Addressing climate change
“We have the means to create the deep systemic change necessary to ensure a safe, healthy, and equitable climate future”
Melbourne Climate Futures' (MCF) vision is to accelerate the urgently needed transition to a positive climate future, using transformative thinking to build resilient and thriving communities nationally and globally, with particular attention to serving our growing Indo-Pacific region.
Why this matters
In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its 6th Assessment Report described litigation as one of several important new ways climate policy is being shaped.
Laws addressing mitigation have consistently expanded since the previous report, which has reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increased investment in green technologies and infrastructure. (IPCC ARC Synthesis Report Climate Change 2023, B5).
By examining how our laws interact with and affect our climate, and using evidence-based, legal mechanisms to advise our policymakers and transform our legislation, we have the means to create the deep systemic change necessary to ensure a safe, healthy, and equitable climate future.
Our impact
Melbourne Climate Futures' (MCF) vision is to accelerate the urgently needed transition to a positive climate future, using transformative thinking to build resilient and thriving communities nationally and globally, with particular attention to serving our growing Indo-Pacific region. Melbourne Climate Futures unites disparate, yet constantly interacting, disciplines - including law - to create integrated solutions.
MCF is using the law to address climate change both locally and internationally. Its researchers have led the design of the Australian arm of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law's (BIICL) Global Toolbox on Corporate Climate Litigation, convening a regional summit for experts across Australia and the Pacific.
Locally, MCF is working to ensure that the gaps in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act are addressed, providing an expert opinion on what is needed to ensure our federal laws protect our climate and environment.
Internationally, MCF's experts are lead authors on IPCC reports, attend COP negotiations, and provide thought leadership on UN processes, monitoring the use of a wide range of international conventions, including the international Convention on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), to protect climate change impact on marine life.
