Policy engagement | Planetary Health Equity Hothouse

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The evidence and knowledge generated through the Hothouse research program is used to inform policy developments, contribute to public debates, and influence commercial practices. We do this through several engagement processes, including writing policy briefs, media, and submissions.

Policy Briefs

Our series of Policy Briefs aims to provide policymakers and advocates with our research prepared in a way that is easily accessible and ready to help inform evidence-based policy.

Securing planetary health equity for current and future generations: the need to prevent climate change, inequality and poor health.

Priorities for the 2025 Commonwealth Election.

Is Australia on a mission to prevent poor human and planetary health? No, not if current policy directions are a measure of our success. As structural inequality deepens and climate change worsens, planetary health equity – the equitable enjoyment of good health in a stable Earth system – has never been more at risk than it is today. Keeping people well and preventing poor health requires action on the social, economic, commercial and environmental factors that affect health. The evidence is unequivocal about this.

Mitigating further climate change, reducing economic inequality, and fixing the inequities in people’s everyday living conditions would go a very long way to preventing poor physical and mental health.

In the lead up to the 2025 Commonwealth election, the Hothouse has prepared a series of policy briefs that we hope will help those running for office to be courageous, ambitious and commit to action that will support planetary health equity outcomes for current and future generations.

If you want to know more about policy changes that can support Planetary Health Equity, check out our election platform here.

Policy Brief 5

Reforming NDCs crucial to achieving planetary health equity.

Megan Arthur, Nick Frank, Anurug Chakma, Sharon Friel.

Read the policy brief here.

Policy Brief 4

Health leadership for planetary health equity.

Sharon Friel, Katherine Trebeck, Nick Frank, Sandro Demaio, Megan Arthur, Chelsea Hunnisett, Francis Nona.

Read the policy brief here.

Policy Brief 3

The financialisation of society is undermining planetary health equity.

Sharon Friel, Ashley Schram, Nick Frank, Megan Arthur, Belinda Townsend, Hridesh Gajurel.

Read the policy brief here.

Policy Brief 2

Australia's growth model threatens planetary health equity.

Nick Frank, Megan Arthur, Sharon Friel.

Read the policy brief here.

Policy Brief 1

Reforming export finance to accelerate a just and healthy energy transition.

Nick Frank, Maxfield Peterson, Sharon Friel.

Read the policy brief here.

Media

Civic engagement, networks and advocacy are key for addressing a lack of integrity in our climate policies

Chelsea Hunnisett and Roxana-Claudia Tompea. February 20, 2025, Croakey Health Media.

Two of our Hothouse Laureate PhD candidates summarise key takeaways from the 2025 Climate Integrity Summit, hosted by The Australia Institute.

"There is little doubt that climate change poses the single biggest existential crisis for humankind since the development of the nuclear bomb. The policy decisions we make today – and allow our political leaders to make in our name – will have significant and lasting impacts on generations of Australians."

Read the article here.

Making history: creating waves of change for planetary health equity

Gio Dalla Libera Marchiori and James Hasler-Bail. December 13, 2024, Croakey Health Media.

Giorgia Dalla Libera Marchiori (Hothouse PhD Researcher) and James Hasler-Bail (Hothouse Visiting Fellow 2023) comment on their motivations for and experiences of the Rising Tide protestival.

"Activism, in its many forms, should form part of our professional commitment to work towards a better future by supporting our fellow humans in creating a strong cohesive voice.
When we step out of our academic circle and into the broader community, we are energised and assured that we are not alone. Our call for change is supported by so many like-minded individuals who share the dream of a healthier and more equitable future – something worth fighting for."

Read the article here.

Why big philanthropy requires deeper analysis

Gio Dalla Libera Marchiori. December 5, 2024, Croakey Health Media.

Gio, one of our Hothouse Laureate PhD candidates, wrote this piece on big philanthropy following the inaugural Commerce, Economy, Trade and Public Health Conference, where she presented her research.

Read the article here.

Read more about Gio here.

Statement on COP29, November 2024

Read our statement on the outcomes of COP29

Keeping hope alive, in an era of planetary health crisis

Rebecca Blackburn, Takwa Tissaoui and Matthew Ryan. October 24, 2024, Croakey Health Media

Rebecca, Takwa and Matthew are 2024 Future Leader Fellows. They wrote this article after the Future Leaders Program seminar with Melissa Sweet, Editor-in-Chief Croakey Health Media.

Read the article here.

For more information about the Future Leaders Program, click here.

Cross-learnings from public health, environmental and First Nations’ knowledges

Sabrina Chakori, Arush Lal and Tamara Riley. October 16, 2024, Croakey Health Media

Sabrina, Arush and Tamara are 2024 Future Leader Fellows. They wrote this article after the Future Leaders Program seminar with Melissa Sweet, Editor-in-Chief Croakey Health Media.

Read the article here.

For more information about the Future Leaders Program, click here.

