Murrawah Johnson is a director and First Nations lead for Youth Verdict.
Murrawah is a Wirdi woman from North and Central Queensland, where the Wiri/ Wirdi language dialect ties her to the broader Birri Gubba Nation. She is a Traditional Owner of Wangan and Jagalingou country and also has ties to Kangalou, Kullilli, Iman, Mununjali, and Bigambul Peoples.
Murrawah is an advocate who has worked on Aboriginal rights litigation in the Federal Court and Supreme Court of Queensland; lobbying State and Federal governments, and international financial corporations; submissions to UN agencies and rapporteurs on human rights breaches; and building research and policy agendas. She also works on community-level Indigenous and climate justice strategies, and First Nations solidarities across CANZUS countries.
Francis Nona is a proud Badu and Saibailaig man from the Torres Straits who is a lecturer and researcher at The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health.
His work in the School is informed by a strong cultural upbringing, balanced with a career as a Registered Nurse and Director of an Indigenous community controlled health service.
He brings to academia a strong understanding of cultural engagement and protocol from his Country, an understanding of the health system as it applies to First Nations and other Australians.
His non-traditional academic path has been developed recently with strong outputs for community engagement and an emerging academic track record, particularly regarding climate change impacts on health in the Torres Straits in terms of food security and infectious diseases.
He holds a Masters of Public Health and the quality of his academic work is reflected in winning the University of Queensland’s Postgraduate Coursework Academic Excellence Award (2021) and Leader of the Future (Academic) Award (2019), and the Australian Catholic University’s Excellence of Academic Achievement (Student of the Year) (2014).
Mr Nona’s Indigenous and community leadership is reflected in winning the University of Queensland’s Award for Excellence (Reconciliation) (2020) and his advisory appointments including to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel of Assessors to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) (2021-2026).
His engagement with key health and other decision-making bodies seeking to build allyship between First Nations and other Australians is reflected in the keynote invitations he has fulfilled, including the Torres Strait Island Regional Council workshop with Councillors and Mayor (2021) and the Department of Justice and Attorney General Annual NAIDOC Flag Raising Ceremony (2021)
Roxane is Principal Consultant, Sustainability Projects, and UN PRME Manager at the University of Queensland. She supports the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into the Business School’s activities, including the design and operationalisation of its decarbonisation pathways.
She co-led the development of the UQ Carbon Literacy Program and is a certified facilitator. In 2022, the initiative received an Australasian Green Gown Award in the ‘Next Generation Learning & Skills’ category.
She is also the Co-Founder of Nowtopia, a not-for-profit delivering empowerment trainings for a safe and just future.
She produced and hosted a podcast called ‘Go Simone’ featuring long conversations with women committed to social and environmental justice.
Richard Fuller is a Professor at the University of Queensland.
He studies how people have affected the natural world around them, and how some of their destructive effects can best be reversed.
Much of his work focuses on the interactions between people and nature, and how they can be harnessed to address the biodiversity crisis.
See the lab website at www.fullerlab.org
Joanna is Executive Director at Pollination, a global climate change advisory and investment firm focused on addressing the twin issues of climate and nature.
Joanna advises governments, corporates and non-government organisations to create enabling environments and the deployment of solutions towards a net zero world.
Joanna has been a trusted legal advisor on energy and climate policy and law for over a decade. She has advised on a number of market leading transactions and initiatives in Australia and abroad, including the Paris Agreement.
She holds a Masters of Law from Columbia University and has been recognized as a James Kent Scholar.
Ben Dunne is a Thoracic Surgeon at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
He is Co-Convenor for the Doctors for the Environment Australia Sustainable Healthcare Special Interest Group, a member of the RACS Environmental Sustainability in Surgical Practice Working Party, and is the Chair of the University of Melbourne Environmentally Sustainable Surgery Network.
He is passionate about transitioning healthcare to renewable energy sources, engaging clinicians in sustainable healthcare initiatives, reducing our dependence on single-use/disposable equipment and increasing our focus on value-based healthcare.
Susanne is a researcher and educator specialising in environmental science. She leads a vibrant team researching natural landscapes and agricultural systems in the soil-microbe-plant continuum.
The work aims to develop knowledge for a sustainable world that protects biodiversity and minimises pollution and waste.
It includes the restoration of degraded landscapes, restorative agricultural practices, and sustainable uses of Australia's native plants to support the bio-economy and production of healthy food.
Interdisciplinary collaborations and research that is led by Australia’s Traditional Owners expand the environmental focus to position her work at the cutting-edge of societal needs.
