Breaking down barriers to climate action together
Paving the way for net-zero carbon emissions and a climate resilient society through cross disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration between experts, researchers, industry, peak bodies, government and non-government organisations to identifying and overcoming barriers encountered in traditional research and practice and supporting climate adaptation and environmental education.
Community climate action
Remote and isolated communities - Climate resilient and sustainable water, energy and waste systems
Researchers are working to implement transformative community-based governance approaches for delivering climate resilient and sustainable water, energy and waste systems in Australian and Pacific rural and remote communities. The 2023-2026 project considers delivering - fit for purpose (technically appropriate), fit for place (environmentally appropriate) and fit for people (economically, socially and culturally appropriate) systems.
The project will also develop a spatially explicit WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Climate Vulnerability Index to support decision making, prioritise actions and build sustained resilience. The index will enable non-government organisations (NGOs) and government partners to prioritise not just emergency WASH in the aftermath of disasters, but also development WASH, where sustainable development objectives and improved WASH coverage can be met and sustained; thus supporting communities to adapt to climate change.
Project leads: Assoc Prof Cara Beal, Prof Rodney Stewart, Dr Melissa Jackson and Dr Wade Hadwen
Partners: Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Indigenous Technology, PowerWater, Centre for Appropriate Technology Limited (NGO), Ergon Energy, Water Corporation, Northern Territory Government
Community climate adaptation - Tweed climate ready project
Griffith University is working with the Tweed Shire Council under a grant from the Federal Government to identify local climate action strategies and support for the Tweed Shire community to reduce their carbon footprint and respond to natural hazards and climate events. A final report was prepared in June 2023 and further action is planned.
Project lead: Dr Melissa Jackson
Tweed Shire Council News: Tweed community-led project to provide strategies for climate action - 25 November 2022
Community-led resilience planning - Shoalhaven
Shoalhaven City Council is looking to empower a diverse group of community members from the region to create a Community-led Adaptation and Resilience Strategy for Shoalhaven.
The Council has engaged Griffith University to work with residents on this project, which is an important step in strengthening recovery systems in advance of a disaster.
Project leads at Griffith University: Emeritus Prof Darryl Low Choy and Prof Brendan Mackey
Partner and project link: Shoalhaven City Council
Project publication: Harnessing the temporal and projective attributes of human agency to promote anticipatory climate change adaptation
Climate Resilient Landscapes and Seascapes
Climate change is having a major impact on global landscapes leading to increased frequency and intensity of mega-fires, reduced rainfall, heat waves and rapidly rising thermal extremes.
There is an urgent need to develop the knowledge, tools, approaches and policies for promoting more climate resilient landscapes, with a focus on Australia and the region’s terrestrial native ecosystems, including wetlands.
The Beacon works with a range of partners, including government, industry, peak bodies, and non-government organisations, to promote climate adaptation and climate resilient landscapes.
Bushfire recovery
The Bushfire Recovery Project analysed satellite data to map the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfire footprint, including the fire intensity to help inform post-fire forest management. Citizen Sciences Apps were also developed to verify the satellite data and engage local communities in monitoring the revival of their local forests and local wildlife. The project produced five Bushfire Science Information Reports and Factsheets, covering the areas of bushfires and - a changing climate, native forest regeneration, logging, ecological consequences, infrastructure.
Project leads: Prof Brendan Mackey and Prof David Lindenmayer AO (The Australian National University)
Partners: The Australian National University and the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (a non-government organisation)
Griffith News: Post-fire logging removes tree hollows vital for wildlife recovery
Griffith News: The tricks Australian forests use to survive bushfires
Griffith News: Logging and thinning of forests can increase fire risk
Primary Forests and Climate Change
Collaborating with national and global partners, including a large number of non-government organisations, to understand the role of, and educate others about, tropical and boreal and temperate primary forests on global climate. Researchers are improving the global information base on primary forests, examining the benefits, including economic, that arise from their protection, identifying threats to their ongoing integrity, exploring policy options for their protection and investigating on-ground implementation issues through case studies. These case studies are being used for environmental education and cover primary forests in Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo, British Columbia, Kayapo Territory in Brazil, Nepal, Nepal, Russia and Melanesia.
Project publications:
- Read our 2024 paper on Carbon Carrying Capacity in Primary Forests
- Read our 2023 technical brief for the UNFCCC COP 28, prepared by Professor Mackey with the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Read our 2023 report on the role of natural forests, including primary forests and intact forest landscapes, in climate mitigation and limiting global warming to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 °C
- Read our 2023 paper on Assessing Community Readiness for Payments for Ecosystem Service Schemes for Tropical Primary Forest Protection in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Project lead: Prof Brendan Mackey
Project partners: Woodwell Research Center (non-government organisation), Frankfurt Zoological Society (NGO), Australian Rainforests Conservation Society (NGO), Wild Heritage (NGO), The International Conservation Fund of Canada (NGO), Partnership for Policy Integrity (NGO), Red Panda Network (NGO), Kathmandu Forestry College (NGO), and the University of Southern Queensland
Resilient Landscapes Hub
The Resilient Landscapes Hub uses research to inform environmental policy and management of Australia’s terrestrial and freshwater habitats to promote resilience, sustainability and productive practices.
Griffith News: Griffith experts take leading role in national environmental research hub
Project leads at Griffith University: Prof Mark Kennard and Prof Brendan Mackey
Partner: The University of Western Australia
Mapping & Inventorying Mature Forest in Conterminous USA
Mature forests provide critical habitat for wildlife, store nationally and globally significant stocks of ecosystem carbon, and provide clean drinking water. It is important that we know where these forests occur and how they are managed, to help ensure they are protected and continue to provide benefits to society for generations to come. Working with non-government and not-for-profit organisations, this project, among other things, has provided the first ever coast-to-coast, map-based assessment of mature and old-growth forests in the continental United States.