How a planetary health equity lens at COP29 could help transform food systems

Meelan Thondoo, Cynthia Couette and Roxana Claudia Tompea. September 26, 2024, Croakey Health Media

Meelan, Cynthia and Roxana are 2024 Future Leader Fellows. They wrote this article after the Future Leaders Program seminar with Melissa Sweet, Editor-in-Chief Croakey Health Media.

Read the article here.

For more information about the Future Leaders Program, click here.

Deregulation and austerity policies undermine health and safety: lessons for the global community from Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Kathrin Lauber, Claudia Fernandez de Cordoba Farini and Adelle Mansour. September 19, 2024, Croakey Health Media.

Kathrin, Claudia and Adelle are 2024 Future Leader Fellows. They wrote this article after the Future Leaders Program seminar with Melissa Sweet, Editor-in-Chief Croakey Health Media.

Read the article here.

For more information about the Future Leaders Program, click here.

EvokeAG

Innovations in farming, resource management, and carbon-neutral practices are shaping the future of food. As the agrifood (AG) industry evolves, its ability to juggle economic growth with environmental stewardship will determine its role in shaping the sustainable and resilient food systems for the next generations. But how is AG managed today, and what implications does it yield for planetary health equity?

EvokeAG is an annual event dedicated to agrifood innovation, Hothouse PhD. Roxana Claudia Tompea attended. Read the blog article here.

Statement on the Australian Commonwealth Budget 2024/25

Read our Budget Statement 2024/25

Politics, policy, and a healthy human future: Sharon Friel 'in conversation' with Rt Hon Helen Clark

March 25, 2024 (event).

At this event, Sharon Friel spoke alongside Helen Clark, Arnagretta Hunter and Bina D'Costa discuss policy, politics and governing the human future.

You can listen to a recording of the event on ABC Radio National, or the Policy Forum Pod, and read a summary on ANU Reporter.

Blog for the Beyond Growth Conference - Italy 2024

Our PhD student, Giorgia Dalla Libera Marchiori, published a blog about our work on the Italian Beyond Growth Conference 2024 website.

The blog highlights the importance of economic systems transformation to achieve planetary health equity, moving the focus from GDP growth and wealth accumulation to health, equity and planet. Read her blog in English here.

The original version in Italian can be found here. Thank you to the Beyond Growth Conference team for the opportunity to share our work with an Italian audience.

Marking a landmark policy symposium, with a collective focus on planetary health equity

2023 Future Leader Fellows. September 12, 2023, Croakey Health Media.

This article is a compilation of tweets made by the 2023 cohort of the Future Leaders Program through the @WePublicHealth Twitter account during the first week of the program.

A roster of Future Leaders shared their reflections on the sessions and their key take-away messages.

https://www.croakey.org/marking-a-landmark-policy-symposium-with-a-collective-focus-on-planetary-health-equity/

Poetic call to support sovereignty in all climate and health work

Francis Nona. September 30, 2023, Croakey Health Media.

Francis was a panellist at the Hothouse's inaugural Policy Symposium. This article captures the message he delivered during the panel session.

Read Francis' poem here.

For more information about the Policy Symposium, visit our Events page.

Sketch notes from 2023 Hothouse Policy Symposium

One of the attendees of the Hothouse's inaugural Policy Symposium generously shared their sketchnotes with us.

These notes are a fantastic summary of the topics discussed during the four sessions across the day.

For more information about the Policy Symposium, visit our Events page.

Simon on Adobe Stock (education license)

Nurses at the frontline: preparing healthcare for climate change

Rising temperatures: older Australians and healthcare services at risk

Sharon Friel and Megan Arthur. June 19, 2023. Nursing Review, and Aged Care InSite.

Sharon and Megan were interviewed for these two pieces about the impacts of climate change on health, and the need for collective action and coalitions in addressing climate change.

Access the Nursing Review article here.

Access the Aged Care InSite article here.

Submissions

Securing planetary health equity for current and future generations: Planetary Health Equity Hothouse submission to the 2025-26 pre-budget consultation

In this year's Commonwealth Budget pre-budget submission, we are highlighting the importance of funding for capacity building of the next generation of leaders.

You can find our full recommendations here.

Getting Australia to net zero - submission to the Climate Change Authority's 2024 Issues Paper: Targets, Pathways and Progress Report

Australia should demonstrate leadership and promote responsible action by making appropriate mitigation commitments, communicated via its NDC. They should be commensurate with the scale of the problem, Australia’s responsibility as a long-term polluting economy, and its capacity in terms of resources and development level.

Full submission can be found here.

Submission to Climate Adaptation in Australia - National Adaptation Plan Issues Paper consultation

A well-adapted Australia requires moving away from the consumptogenic systems that drive climate change and inequality, to an inclusive and sustainable mode of governance.

Read our submission on the National Adaptation Plan.

Submission to the Review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 - Impact Analysis

The food system is a major contributor to climate change, approximately one third of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the production, manufacture, distribution and waste management of food systems. In tandem the ability for food systems to produce enough healthy food for the world's population is increasingly compromised due to extreme weather events... This in turn jeopardizes livelihoods and cultural and spiritual connections to country.

Read our submission to the Review here.