Prof. Matthew Hornsey graduated from a PhD in social psychology in 1999 and is currently Director of the Business Sustainability Initiative at UQ.
He has published over 200 papers, mostly on themes of persuasion; trust and trust repair; and rejection of science. His most recent work focuses on understanding (and reducing) people’s motivations to reject scientific consensus around climate change and vaccination.
His work has been highlighted in hundreds of media articles, including in the NY Times, LA Times, The Guardian, and Huffington Post.
In 2018 he was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
Dr Michelle Maloney (BA/LLB(Hons)ANU, PhD Griffith) is the Co-founder and National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA), and a Director of Future Dreaming and the New Economy Network Australia (NENA).
She is recognised internationally as a leading authority on Earth laws, Earth jurisprudence and Rights of Nature and her books, journal publications, podcasts and speaking events can be accessed on her profile page: https://www.earthlaws.org.au/about-us/aela-team/michellemaloney/
Michelle began her career as an environmental lawyer, and then broadened her work to include multi-disciplinary approaches to creating Earth-centred governance and systems change.
She now designs and manages social change initiatives that focus on creating bioregional stewardship and governance, reimagining law and economics, empowering communities, bridging different cultural approaches to ecological care, Earth-centred ethics and the arts.
As a Director of Future Dreaming, Michelle works with First Nations elders and communities, and is currently writing a book with Indigenous elder Mary Graham, called "Future Law: How the Relationist Ethos can be a Foundation for Australian Society".
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is Professor of Marine Studies at The University of Queensland and is internationally recognised for his work on the impacts of climate change, especially those that affect complex ocean ecosystems such as coral reefs.
The implications of his work have led to his involvement as coordinating lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the peak UN body for understanding and responding to climate change. In addition to providing critical evidence, Ove has helped build the international consensus on the importance of restraining global warming to 1.5oC above the pre-industrial period, with a particular interest in the roles that the Ocean can play in mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
He has been a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science since 2013, receiving the Prince Albert II Award for Climate Change in 2014, and the International Award from the Banksia Foundation in 2016.
He has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2001, 2014, 2018 and 2019 (top 1% of his field) and was recently listed among the 100 most influential people in Climate Policy globally.
While painting a worrying science-based picture, Ove will also outline the opportunities for reducing climate change and its impacts, albeit with a marine focus. While the on-going challenges are Herculean, all is not lost, with the next decade promising to be among the most enthralling in human history.
Richard Yin is a recently retired general practitioner from Perth.
He is a long-term member of DEA, previous WA chair and on the current campaigns committee.
He is the chair of Green Practice Society a
not-for-profit incorporated society that seeks to inspire doctors, medial professionals and their patients and communities to promote health through living and working sustainably.
He runs regular meditation courses, looks after gardens, cooks and enjoys travel.
Dr Dimity Williams is a mother, nature lover, and family doctor.
She has worked in environmental advocacy with multiple organisations from grassroots community groups to large associations.
Dimity is an alumna of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership and a co-founder of the Kids In Nature Network.
Dr Williams has been actively involved in DEA for over 13 years in various capacities at state and Board levels. She created the first presentation on climate change and health, co-wrote the inaugural climate change and health policies with David Shearman and the late Tony Mc Michael, facilitated the development of DEA’s vision and mission statements and logo and produced a promotional film. She founded the Biodiversity Special Interest Group 7 years ago.
Passionate about integrating nature into healthcare, Dr Williams has written and spoken about the ‘nature: health interface’ in various forums and delights in issuing nature prescriptions. Her first book, Nature, Our Medicine, was released in early 2023.
Trevor Berrill is an award winning, private consultant in sustainable energy (SE).
He has worked in both renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) for over 40 years, including: Solar and wind system design and installation–on and off-grid, Design of energy efficient homes and units,Research and development at UQ, QUT and GU, National RE technical training development and implementation, Public education and policy with Renew and the Smart Energy Council.
He was past branch president of the Smart Energy Council and a founding member of the Renew(formerly the Alternative Technology Association) and the Australasian Wind Energy Association.
Trevor is trained in mechanical engineering and energy auditing at QUT and has a Masters of Environmental Education degree from Griffith University.
He lives in a fully solar powered, energy efficient home, windsurfs regularly at Wellington Point, just to test the power of the wind,and drives a solar powered electric car and bike.
Elise West is the Executive Officer of the Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW).
Elise studied history and went on to live and work in Latin America, where she made stories for film and television.
