ISF Annual Review 2018

Last year, the sustainability agenda was front and centre in Australia and internationally. This was most evident in how the Sustainable Development Goals continued to be a focus of attention for government, business and civil society.

At ISF in 2018 we continued to help create change in many areas of sustainability.

• Following the China National Sword policy that threw waste and recycling into the spotlight, Australian industry and all levels of government responded with new policies and initiatives that embrace circular economy principles - principles that we’ve championed since 2015.

• With greenhouse gases continuing to rise in Australia and many other countries, the climate emergency remains the major threat to a just and sustainable future. Working with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and other partners we developed a roadmap to a safe climate in one generation, focusing on 100% renewables and reversing deforestation.

• The universal access to water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. However, programs to achieve this goal can inadvertently entrench poverty and power imbalance. In 2018 we continued to closely partner with civil society organisations in the Asia Pacific region to carry out research that can support better gender and equity outcomes in development programs.

Yet in these situations and many more, sustainability challenges persist.

That’s why transformation and collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Firstly, we bring a transdisciplinary approach to our research. Secondly, we plan projects to maximise impact and benefits. Thirdly we involve the most relevant stakeholders who can play a role in changing the situation. 

In 2019, we’re pursuing opportunities in a lot of really exciting areas - from smart cities to sustainable finance, food innovation to a just energy transition.

We’re working together with people across government, businesses, civil society organisations, and communities here and internationally, to make sense of complexity and create change towards sustainable futures.

We look forward to working with you too.