New research, published today in the journal Nature, projects a slowing of the Antarctic overturning circulation and deep ocean warming over the next few decades. This could change our climate and marine environment in profound and potentially irreversible ways.

A new report card on Australia’s environment reveals 2022 was a bumper year for our rivers and vegetation – but it wasn’t enough to reverse the long-term decline in plant and animal species.

The world is in deep trouble on climate change, but if we really put our shoulder to the wheel we can turn things around. Loosely, that’s the essence of today’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Captive breeding of threatened species for release into the wild is an important conservation tool. But where threats to wild populations remain unresolved, this tool may not guarantee population recovery in the long term.

As we accelerate plans to protect more Australian habitat, we must watch for problems. Land with high conservation value must be prioritised for protection.

Queensland will become the second Australian jurisdiction to offer pill testing. This is likely to reduce the risk of people overdosing on both unexpected and high potency substances, as well as reducing illness and death from harmful additives and mixtures.

Despite widespread land clearing, Australia still supports some of the biggest trees in the world, but we are at risk of losing them.

On average, each roaming, hunting pet cat in Australia kills 40 native reptiles, 38 native birds and 32 native mammals per year.

New research has found 15 threatened mammal, eight bird, four frog, one reptile and one fish species have recovered enough that they no longer meet the criteria for listing as threatened.