A roundtable on negative emissions approaches (removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere) was organised on Friday 16 September 2022 by the Australian Academy of Science.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much and as fast as possible is the highest priority. In parallel, we need rapid and large-scale removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere, combined with long-term storage, to limit warming.

The aim of the roundtable was to discuss the science that would enable breakthroughs to meet the scale of the removal challenge, the research needed, the cooperation and investment required to deliver the means to the essential end – a liveable and more sustainable planet.

Participants identified a range of novel approaches across capture, storage, utilisation and monitoring and highlighted that a wide range of options should be explored as part of a portfolio of solutions. Their impact should be measurable, scalable, affordable and permanent. They should provide social, economic and environmental co-benefits, and limit externalities and future risk.

The roundtable statement provides an overview of the discussion.

A national roundtable to identify Australia's RNA science and technology priorities was held on Thursday, 29 July 2021, hosted by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australia and New Zealand RNA Production Consortium.

The group, comprised of experts in RNA biology and biotechnology from academia and industry, discussed how Australia can play a leading role in the global ecosystem of RNA science and harness the opportunities for Australian industry to develop RNA-based products and services for global markets. 

The group concluded that a national mission is required to ensure Australia can fulfil this leading global role.

The Australian Academy of Science (the Academy) and the Australian and New Zealand RNA Production Consortium (ANZRPC) hosted a roundtable on Thursday 29 July 2021 to bring together experts in RNA science and technology from academia and industry to: 

• identify Australia’s RNA research strengths
• define research priorities and provide guidance on how to build a national RNA science and technologies ecosystem
• discuss how to build a framework that will create a pipeline from discovery to translation, leading to clinical stage and commercial RNA manufacturing in Australia.

These proceedings, aimed at policymakers and science funders, detail the discussions about how Australia can play a leading role in the global ecosystem of RNA science and harness the opportunities for Australian industry to develop RNA-based products and services for global markets.

Australia has no national strategy to acquire and sustain state-of-the-art high-performance computing and data (HPCD), also known as supercomputers, for research – putting the country’s future prosperity and security at risk. 

We currently have moderate HPCD capability in Australia, but these facilities require major upgrades every few years and have a limited overall lifecycle. Our existing supercomputers won’t last beyond the end of this decade – and we need to start planning for the next generation now. 

A national strategy backed by at least one exascale capability is essential to secure Australia’s sovereign capability and enable science and research to meet national and regional priorities.

Key points

• Supercomputers are vital to the everyday life of Australians and the economy, impacting fields including healthcare, weather prediction, agriculture, and job creation through new technologies.
• There is no current national strategy for the next generation of research HPCD in Australia; such a strategy is necessary given the escalating needs for research and the need to keep pace with global advancements.
• Australia’s research HPCD serves researchers in a variety of organisations, including universities, medical research institutes and government science agencies, including CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology, and Geoscience Australia, informing government decision-making and planning.
• Australia’s research HPCD also bolsters our artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Without computing power on our own shores, Australia’s AI capability relies on other nations.
• While holding potential, quantum computing and cloud computing cannot replace traditional HPCD functions for scientists in the near term and requires further development.
• Australia’s stability, connectivity, and renewable energy capacity position us as an ideal host for future regional HPCD, especially an Asia–Pacific Tier-0 exascale facility.
• Securing sovereign capability depends on both investment in infrastructure and investment in software readiness programs. Similarly, the role of training, education, data management and AI is crucial to support future growth.

Soils are the foundation of biodiversity, human production and ecosystem services. 

Bushfires affect the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil condition – including soil fertility and therefore Australia’s agricultural productivity and the recovery of native vegetation. 

There is a need for a nationally consistent framework for soil data collection, storage and accessibility. More work is required to advance soil recovery from bushfires.

Part of a series of briefs synthesising the scientific evidence on the impact of bushfires on soil condition, wildlife recovery, ecosystems and human health.

The bushfires of summer 2019–20 had a devastating impact on Australian wildlife. Thirty-seven ecological communities classified as ‘threatened nationally’ were affected.

