Climate Action Week 2025

In this instalment of the SEI Podcast Series, discover how nature-based solutions can be integrated into urban and coastal planning to build resilience and improve ecological health whilst balancing competing demands for land use. Learn from successful projects, understand the challenges, and explore practical strategies to implement these solutions at scale. This event will be an exclusive preview of a new report that engaged with diverse stakeholders to understand how green and blue infrastructure can transform flood risk management in Greater Sydney. This event was held in partnership with the Sydney Environment Institute, Committee for Sydney, and AECOM at Climate Action Week 2025. Timestamps:00:50 - Welcome and introduction02:11 - Address by Beck Dawson and context of discussion 09:14 - Sam Kernaghan on Sydney's resilience during floods15:39 - Genevieve Wright on international examples of how nature is being used to stop flooding21:37 - Alice Simpson-Young on barriers for implementing nature-based solutions in Sydney 26:36 - How do we shift nature-based solutions to 'business as usual'?31:29 - Panel discussion begins31:52 - What are quick ways to embed nature-based solutions?35:36 - How can we integrate nature-based solutions and Disaster Adaptation Guidelines overview44:18 - The success of the GreenWay project53:07 - The Botany Wetlands system and tackling policy 1:05:11 - Q+A begins1:22:02 - Conclusion Speakers<ul><li>Sam Kernaghan, Director of Resilience Program at the Committee for Sydney</li><li>Nick Chapman, Resilience Specialist at Willoughby City Council</li><li>Beck Dawson, Executive Director - Adaptation and Mitigation at the NSW Reconstruction Authority&nbsp;</li><li>Dan Penny, Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney</li><li>Alice Simpson-Young, Principal Sustainability and Resilience Consultant at AECOM</li><li>Sarah Tasic, Assistant Director Disaster Risk Management at the NSW Reconstruction Authority</li><li>Genevieve Wright, Senior Project Officer at the Sydney Environment Institute</li></ul>

How nature can strengthen Greater Sydney's flood resilience

The 2025 Iain McCalman Lecture

The 2025 Iain McCalman Lecture was delivered by Dr Mitch Gibbs as he reflected on his journey as an Indigenous researcher, exploring how collaboration with First Nations communities can transform environmental research. How can trust, collaboration, and co-designed strategies transform our relationship with the environment, fostering genuine Caring for Country in practice? Timestamps:00:50 - Welcome from Prof David Schlosberg02:48 - Mitch's early life growing up in Willawarrin, learning from the land05:19 - Mitch's journey through Western education, from Honours to PhD11:32 - Post-PhD and journey to incorporating Indigenous knowledge into academia12:55 - Current projects to include Indigenous knowledges26:54 - Fulbright Fellowship and work with Swinomish and Samish nations in North America36:19 - Towards the future37:50 - Prof Maria Byrne responds Speakers:Dr Mitch Gibbs, University of SydneyProfessor David Schlosberg, Sydney Environment InstituteProfessor Maria Byrne (respondent), School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Co-creating futures: embedding Indigenous knowledges in environmental research

As climate change accelerates, Pacific Island nations face the twin challenges of increasing climate vulnerability and financial constraints that limit their ability to invest in resilience and recovery. This podcast will explore what a just and effective climate finance system could look like in the next decade and the structural barriers that must be overcome to achieve transformative change. This podcast was recorded as part of the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/events/2025/climate-justice-and-loss-and-damage-in-the-pacific-conference.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference.</a> Timestamps:00:51 - Introduction05:54 - Loss and damage debates need to engage with a dual debt crisis: the ecological debt owed by the Global North to the Global South and how this is entangled with broader questions of justice18:52 - The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) as the first Pacific-led, owned and managed regional resilience financing facility for community climate and disaster resilience31:29 - The dual challenge faced by many developing countries: unsustainable debt and increasing climate vulnerability42:50 - Q+A Speakers:Associate Professor Kate Owens&nbsp;(Chair), Sydney Law School, University of SydneyFinau Soqo, Manager, Pacific Resilience FacilityMagalie Masamba, law and policy advisorDr Julia Dehm, La Trobe University

Climate finance and debt, loss and damage (Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference)

As climate change intensifies, Pacific Island communities are facing profound losses of land, livelihoods, cultural heritage, and ways of life. How can Pacific-led solutions shape just responses to loss and damage? This podcast was recorded as part of the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/events/2025/climate-justice-and-loss-and-damage-in-the-pacific-conference.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference.</a> Timestamps:00:50 - Introduction05:14 - Discussion of Pasifika Network Loss and Damage&nbsp;12:53 - Building resilience and achieving climate justice in the Pacific26:20 - Exploring the gendered dimensions of rural Australian community disaster responses and resilience building, highlighting women’s experiences39:33 - Q+A Speakers:Professor David Schlosberg&nbsp;(Chair), Sydney Environment Institute, University of SydneyVenaisi Uluilakeba, coordinator for the Pasifika Network Loss and DamageLavetanalagi (Lagi) Seru, climate justice activist&nbsp;Dr Rebecca McNaught, University Centre for Rural Health

Civil society organisations and self-organising communities (Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference)