At MAPW, Elise manages campaigns on the abolition of nuclear weapons, climate and militarism, the arms trade, truthful remembrance of war and more.
Dr Anya Phelan is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation within the Griffith Business School. Her expertise lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and social impact. She focuses on solutions for managing waste and pollution and developing the circular economy.
Dr Phelan’s research focuses on how entrepreneurial action helps tackle complex social and environmental problems, and the role of social enterprises in fostering community resilience, particularly in remote, and resource-constrained regions.
Anya is a CI at the ARC Centre for Bioplastics at UQ, and is currently working on projects in Western Cape York. Last year she was part of CSIRO’s plastic innovation Accelerator in Indonesia.
Sustainable Assets and Infrastructure ‐ Executive Director
David is an experienced Executive Director
with a demonstrated history of working in
the health infrastructure industry in both
Queensland, NSW and Victoria. He has a
particular interest in Sustainability and
emissions reduction.
David is skilled in the Strategic Planning
Stakeholder Management, Strategy, Change
Management and Management, Services
planning and leading major projects in high
profile and complex health infrastructure
projects within the public sector.
With an oversight of over 500,000 sqm of
built assets consisting of 200 buildings across
50 sites with a value of $3B and more than
$1B of capital projects. David’s current
portfolio includes, facility maintenance, asset
management, property and leases, sustainability, capital project delivery and the Herston
Quarter Redevelopment Project.
David has a passion for Sustainability and has been delivering projects which reduce the
reliance on fossil fuels and recycle essential utilities for almost 20 years. He is currently
leading the Metro North Sustainability Strategy which includes the electrification of
hospitals, transition of the 320 car fleet to electric vehicles and rolling out 600kW of solar
generation along with a wide range of water reduction activities.
Dr Kate Wylie is a GP who is passionate about climate action to improve health.
Based in Adelaide, Dr Wylie is the ED of Doctors for the Environment Australia and facilitates their AfterHours webinar series. She also chairs the RACGP’s Climate and Environmental Medicine Specific Interest Group, elevating the need for climate action with GPs across Australia.
Dr Wylie has founded Climate Medicine, an advocacy project whereby she presents to community groups on the health effects of climate change.
In all her work, Dr Wylie applies a medical model to the climate crisis and as such offers a treatment plan for climate change. She seeks to activate her audience so they can help create the paradigm shift that we need to combat the climate crisis.
"Our planet is worth saving, and so are we."
Hugh introduced decision science thinking to the field of conservation.
He and his lab formulated and solved some of the biggest problems in nature conservation: e.g. where to place protected areas, how to allocate funds between threatened species, when is monitoring worthwhile, etc.
He led the development of the spatial planning software, Marxan, which has since been used to develop protected area systems in over 100 countries.
He has co-authored over 800 peer-reviewed scientific papers receiving over 80,000 citations, is a vice-chancellor’s senior research fellow at The University of Queensland, fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences, co-chairs the Biodiversity Council, is Chief Scientist of Accounting for Nature and was most recently Chief Scientist of Queensland and Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy (globally). He sits on an additional 22 committees and boards.
Susie Burke is an environmental psychologist, therapist, climate activist and parent living in Central Victoria.
Her key interest is in the role that psychology plays in helping us understand the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change.
She is the co-author of the Climate Change Empowerment Handbook.
She works in private practice, consulting to organisations, and running workshops and individual sessions to help people come to terms with climate change.
Ian Lowe AO is emeritus professor of science, technology and society at Griffith University and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
He has published extensively and filled a wide range of advisory roles for all levels of government, including chairing the advisory council that produced in 1996 the first independent national report on the state of the environment.
Among many awards he has received are the Prime Minister’s Environmental Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, the Queensland Premier’s Millennium Award for Excellence in Science and the International Academy of Sciences, Health and Ecology’s Konrad Lorenz Gold Medal for contributions to sustainable futures.
Dr Nina Lansbury (also published as Nina Hall) is a research and teaching academic at The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health.
Her current research at UQ examines health aspects for remote Indigenous community residents on both mainland Australia and in the Torres Strait in terms of housing, water and sewerage, and women's health.
She is also investigating the impacts of climate change on human health, and this involves a role as lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (WG II, AR6).
Within the research sector, she was previously a senior research scientist at CSIRO, manager of the Sustainable Water program at The University of Queensland, and senior research consultant at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS.
Within the non-government sector, she was previously the director of the Climate Action Network Australia and research coordinator at the Mineral Policy Institute.