A systemic environmental impact metric for companies and investors. Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) metrics are marketed as measures of environmental performance, but they often track exposure to environmental risk rather than generation of environmental impacts. This project aims to develop and test a science-based, systemic environmental impact score for corporate activities. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of cross-scale interactions in the Earth system and tools to assess a bus ....A systemic environmental impact metric for companies and investors. Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) metrics are marketed as measures of environmental performance, but they often track exposure to environmental risk rather than generation of environmental impacts. This project aims to develop and test a science-based, systemic environmental impact score for corporate activities. Expected outcomes include new knowledge of cross-scale interactions in the Earth system and tools to assess a business or investment’s systemic environmental impacts from activities including water extraction, deforestation and carbon emissions. These outcomes should provide benefits including improved business decision-making on impact mitigation, environmental quality, productivity and corporate environmental reputation.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL120100108
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,849,770.00
Summary
Surrogate ecology: when and where can it work to improve environmental management? New empirical analyses and new ecological theory will be used to discover where, when and how to best apply surrogates. New capacity will be built in surrogate ecology and the results used to significantly enhance the effective management and monitoring of environments and biodiversity both in Australia and worldwide.
Integrating satellite observations into environmental accounts. Accounting for biomass, water and ecosystem helps to manage and protect Australia's natural capital. Existing data provide only limited information, but this project will build on recent advances in satellite observation and model-data fusion technology to produce national accounts with unprecedented detail, for each year since 1990.
Assessing absolute sustainability of global cities. The project aims to create a quantitative modelling framework for assessing the absolute sustainability of cities by combining global multi-region input-output analysis with the 'safe and just space' concept for human development. The model will allow assessment of the full supply chain environmental and social impacts of urban economic activities against biophysical planetary limits as well as social foundation thresholds defined in the litera ....Assessing absolute sustainability of global cities. The project aims to create a quantitative modelling framework for assessing the absolute sustainability of cities by combining global multi-region input-output analysis with the 'safe and just space' concept for human development. The model will allow assessment of the full supply chain environmental and social impacts of urban economic activities against biophysical planetary limits as well as social foundation thresholds defined in the literature. The project will advance sustainability science methodology and will greatly benefit worldwide initiatives for urban sustainability. Case studies on Australian cities will assess where interventions can be most practically, realistically and effectively implemented.Read moreRead less
Partially Observable MDPs, Monte Carlo Methods, and Sustainable Fisheries. Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) provide a general mathematical framework for sequential decision making under uncertainty. However, solving POMDPs effectively under realistic assumptions remains a challenging problem. This project aims to develop new efficient Monte Carlo algorithms to significantly advance the application of POMDPs to real-world decision problems involving complex action spaces an ....Partially Observable MDPs, Monte Carlo Methods, and Sustainable Fisheries. Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) provide a general mathematical framework for sequential decision making under uncertainty. However, solving POMDPs effectively under realistic assumptions remains a challenging problem. This project aims to develop new efficient Monte Carlo algorithms to significantly advance the application of POMDPs to real-world decision problems involving complex action spaces and system dynamics. Both theoretical and algorithmic approaches will be applied to sustainable fishery management --- an important problem for Australia and an ideal context for POMDPs. The project will advance research in artificial intelligence, dynamical systems, and fishery operations, and benefit the national economy.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL160100101
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,864,368.00
Summary
Disaggregating and modelling the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity. Disaggregating and modelling the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity. This project aims to systematically analyse contemporary and historical data on agriculture, energy use and urbanisation, to identify the consumption and technology pathways that can most effectively mitigate the future extent and impact of land-use change. This synthesis is expected to develop new forecasting and optimisation tools using an in ....Disaggregating and modelling the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity. Disaggregating and modelling the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity. This project aims to systematically analyse contemporary and historical data on agriculture, energy use and urbanisation, to identify the consumption and technology pathways that can most effectively mitigate the future extent and impact of land-use change. This synthesis is expected to develop new forecasting and optimisation tools using an innovative hierarchical meta-modelling approach. A key outcome would be to resolve inherent global and national trade-offs between ongoing human development and the competing need to conserve habitats, ecosystems, and species.Read moreRead less
Biology And Ecology Program: Strategically Targeting Research On Panulirus Cygnus And Its Ecosystem To Suit The Needs Of The WRL Fishing Industry And Stakeholders
