Sydney Environment Institute
Newsletter
March 2025
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Dear SEI Community,
It has been a busy time at SEI, with new research, events, and resources shaping urgent conversations on climate change impacts, transitions, resilience, and adaptation.
The urgency of Australia’s energy transition continues to shape policy, industry, and regional communities. We’ll be hosting a discussion on Thu 13 Mar exploring the experience of five key coal regions as captured in the new book Regional Energy Transitions: From impossible to possible. At the same time, SEI continues to engage in critical national conversations on climate response. Our submission on the government’s proposed National Volunteer Incentive Scheme, framed as a "Climate Army", urges a more place-based approach that centres local expertise and community-led resilience, based on our extensive post-disaster research. Read SEI’s submission here. Looking back, SEI has just released our 2024 Annual Report, covering a range of our activities, projects, publications and impacts. And looking forward, have a listen to Dr Mitch Gibbs’ recent Iain McCalman lecture, which helps lay out some of our key themes for 2025, including listening to, understanding, and raising First Nations and community stories and knowledges. Stay tuned for further projects and events on these themes, as SEI remains committed to bringing together leading scholars, practitioners, and community voices on climate transformations.
Thank you for being part of these important conversations, we look forward to engaging you in our work and seeing you at our upcoming events.
David Schlosberg
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 | Regional Energy Transitions in Australia
As Australia navigates the shift from fossil fuels to renewables, regional communities are on the frontlines of change. Join us for a discussion on the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition in five key coal regions, as explored in the new book Regional Energy Transitions: From impossible to possible.
Launched by Prof Susan Park, this event will feature insights from regional leaders on the complex politics of energy, community opposition, and lessons from the past decade of rapid transformation.
- Date: Thu 13 March 2025
- Time: 5.00-6.00pm
- Location: Seminar room 203, RD Watt Building Camperdown, University of Sydney
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 | The 2025 Iain McCalman Lecture podcast
Dr Mitch Gibbs has delivered the 2024 Iain McCalman Lecture, sharing his experiences embedding Indigenous knowledges into academic research. The lecture is now available as a podcast.
| |  | SEI Climate Army submission
SEI has urged the government to rethink the proposed National Volunteer Incentive Scheme, also known as the "Climate Army," advocating instead for a place-based approach that prioritises local knowledge holders and existing community networks.
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 | Design for Disaster: Tackling Heat, Fire, Water and Flood
Join the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning at Sydney Climate Action Week as they present Design for Disaster: two back-to-back panel sessions tackling the urgent challenges of climate-driven disasters.
| |  | University Centre for Rural Health Research Seminar
This seminar will explore the critical role of community-led grassroots organising during and after climate-related disasters like bushfires and floods, focusing on three impacted sites in New South Wales.
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 | SEI releases 2024 Annual Report
SEI has released the 2024 Annual Report, highlighting our growth, projects, initiatives, and member achievements.
| |  | New podcasts: Climate justice and loss & damage in the Pacific
Podcast recordings from the Climate Justice and Loss & Damage in the Pacific conference are now available.
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More events
- Prof Danielle Celermajer will present 'Encounters, ethics and politics: imagining a path towards just transformations' at Talking Animals, Law & Philosophy series, organised by the Cambridge Centre for Animal Rights Law | Mon 17 Mar, 4.00-5.30am, register here
- Prof Carolyn Hogg will present 'From crisis to conservation: nature’s call to protect our biodiversity' at Raising the Bar Sydney | Thu 3 Apr, 6.15-7.00pm, register here
- Dr Blanche Verlie will present 'Greenhouse gaslighting: How society silences climate distress' at Raising the Bar Sydney | Thu 3 Apr, 7.30-8.15pm, register here
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