Environment & Governance

A Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Protecting Our Planet

The UNSW Environment and Governance Research Group brings together leading international researchers in environmental politics, law and policy, biodiversity, climate security, food systems and environmental ethics. Our work has a common focus on improving law, public policy and international cooperation to protect ecosystems and manage the impact of human-induced environmental change. Having entered the Anthropocene – the epoch of dramatic human impacts on the Earth’s ecology and systems – our work crosses disciplines and charts paths for improved governance. We aim to support ecological sustainability and key human interests in health, justice and security into the long-term future. 

The UNSW Environment and Governance Research Group is led by Professor Anthony Burke.

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Research Themes

Climate and Security examines the intersections between climate change and international security, and climate change law and governance in traditional fora such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and new spaces such as the Security Council, regional organisations and civil society.
Biodiversity and Oceans includes the law and governance of biodiversity across multiple jurisdictions and biomes, from terrestrial to marine, with a focus on the effectiveness of existing systems and potential lines of reform.
Energy and Policy provides leading research on energy, water, food, and conservation policy and systems.
Justice and Development asks important environmental justice questions through the lens of ethics, philosophy and norms, considering their intersection with governance and development processes.

Borderlands

This transdisciplinary journal is a key initiative of the Environment and Governance Research Group. Professor Anthony Burke is the Editor in Chief and the international editorial advisory board includes key scholars in social theory and the environmental humanities.

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