Sydney Environment Institute’s new research groups on post-growth, degrowth, and well-being economy are fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in transformative political economy.

An emerging research initiative at Sydney Environment Institute is exploring alternatives to #growth-based #economic paradigms. SEI members met with researchers from across the University of Sydney to explore emerging research and ideas on #post-growth, #de-growth & #wellbeing-economy approaches

Sydney Environment Institute member Vivienne Reiner led the initiative, calculating the University's scope 3 #emissions using input-output (IO) analysis to identify hotspots. The sector-first report sets a new national benchmark for #emissions transparency, #risk governance and #HigherEd leadership.

University of Sydney first in Australia to release full climate-related financial disclosure The University of Sydney has published a climate-related financial disclosure, setting a new benchmark in climate governance and emissions transparency across the higher education sector.

The University of Sydney is the first university in Australia to release a formal climate-related financial disclosure, aligned with NSW Treasury’s #climate #reporting framework: www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...

SEI statement on the opinion of the International Court of Justice Sydney Environment Institute members reflect on the implications of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change, noting the significance of the ruling for climate change po...

Sydney Environment Institute has released a statement on the ICJ Advisory Opinion. Authors @dschlosberg.bsky.social, @danycelermajer.bsky.social, @proftimstephens.bsky.social, Susan Park, and Ying Zhang reflect on the significance of the ruling for climate change policies.

Sydney Environment Institute celebrates the International Court of Justice's historic ruling on states’ climate obligations. The ICJ's much-anticipated Advisory Opinion on climate change is the clearest legal affirmation to date that states have a legally binding obligation to address climate change

Postdoctoral Fellow - Justice and Electricity Transmission Part time, 4 days per week, fixed term until June 2028 Research Project, 'Just transmission: advancing coherence in Australia’s electricity policy' Base Salary $127,436 - $151,328 (Level B) pro rata +...

🔔 Job opportunity – Sydney Environment Institute is #hiring a #Postdoctoral Research Fellow - #Justice and #Electricity Transmission to develop research on climate justice and electricity transmission with @amandatattersall.bsky.social and @dschlosberg.bsky.social. Applications close 11 Aug, 11:59PM

Lee White, Federico Tartarini, Rebecca McNaught, Blanche Verlie @blancheverlie.bsky.social, and Emma Bones.

Contributors include: David Schlosberg @dschlosberg.bsky.social, Danielle Celermajer @danycelermajer.bsky.social, Michele Barnes, Nader Naderpajouh @nadernp.bsky.social, Amanda Tattersall @amandatattersall.bsky.social ➡️

SEI Champions Climate Adaptation in Net Zero Commission Submission The Sydney Environment Institute (SEI) welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the New South Wales Net Zero Commission’s 2025 consultation process. Drawing on the expertise of a multidiscipli...

Sydney Environment Institute's submission to the NSW Net Zero Commission underscores the urgent need for #systemic, #inclusive, and #locally grounded approaches to climate #adaptation. SEI identified 10 priority recommendations, drawing on the #multidisciplinary expertise of its membership.