Sustainability

Australia-Indonesia: burn the boats
Australia-Indonesia: burn the boats
Last week, Australian Border Force released photographs of burning Indonesian fishing vessels allegedly caught fishing illegally in Australian waters. Border Force reported it had…
China: rejecting rubbish
China: rejecting rubbish
On hearing Beijing had instituted the ominously named “Operation National Sword” it would have been easy to imagine Chinese warships crashing across the Taiwan Strait or perhaps…
Safeguarding Pacific Island seas starts with indigenous knowledge
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…
Bad news for Vietnam’s Mekong Delta
Bad news for Vietnam’s Mekong Delta
The release of recent research from the Netherlands adds an additional insight into what is happening in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, the country’s all-important food producing region…
Lessons from the recent cyclone in Timor-Leste
Lessons from the recent cyclone in Timor-Leste
The cyclone which hit Timor-Leste on 4 April was traumatising. We were awakened at 3 am by heavy rain and winds gusting at more than 125km/hour. Water began to flood into our…
The Davis aerodrome and Australia’s leadership in the Antarctic
The Davis aerodrome and Australia’s leadership in the Antarctic
Since the Davis aerodrome project in Antarctica was proposed in 2018 by the Australian government, there have been continuing debates about the potential environmental costs,…
Australia’s place in a decarbonising world economy
Australia’s place in a decarbonising world economy
A welcome change is underway in the international effort to combat dangerous global warming. It will have big implications for the Australian economy. The United States, European…
Indonesia lags on renewable energy, and pays the price
Indonesia lags on renewable energy, and pays the price
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vision to make the country a destination for foreign company investments neglects the growing demand for clean energy. RE100, a group…
Favourites of 2020: Casting a line in Pacific fisheries
Favourites of 2020: Casting a line in Pacific fisheries
An end-of-year series as the Lowy Institute staff and Interpreter contributors offer their favourite books, articles, films or TV programs this year. Look back on the series and…
The case for going all-in on renewables
The case for going all-in on renewables
Current perceptions of renewables have been driven by the need to address climate change, a narrow view that overlooks benefits such as reducing our reliance on imported energy…