Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ voices and engagement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Advice to inform the Australian Government towards Assessment Report 7
An independent report to the Australian Government
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lived in Australia for thousands of generations and through changes in the climate. Knowledges of how to manage Country (traditional estate) to ensure ecosystem health, food sources, and sustainability of Peoples through these changes have been passed down through Traditional methods. Much of these Indigenous Knowledges provide insights on how to adapt to the changes occurring now and projected into the future under the more rapid and human-induced climate change.
Until the most recent IPCC Assessment Report (AR6; IPCC, 2022), minimal inclusion of Indigenous data had occurred. Research was commissioned by the Australian Government ahead of the IPCC Assessment Report 7 planning discussions in August 2023, to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledges and perspectives are directly presented by First Nations scholars and Knowledge holders themselves.
To guide the approach, a research team was formed comprising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars, IPCC Lead Authors, and researchers with skills in cultural competency. Adjunct Professor Sandra Creamer AM (Waanyi Kalkadoon, The University of Queensland), Dr Vinnitta Mosby (Meriam Nation, Torres Strait, James Cook University), Associate Professor Brad Moggridge (Kamilaroi, University of Canberra) and Lillian Ireland (Melukerdee, legal scholar) are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars who bring cultural Knowledges and diverse Country representation to this group. Dr Nina Lansbury (non-Indigenous, The University of Queensland) and Professor Gretta Pecl (non-Indigenous, University of Tasmania) are AR6 Lead Authors who worked alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team.
Read the Executive Summary (PDF, 329.7 KB)
Read the Appendix of ‘Summary for the People: IPCC Assessment Report 6- Australasia’ (PDF, 711 KB)
Cite as: Lansbury, N., Moggridge, B., Creamer, S., Ireland, L., Buckley, L., Evans, G., Milsom, O., Pecl, G., and Mosby, V. (2023), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ voices and engagement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Advice to inform the Australian Government towards IPCC Assessment Report 7, An independent report commissioned by the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water), Canberra.
For further details, contact Dr Nina Lansbury at the School of Public Health, The University of Queensland: [email protected]
Read The Conversation article featuring the report here: ‘Knowledge keeps the fires burning’: how ancient Indigenous wisdom can transform our battle against climate change
CMS Deputy Director Dr Beth Fulton gave a keynote talk at ACSME 2023 (Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education), on 30 August 2023. Ever the engaging speaker, Beth highlights the value of maths in a climate-changed world.
Conference theme: The changing climate of science education
Talk title: Highlighting the value of maths in a climate-changed world
Abstract: The world’s oceans are changing rapidly as climate change takes water temperatures to levels that have rarely been seen in the past million years, with the IPCC indicating that if emissions are not reduce then by the end of the century global temperatures will rise to levels not seen for many millions of years. On top of this human use of the ocean is accelerating and diversifying rapidly. Maths lets us create these reconstructions and projections, but also provides a tool for helping people interested in a system explore the potential futures – the possible, plausible, probable and preferable. There are many different kinds of maths that can be used to synthesise the science of climate change and system function, together creating tangible, informative and engaging scenarios. Unfortunately, the Australian public’s numeracy can make sharing the interpretations more difficult. STEM education is critical not only for Australian science to deliver around climate change and ocean use, but also for the public and decision maker’s capacity to use that information.
Conference details: 2023 Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, 30 August – 1 September 2023.
Location: Sandy Bay campus of the University of Tasmania and online.
The CMS held our annual showcase event in Hobart/Nipaluna on 11th August 2023, with over 160 people in attendance ranging from our members and students, to government representatives, industry representatives, researchers, and traditional owners and custodians.
The day was structured around a series of stakeholder panels which allowed stakeholders to shape discussion and agendas, as well as short presentation sessions for our interdisciplinary researchers, and Q&A sessions for open dialogue. The day prompted some important discussions, and ignited some important networking/collaboration relationships.
Please view the CMS Showcase 2023 Agenda
Please view the CMS Showcase 2023 Report
We would like to thank all who attended, presented, and supported this event, and we can't wait to host our Showcase event again next year!
Congratulations to the Curious Climate Tasmania (CCT) team who were a finalist, and one of two ‘highly commended’ awards in the International Green Gown Awards, part of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in the ‘Benefiting Society’ category.
CCT delivers public-powered scientific engagement, bridging the gap between experts and audiences with credible, relevant information about climate change. CCT is different from most science communication projects in that content is driven by its participants. It asks the Tasmanian community what they want to know about climate change, and responds directly to their questions.
The Curious Climate Tasmania team is a collaboration across UTAS but led by Professor Gretta Pecl (IMAS/CMS) and Dr Chloe Lucas (GPSS/CMS) and is a novel and highly successful science engagement program that links experts and the broader community to provide credible, relevant information about climate change but is importantly driven by public interests.
Read more and watch a short video here: University of Tasmania, Australia | Green Gown Awards.
Prof Gretta Pecl is an Ambassador for Business Events Tasmania
This article features the Curious Climate Tasmania project and its recent awards.
This article also features results from Emma Hamasaki’s 3rd year research project, supervised by CMS members Dr Rachel Kelly and Dr Aysha Fleming.
Read article here
The Curious Climate Schools project, led by CMS member Chloe Lucas and Gabi Mocatta was highlighted in the article "Q&A: School students’ connecting with experts on climate change", in Teacher Magazine.
Find more about the Curious Climate Schools project.
The journal One Earth put together a collection of their key articles that highlights the challenge we face, the shortcomings of past efforts, and potential solutions to help ensure we are successful in bending the biodiversity curve and achieving the 2050 vision. Several of Assoc Prof Vanessa Adams papers were featured, and one from CMS Director Prof Gretta Pecl that was published together with our Future Seas and Species on the Move Collaborators Dr Tero Mustonen and Chief Edwin Ogar.
Find the collection here: https://www.cell.com/one-earth/collections/biodiversity-conservation
The Centre for Marine Socioecology is looking for a new Executive Support Officer.
The Executive Support Officer works under the broad direction of the CMS Director and Deputy Director providing high-level support and advice that support the operations of the CMS and facilitates the achievement of our mission. This includes financial management, documentation management, workplace health and safety responsibilities, project management, regular liaison with the university and other external stakeholders, planning of events, and coordination of communication across the different components of the Centre.
Please find more information about the role, selection criteria and how to apply here.
Applications close: 14 Dec 2022 Tasmania Daylight Time
Dr Chloe Lucas representing the Curious Climate Schools team has been awarded the the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication from the US National Academies for Science, Technology and Medicine in the category Science Communication by Early Career Research Scientist for the project Curious Climate Schools "Answering students' questions about climate change". Congratulations Chloe !!
Dr Chloe Lucas' award was highlighted in the article "Excellence in Science Communication" by UTAS Media. Read article here
