Danielle Ryan, NPA Conservation Campaigner
Environmental issues have certainly lost their shine of late as a national or global topic, replaced by stories of war and destruction. Yes, we may be living in a poignant moment in time where a Trump America aims to undermine the international system, which includes the system that develops and defines environmental international standards. For example, Trump’s America recently pulled out of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN sets the standards for protected area planning, and assessment of species extinction risks, which informs international and domestic policymaking.[1] And, yes, national and state nature law reforms will likely fall short of what is required for Australia to meet its global commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity. However, I believe there is hope. It’s about remembering the golden age of Australia’s environmental law and being persistent with our activism and, most importantly, being patient — waiting for another golden moment to seize the opportunity for progressive reform.
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