Ideas@theHouse: August 2023

Ideas@theHouse

presented by

Her Excellency the Honourable
Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW

“Ideas for marine stewardship and sustainability in a time of acceleration”

Professor Emma Johnston AO FRSN FAA FTSE
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
University of Sydney

Date: Thursday, 10 August 2023, 6.30 – 8.00 pm AEST (live streaming)
Venue: Live streaming from Government House Sydney
Video presentation: YouTube video
All are welcome to the live stream

Summary: Our ocean ecosystems are facing great challenges. Human impacts are growing, leading to rapid changes in ecosystem structure and function. Accelerating ecological processes, tipping points and vicious cycles suggest a rapid worsening of conditions.

In this talk, Professor Johnston will describe the key drivers of ecological acceleration, how they act in concert, and the implications for marine and coastal social-ecological systems. She will then present ideas for converting vicious cycles to virtuous ones through effective environmental stewardship.

Finally, Professor Johnston will present a case study of the recent Australian State of Environment Report and how sustainability has been addressed by the inclusion of three new dimensions in this report: centering Indigenous perspectives, developing well-being assessments, and linking to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Professor Emma Johnston is a leading authority in marine ecology, a sustainability and diversity champion, and a chief author of the Australian State of Environment Report 2021. Professor Johnston is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney. She has held the roles of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Dean of Science at UNSW and is a past President of Science & Technology Australia (STA). Professor Johnston has led major research projects for industry, government, the Australian Research Council, and the Australian Antarctic Science Program, and has contributed to the development of national and international research priorities and plans. She is a Director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Governor of the Ian Potter Foundation. Professor Johnston was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2018 for distinguished service to higher education, particularly to marine ecology and ecotoxicology, as an academic, researcher, and administrator, and to scientific institutes.