Is Sustainability Finally on the Political Agenda?

In her first week on the job, Australia’s new Prime Minister put sustainability on the policy agenda, most notably in relation to population. Julia Gillard gained some welcome support in the process, but also a warning that she shouldn’t take the climate change issue lightly. Here’s hoping there’s action in the form of a price on carbon with an election looming, as Tim Flannery and Dick Smith have their say. Leading oceans scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg comes into the spotlight for his IPCC appointment. Leadership changes practically obscured Government’s significant move to make Renewable Energy more conducive to investment, while Beyond Zero Emissions thinks we need to go for a 100% target by 2020. The G20 might not have delivered much renewed hope, but President Obama is still hoping to get a clean energy bill through this year. India is coming clean with a biomass boost, as reports from the international adaptation conference that rising sea levels refuse to go away. Whales have missed out on much needed international protection, even though sustainable tourism is starting to be taken more seriously. Strategic Directions has designs on new clean energy data centres, while a solar decathlon attracts global attention and the sun shines on a European festival site. Take the good with the bad. – Ken Hickson