As climate change intensifies, Pacific Island communities are facing profound losses of land, livelihoods, cultural heritage, and ways of life. How can Pacific-led solutions shape just responses to loss and damage? This podcast was recorded as part of the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/sydney-environment-institute/events/2025/climate-justice-and-loss-and-damage-in-the-pacific-conference.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference.</a> Timestamps:00:50 - Introduction05:15 - Foundational principles of multi-species justice&nbsp;(Dany Celermajer)16:50 - Recognising environmental legal rights in the South Pacific (Ed Couzens)30:30 - How the Paris Agreement fails to acknowledge the more-than-human (Rosemary Lyster)43:40 - Q+A Speakers:Dr Scott Webster (Chair), Sydney Environment Institute, University of SydneyProfessor Danielle Celermajer, Sydney Environment Institute, University of SydneyAssociate Professor Ed Couzens, Sydney Law School, University of SydneyProfessor Rosemary Lyster, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney

Multispecies justice, loss and damage (Climate justice and loss and damage in the Pacific conference)

In this instalment of the SEI Podcast Series, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development Professor Surya Deva unveils his Climate Justice: Loss and Damage report, just days after its presentation to the UN General Assembly. Professor Deva presents a climate justice framework with four pillars: mitigation, adaptation, remediation, and transformation, underpinned by 12 human rights principles. Professor Deva proposes a range of actions for states, international financial institutions, and businesses to address loss and damage.&nbsp;&nbsp;Timestamps:&nbsp;00:49 - Welcome and introduction by Professor Rosemary Lyster06:39 - Professor Deva's introductory remarks07:00 - Discussion on climate justice frameworks30:59 - Professor David Schlosberg's response38:00 - How do we implement the framework?39:18 - Professor Deva responds42:30 - Closing comments Speakers:&nbsp; <h4>Professor Surya Deva, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4><h4>Professor Rosemary Lyster, climate justice and disaster law researcher&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4><h4>Professor David Schlosberg, Director of the Sydney Environment Institute&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development's insights on loss and damage

In this instalment of The SEI Podcast Series, renowned scholar Kyle Whyte will share his experiences serving the Biden administration, environmental justice organisations, and Tribal nations. In one of its earliest moves, the Biden Administration made a historic commitment to advancing environmental justice, significantly increasing federal programs, funding, and public awareness on the issue. This bold approach has been heralded as a "once in a lifetime" investment, creating new pathways for justice, equity, and environmental sustainability. But four years later, what has been the outcome? How have these expansive policies impacted the communities they were designed to serve? What are the successes, challenges, and ongoing barriers in this unprecedented investment? Timestamps00:50 - Introduction and welcome03:57 - Kyle's opening address30:52 - David and Kyle begin their discussion SpeakersProfessor Kyle Whyte, University of MichiganProfessor David Schlosberg, Sydney Environment Institute

Meeting the moment: lessons from the 'once in a lifetime' investment of the Biden Administration in Environmental Justice

In this instalment of The SEI Podcast Series, hear from experts from as they explore if valuing nature economically can lead to responsible environmental stewardship or if it undermines its innate value. Can we balance the financial valuation of nature with ethical stewardship, or do market mechanisms risk commodifying what is inherently invaluable? Timestamps:00:50 - Welcome and introduction6:22 - Are there are mechanisms to protect what’s left of our natural world?10:22 - What role do financial markets in driving positive environmental outcomes?18:06 - How can governments better regulate nature markets to ensure transparency and effectiveness?24:26 - How can the concept of nature markets align with Indigenous and community approaches?30:40 - Heading towards 2040, how do we&nbsp;see a price on nature contributing to the protection of the environment?&nbsp;38:50 - Q+A Speakers:<ul><li>Professor Carolyn Hogg, Chair</li><li>Ariadne Gorring, Pollination Foundation</li><li>Professor Dieter Hochuli, University of Sydney</li><li>Joshua Bishop, environmental economist</li><li>Radha Kuppalli, investment advisor</li></ul>

Will putting a price on nature protect it?

In this instalment of The SEI Podcast Series, hear from experts as they explore the potential of nature-based solutions, like wetlands and mangroves, in acting as climate buffer infrastructure. They will share new findings from SEI’s project Examining climate buffer projects in the Philippines and feature other case studies from Australia and the Pacific, that address how justice and biodiversity issues can be addressed alongside climate adaptation solutions.&nbsp;Timestamps:00:51 - Welcome and introductions05:22 - How do mangroves function as a climate buffer?09:06 - The effectiveness of nature-based solutions compared with traditional engineering solutions13:00 - The importance of Indigenous and local knowledges on informing the design and implementation of nature-based solutions&nbsp;17:45 - Overview of the Blue Heart Sunshine Coast Project and how project ownership and responsibility is shared with the local communities24:48 - How do we envision nature-based solutions transforming cities and rural landscapes to enhance climate resilience and biodiversity in the years ahead?33:54 - Q+A section46:03 - Conclusion Speakers:<ul><li>Dr Justin See, Sydney Environment Institute</li><li>Jazmin (Minet) Aguisanda-Jerusalem, Filipino disaster risk reduction expert</li><li>Dr Anneke van den Brink, marine ecologist and expert of nature-based solutions for coastal defence</li><li>Dr Sonia Marshall, managing an adaptive floodplain management project</li><li>Suliasi Vunibola, researcher on Indigenous community resilience in the Pacific</li></ul>

Natural solutions: seawalls are not the only climate buffer

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The Sydney Environment Institute, based at the University of Sydney, brings together thought leaders from across the University and beyond to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.

The SEI Podcast Series

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