Project Team: Dr Dominick DellaSala (Wild Heritage, NGO) , Prof Brendan Mackey (Griffith University) , Dr Patrick Norman (Griffith University) , Carly Campbell (Griffith University) , Dr Pat Comer (NatureServe, NGO) and Dr Brendan Rogers (Woodwell Climate Research Center, NGO)
Project publication: Mature and old-growth forests contribute to large-scale conservation targets in the conterminous United States
Whales in a Changing Climate
Many whale populations are now in the process of recovering following over-exploitation by the whaling industry. Climate change has been identified as one of the next big challenges facing whales. Through a comparative review of the literature and data collection with, and observation of, whales, this 2018-2026 research program establishes a fundamental understanding of how changing ocean conditions are influencing the recovery of whale populations and develops adaptation scenarios for advancing whale conservation policies and programs. The project will also lead to improved understanding of the role whales might play as carbon sinks and thus climate engineers, and their role as ecosystem engineers contributing to ocean productivity.
Project Co-Directors: Prof Brendan Mackey and Prof Alakendra Roychoudhury (Earth Sciences, Stellenbosch University)
Project Manager: Dr Olaf Meynecke
Partners: Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Collaborators: The Oceania Project (NGO), Living Ocean (NGO), Humpbacks and Highrises (NGO), Two Bays Whale Project (a citizen science project with the not for profit Dolphin Research Institute), Laboratorios Naturales De Magallanes Y Antartica Chilena, Pacific Whale Foundation (NGO), Centre for Whale Research Western Australia (NGO), Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit (NGO).
Griffith News: What is drawing humpback whale super-groups to the African coast?
Health
Climate change is affecting people’s health and wellbeing. In this stream of research, Beacon members are working with partner organisations in interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations to understand and adapt to the complex factors that exacerbate the health risks of climate change.
Extreme-heat household early warning and response systems for older Queenslanders
Older people are vulnerable to extreme heat based on their physiological, psychological and socio-economic characteristics. Researchers are developing an integrated, home-based, early warning system to educate and facilitate early warning and appropriate response to extreme heat events in Queensland for older people. In December 2021, the project was awarded $2.35 million by the Wellcome charitable foundation to help limit the thousands of lives lost each year to heat stress. The project is due to conclude in 2024.
Project lead: Assoc Prof Shannon Rutherford
Griffith News: Early heat warning system to help save lives in changing climate (9 Dec 2021)
Facilitating Health System Transition - Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Care
Health systems are experiencing significant demand due to climate change impacts, particularly heat and other extreme weather events. They also face increasing risk of having their services disrupted, just when most needed.
Researchers have been working with Queensland healthcare providers and the national Climate and Health Alliance (NGO) since 2020 to prepare for demands on their services through climate change, while also transitioning toward a sustainable and low carbon future, and thus are supporting climate change adaptation and education.
Project lead: Sue Cooke
Partners: Gold Coast University Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Pacific Network, and the Climate and Health Alliance (NGO)
Financial mechanisms
At the Beacon, we are applying expertise in climate and finance to prepare for a financially robust future and ensure economic adaptation arising from a changing climate.
Innovative Financing Solutions
Researchers are investigating innovative financing solutions to assist local governments develop and construct climate adaptation projects for their communities.
Project leads: Ian Edwards, Dr Andrew Buckwell and Prof Chris Fleming
Managing climate change risks for residents in ‘at-risk’ homes and incentivising green zone housing
Develop finance models to manage housing located in ‘at-risk’ red zone areas, which are more susceptible to climate change risks. The model aims to deliver a practical exit strategy for owners of at-risk homes and links their outcomes with the development of new green zone housing.
Project lead: Prof Robert Bianchi
Regulatory frameworks & government
Climate Ready Australia 2030
This is the Climate Ready Initiative’s flagship project. Climate Ready Australia 2030 will bring together partners from across society to develop the shared agenda, investment plan and national capability needed to drive climate action in Australia.
Qld Government Climate Ready Program
This program is strengthening institutional climate risk management within the Qld Government by supporting the implementation of the adaptation action plan - Managing Climate Risk: Actions for Queensland Government. The plan aims for a whole-of-government climate risk management approach to policies and processes, investments, services and actions.
Qld Transport and Main Roads Agency-wide climate change risk assessment and management project
Worked as a critical friend with the Qld Transport and Main Roads Agency (TMR) to provide expert advice to assist TMR to improve its assessment and management of climate change risk through all stages of projects from scoping and procurement to delivery.
See the Climate Ready Initiative page
Policy guidance briefs on barriers to climate change adaptation in regional Victoria
Collaboration with Victorian Government to provide guidance and recommendations on adaptation policy and implementation for regional communities and local governments in Victoria. Covers a range of factors including adaptive capacity and socio-cultural and other barriers to action in communities and regions faced with significance transitions due to climate change impacts.
See the Climate Ready Initiative page
Climate risk management for Qld local government
This project includes the development of a high-level evaluative framework that Building Queensland can use to integrate climate risk into their current infrastructure evaluation and business case development processes.
See the Climate Ready Initiative page
Evaluation of climate change impacts in Qld Government infrastructure proposals
This project includes the development of a high-level evaluative framework that Building Queensland can use to integrate climate risk into their current infrastructure evaluation and business case development processes.
See the Climate Ready Initiative page
