The Latest Breaking News from National Environmental Science Program

Australia has dedicated more than 20% of its land to conservation but not where it matters most

On paper, Australia is a conservation success story.

The Conversation · Mar 24

Queensland’s forests are still being bulldozed — and new parks alone won’t save them

The Queensland government celebrated the creation of new national parks this year, with Premier David Crisafulli saying it is time to “get serious” and be “ambitious” in protecting nature.

The Conversation · Oct 23, 2025

Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas

More and more Australian species are being listed as critically endangered – the final stage before extinction in the wild. Hundreds of species of plants and animals are now at this point.

The Conversation · May 23, 2025

Beyond net-zero: we should, if we can, cool the planet back to pre-industrial levels

The world’s focus is sharply fixed on achieving net-zero emissions, yet surprisingly little thought has been given to what comes afterwards. In our new paper, published today in Nature Climate Change, we discuss the big unknowns in a post net-zero world.

The Conversation · Aug 11, 2022

1.7 million foxes, 300 million native animals killed every year: now we know the damage foxes wreak

Foxes kill about 300 million native mammals, birds and reptiles each year, and can be found across 80% of mainland Australia, our devastating new research published today reveals.

The Conversation · Mar 15, 2022