Unsustainable production and consumption are driving climate change, biodiversity loss and extinction, extreme weather events, marine pollution and desertification, creating unacceptable ecological, cultural, economic and social risks for humans and non-human species. Improving international and national environmental and social regulation is critical to drive transformational change benefiting people and planet. Researchers in our group are working to improve regulation in areas such as supply chains, decarbonisation and just transition, circular economy and One Health.
Our research involves: multidisciplinary collaborative projects aimed at bringing about institutional, legal and structural change; contributing to policy reform through submissions and consultations; and publication of high-quality multidisciplinary research drawing upon a range of critical and regulatory theories. We are institutional members of the IUCN Academy for Environmental Law and our research team members contribute actively to its annual colloquium in both the teaching and research streams.
Our researchers employ a range of research methods including: legislative and policy mapping and analysis; systematic qualitative literature reviews; socio-legal thematic analysis; qualitative research; and applying co-design methods when working with research partners.
Our research team acknowledges the role of colonisation in degrading the Australian landscape and the need to reform environmental and social laws to reflect Indigenous knowledge and empower communities to care for Country.