State of the Environment Report released July 2022

Written By Eliza Lamb

Every five years, an assessment Report is prepared on the State of the Environment in Australia. The latest report, released in July, is “heartbreaking” says the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF). This report, put together by a panel of exceptional scientists and professionals for the Australian Government, concluded that ACTION is URGENTLY required and all trends are serious decline, except for our air quality.

 

 Top three causes of these environmental declines?

1.      Destruction of nature and habitats is accelerating, as a result of land-clearing for urbanisation and mining.

2.      Negative impacts of invasive species.

3.      Added pressures of climate change, which are now being ‘felt’ by human beings.

Underlying drivers are human population growth and pervasive economic practices, which take inadequate account of natural capital or environmental outcomes.

 

Any positive take outs?

  • Nature is proving highly resilient – it does ‘bounce back’ with the smallest opportunities or efforts, including threatened species.

  • Australians are acknowledging and using indigenous knowledge now, much more than ever before.

 

ACTION required?

ACF have highlighted:

  • Strengthen protection of nature and habitats – through new legislation, and stronger enforcement/protection agencies (the new Federal Government indicated these are a priority – “for action in 2023”).

  • Increasing funding for recovery of nature and threatened species

  • Slashing carbon emissions

  • Demonstrating leadership- to engage community and work with businesses, particularly stopping land-clearing and investing in nature and solutions, not harms.
    When nature thrives, we all thrive.

  • Australia to take a strong position to the Nature COP (Conference of Parties) in Canada this year (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, set for Dec. 2022). 

For report got to https://soe.environment.gov.au/

For more commentary, see:

https://www.csiro.au/en/news/news-releases/2022/state-of-the-environment-2021-report-released

https://www.acf.org.au/state-of-environment-reveals-urgent-need-for-action

https://www.wilderness.org.au/news-events

Eliza Lamb
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