Environmentalist comes to Melbourne to research climate action

Highly regarded environmentalist, Don Henry has been appointed as a Public Policy Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

In his role, Mr Henry will undertake research into climate change policy and the role of public activism.
Mr Henry’s research will look at the last decade of environment policy making and public engagement in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Research will also focus on Indigenous and environmental collaborations for sustainability in Northern Australia.
Don Henry comes to the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute from his role as CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation where his 15 years of leadership received recognition as the Prime Minister’s Environmentalist of the Year in 2013, and as Australian Not for Profit Organisation CEO of the year.
“Climate change is the great challenge of our generation and we are now in a major period of change for energy production and consumption around the world,” Mr Henry explained.
“The good news is that in the last decade renewable energy production and energy efficiency have grown rapidly in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. The recent tremendous growth in Australian rooftop solar panels represents the equivalent of shutting down a large coal power station and taking away all the pollution that this created.
“I’m looking to research how public action and collaborations across society can shape and influence political leaders and innovative policy making.
“My research will also look to the different approaches to climate change policy and public engagement across the Asia Pacific region. China and Indonesia, for instance, are approaching climate change policy in terms of alleviating poverty and developmental concerns.”
Prof Brendan Gleeson, Director of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute said, “We are thrilled to have Don Henry’s expertise at hand. We are always looking to push frontiers in research on sustainability and to welcome one of the nation’s most experienced and insightful environmentalists is a great privilege for the Institute.”
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Are you interested in studying environmental sciences, including climate change and sustainability at the University of Melbourne? Email OzTREKK Australian Environmental Sciences Admissions Officer Rachel Brady at rachel@oztrekk.com or call toll free in Canada at 1-866-698-7355.