Climate change
Glasgow: a tipping point for serious action
In a little over a week, the most consequential climate meeting in human history begins in Glasgow, Scotland. The Earth has warmed by up to 1.3°C since 1880. Devastating fires,…
Australia, Indonesia and climate change
In February 2020, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo made a state visit to Australia and addressed a joint sitting of the Australian parliament. This was a rare privilege granted…
The right climate for central planning
If there really is a marketplace for ideas, it’s fair to say that central planning hasn’t been flying off the shelves of late. It’s not hard to see why. The murderous regimes of…
Coming up for air: global action to stop pollution
The Indonesian government lost a “citizen lawsuit” last month against 32 Jakarta residents after the court ruled that the defendants, which included President Joko Widodo, had…
Line in the sand: How sea-level rise is challenging international law
The effects of sea-level rise for islands are real and increasing attention is being given to the emerging international legal issues. The World Bank last week released a new…
Safeguarding Pacific Island seas starts with indigenous knowledge
Some months ago, I was part of a special ocean and culture story-telling workshop on my home island of Erromango, in southern Vanuatu. There, I listened to traditional elders…
Risks versus opportunities in national security thinking
National security thinkers follow a distinct pattern when they consider Australia’s future defence requirements. For most, the preferred point of view is risk-based. A policy…
The right climate for Indonesia-United States cooperation
Indonesia is feeling a little ignored. The recent visit by US Vice President Kamal Harris to Vietnam and Singapore led to speculation that Indonesia was not a priority for the…
Matching strategic and defence policy to the climate challenge
Australia is experiencing a series of cascading crises. While the most immediate is the Covid-19 pandemic, the global and regional strategic order in which it has so comfortably…
Australia’s potential as a “green” hydrogen superpower
In the lead-up to the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in November, the world is looking for nations to step up in the clean energy sector. Australia, with its plentiful…