Policymakers should take this opportunity to reinvest substantially in terrestrial biodiversity monitoring. Data from immediate and continued monitoring efforts will need to be transparent and shared to maximise effective management.

Part of a series of briefs synthesising the scientific evidence on the impact of bushfires on soil condition, wildlife recovery, ecosystems and human health.

This evidence brief summarises research on the impact of feral horses on Kosciuszko National Park and developments in science policy since 2018. Social and political developments are also discussed briefly to provide context.

The Australian Academy of Science hosted Feral horse impacts: the Kosciuszko science conference in 2018 to showcase and communicate the science of feral horse impacts in Kosciuszko National Park. 

The issues raised in 2018 with feral horses in the national parks are still present and the vulnerability of Kosciuszko National Park to feral horse impacts was exacerbated by the extreme bushfires of the 2019–20 season.

Bushfires have adverse effects on people’s physical and mental health. Individuals are affected by direct exposure to the flames, exposure to extreme heat, prolonged smoke inhalation, contamination of waterways and food, and through trauma from the fires themselves.

The prolonged and widespread nature of the 2019–20 bushfires resulted in more people being affected by bushfire-related health issues than previous events.

Clearer and more consistent public health advice on how individuals and communities identify, manage and treat health impacts is needed, including targeted information and plans for vulnerable population groups.

This brief has been written jointly with the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Part of a series of briefs synthesising the scientific evidence on the impact of bushfires on soil condition, wildlife recovery, ecosystems and human health.

The science of nutrition is entering an exciting era, with recent advances in measurement technologies, policy insights and complex data analysis, coupled with new theory frameworks that offer a promise of tackling many complex scientific and pressing societal challenges in which food and nutrition play a central role. This decadal plan sets out a strategy for realising the vision that Australian nutrition science plays a key role in improving long-term health and wellbeing globally, while delivering environmental, social and economic benefits nationally with core values of equity, sustainability, collaboration and innovation.

The plan is aspirational and further consultation is needed prior to implementation. Successful implementation is expected to result in health, wellbeing and economic benefits, including:

• reduced burden of chronic diseases from increased nutrition literacy, and greater understanding of cause-and-effect mechanisms linking dietary patterns to health and disease
• cost-effective, equitable population health initiatives developed from accurate knowledge of current diet–health relationships and addressing societal and commercial factors
• improved diets leading to increased physical and mental health
• nutrition credentials that will drive a premium agrifood sector, particularly for exports
• growth of a ‘nutritech’ sector that provides software, hardware, analysis and commercial services to support a healthy and sustainable food and health system
• helping to achieve global targets such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This plan was produced by the National Committee for Nutrition with generous funding from the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Learned Academies Special Projects scheme.

Watch: Nourishing Australia presentation

Chemistry for a better life: The decadal plan for Australian chemistry 2016–25 was published in February 2016 and presents the strategic vision for Australian chemistry for the next decade.

• (PDF, 3 MB)
• Background document: Part 2—Appendices 12–15 (PDF, 2 MB)

This decadal plan is the first step in advancing Australia’s most important, value-adding manufacturing sector. It identifies the key challenges, barriers and opportunities for Australia in the 21st century and proposes solutions that can help Australia reach its potential as a world class international manufacturing hub.

About the Committee

The National Committee for Chemistry (NCC) aims to foster chemistry in Australia, link the Academy to Australian scientists and relevant scientific societies, and serve as a link between Australian and overseas chemists, primarily through the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The NCC seeks to shape future directions for chemistry in Australia through the production of a decadal plan for the discipline, to be undertaken jointly with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. The committee also aims to actively strengthen the relationship between Australia and IUPAC, in particular through the nomination of Australia as the host for large IUPAC conferences and meetings, and through involvement in organising such conferences when successful. Through these activities, the committee will facilitate community-wide strategic planning initiatives; promote the national value and benefits of chemistry; and manage relations between Australian chemists, the Academy and IUPAC.