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$750,000.00
Summary
A program to direct WRL BBE research over the next four years will increase the strategic focus of research and increase the efficiency of the application and granting process, thus leading to a more rapid implementation of outcomes into the management of the fishery. Quantitative methods used by DPRID to assess WRL stock and predict recruitment are based on the historical research, and have served the industry well, with current stock levels being extremely healthy and the fishery targeting ....A program to direct WRL BBE research over the next four years will increase the strategic focus of research and increase the efficiency of the application and granting process, thus leading to a more rapid implementation of outcomes into the management of the fishery. Quantitative methods used by DPRID to assess WRL stock and predict recruitment are based on the historical research, and have served the industry well, with current stock levels being extremely healthy and the fishery targeting maximum economic yield. Recently, perceived anomalies in observations and predictions have led to concerns by some within industry that the understanding of the BBE of WRL is not as robust as once thought, and that gaps within our knowledge exist. Members of industry, including investors, fishers, processors and government, all have different views on what research is important, what we currently have a good understanding of, and what information is potentially missing from our current suite of knowledge, in addition to what may be important in the future. Some knowledge gaps may be perceived rather than actual with prior research existing, but has not been disseminated wide-enough, while other gaps will be novel and unknown. There is an expansive back catalogue of research on WRL that currently is unknown to many within the WRL industry and re-iterating this research to industry would aid many in increasing their understanding of the current sustainability of the stock and the value for future investment. There also exists a number of knowledge gaps identified by industry and prioritising these is required. Thus, there is a need to review and collate historical research on WRL and disseminate this in a report for the WRL stakeholders. There is also a need to strategically align current and future research with contemporary requirements such as addressing information requirements to maintain MSC certification, ecosystem-based fisheries management, the effects of adjacent marine activities (e.g. seismic) and marine parks, and the constantly changing seascape through climate change and extreme events.
Objectives: 1. Collate all published research on Western Rock Lobster and develop this into a usable format 2. Canvass Western Rock Lobster stakeholders to determine perceived knowledge gaps 3. Develop research projects to reduce knowledge gaps and produce information required for the WRL industry over a four-year horizon 4. Identify future areas of Western Rock Lobster research after the four-years horizon. Read moreRead less
Biodiversity indicators for better conservation decisions. This project aims to test, design and select biodiversity indicators to support conservation. Reliable and sensitive biodiversity indicators are critical to track progress towards conservation targets, but the ability of most biodiversity indicators to reveal trends needed by decision-makers is untested. This project will test indicators to monitor biodiversity change at local to global scales, by sampling ecosystem models to evaluate ho ....Biodiversity indicators for better conservation decisions. This project aims to test, design and select biodiversity indicators to support conservation. Reliable and sensitive biodiversity indicators are critical to track progress towards conservation targets, but the ability of most biodiversity indicators to reveal trends needed by decision-makers is untested. This project will test indicators to monitor biodiversity change at local to global scales, by sampling ecosystem models to evaluate how indicator design, data bias and environmental variability affect performance. Project outcomes are expected to ensure that that data collected to monitor and assess the state of Australia’s environment are informative, cost-effective and robust. This is expected to have implications for predicting and measuring effects of policy such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.Read moreRead less
Southern Bluefin Tuna Aquaculture Subprogram: Development Of A Strategic Plan For The Propagation Of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$25,243.00
Summary
1. To maintain future growth of the SBT aquaculture industry. Current SBT quota restrictions mean that the value of tuna production in Australia, despite high demand, is unlikely to rise above $300 million per annum. However, supplementing the wild and aquaculture stocks with hatchery produced juveniles will make a major contribution to increasing the potential for this industry to expand.
2. Enhancement of wild stocks. Not only does it provide a useful management tool, the abi ....1. To maintain future growth of the SBT aquaculture industry. Current SBT quota restrictions mean that the value of tuna production in Australia, despite high demand, is unlikely to rise above $300 million per annum. However, supplementing the wild and aquaculture stocks with hatchery produced juveniles will make a major contribution to increasing the potential for this industry to expand.
2. Enhancement of wild stocks. Not only does it provide a useful management tool, the ability to enhance wild stocks also demonstrates to the international community Australia’s commitment to the ecologically sustainable development of SBT and fisheries in general.
3. Fostering international collaboration on fisheries research and development. This project will create and enhance new and existing collaborative research, development and investor links between Australia and those countries with an interest in tuna propagation and stock enhancement. Objectives: 1. To develop a strategic plan for the propagation and enhancement of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) in Australia. 2. Document the current FRDC, FRAB and Subprogram arrangements. Read moreRead less