Brazil put the spotlight on the urgency of "climate justice" at COP30. Yet this phrase is not yet part of Australia's climate response. Shannon Hobbs and Fiona David examine what climate justice is all about, and explain its relevance to the Australian context.
"While minimum wages were once seen as the key to fair pay, a living wage is now rising as the foundation of truly decent work."
This article explains what a living wage is, and sets out some of the benefits it can create.
Poor labour standards uncovered in the nickel industry should serve as a warning not to repeat past industrial mistakes.
This article first appeared in The Interpreter, published by the Lowy Institute.
The Federal Government's SunShot Solar Program has the objective of developing Australia's solar manufacturing industry. While the focus is on helping Australia achieve its economic and environmental goals, the program offers important opportunities to reduce Australia's current dependence on solar supply chains that may be impacted by forced labour. In our consultation response, we made three important recommendations that will enable the program to achieve its existing goals, while also addressing a major human rights risk that currently afflicts solar panel supply chains globally.
The PM's announcement of the Future Made in Australia Act (FMAA) offers hope for the future of green industry and manufacturing in Australia. But what hope does it offer for labour and human rights?
What matters most to survivors of modern slavery in the design of the Federal Anti-Slavery Commissioner role?
This is an important question that we sought to answer, drawing on interviews with people with lived experience.
Australian law does not currently recognise any right to a healthy environment. This could change, if reforms proposed by the Australian Human Rights Commission are accepted and given effect in law. In this insight, Tahlia McDonald explains why these proposed reforms matter to them, and why they should matter to you.
Australia's Human Rights system is under review by an Australian Federal Parliamentary Inquiry. The Inquiry is considering whether Australia needs a Human Rights Act, one model for which would include 28 rights, including the right to a healthy environment. What are the origins of the right to a healthy environment? How does Australia compare to other countries in this regard?
A Parliamentary Inquiry is currently considering if Australia’s laws are sufficient to protect human rights in Australia. In our view, the short answer is 'no'.
While there are many use-cases that could be drawn upon to illustrate this point, in our submission to the Inquiry, we refer to some of the human rights issues embedded in Australia’s transition to a ‘net zero’ economy to illustrate the urgent need for comprehensive, national human rights reform.
Could Australia's laws on competition more clearly carve out space for pre-competitive collaboration between business on human rights issues? This insight is based on a longer 'work in progress' paper, seeking to map the policy frameworks needed to embed human rights into the sustainability agenda. Comments are welcome.
Driving systems change is an art as much as a science. In the past decade, I've worked with leading philanthropists to build and steer ambitious programs of work that drive social change at scale. So 'what works' to help drive system change at scale?
