Operationalising ecological economics: an academic perspective

This commentary cannot pretend to synthesise a conference such as this: the quantity and range of the papers defy summary. So, the following comments touch on some of the themes that recur in ecological economics and which were evident at ISEE2000. My perspective is one of tangential engagement with ecological economics since its formal inception a little over a decade ago, and from my main preoccupations with policy and institutional dimensions of sustainability, natural resource management, and environmental history. I will touch on three areas relevant to an academic perspective: research directions; connections with policy; and education. The coverage of these is limited to just a few aspects of each that strike me as interesting or important.

Integrative research in the university context: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, the Australian National University

At a time of increasing interest and advocacy in integrated and policy-oriented research, this paper offers an empirically-based view of the intellectual and practical challenges of undertaking such research. It analyses the experience of a long-standing university research and postgraduate training centre from 1973-2004: the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at The Australian National University. The paper discusses staff development issues, cross-disciplinary understanding, organisational requirements for collaborative research, postgraduate and early career considerations, a range of integrative frameworks, and the tensions that arise for interdisciplinary research in the political and economic operating environments of modern universities

Clarifying the imperative of integration research for sustainable environmental management

This paper discusses why integration is important in doing research for developing policy and practice of sustainable environmental management. The imperative of integration includes environmental, social, economic, and other disciplinary considerations, as well as stakeholder interests. However, what is meant by integration is not always clear. While the imperative is being increasingly enunciated, the challenges it presents are difficult and indicate a long term pursuit. This paper clarifies the different dimensions of integration, as an important preliminary step toward advancing mutual understanding and the development of approaches. The paper identifies the driving forces for integration, discusses when integration is required, categorises forms of integration, and proposes principles to inform research programs and projects

Operationalising ecological economics: an academic perspective

Plenary address given at the International Society for Ecological Economics Conference, Canberra, 5-8 July 2000This commentary cannot pretend to synthesise a conference such as this: the quantity and range of the papers defy summary. So, the following comments touch on some of the themes that recur in ecological economics and which were evident at ISEE2000. My perspective is one of tangential engagement with ecological economics since its formal inception a little over a decade ago, and from my main preoccupations with policy and institutional dimensions of sustainability, natural resource management, and environmental history. I will touch on three areas relevant to an academic perspective: research directions; connections with policy; and education. The coverage of these is limited to just a few aspects of each that strike me as interesting or important

Clarifying the Imperative of Integration Research for Sustainable Environmental Management

This paper discusses why integration is important in doing research for developing policy and practice of sustainable environmental management. The imperative of integration includes environmental, social, economic, and other disciplinary considerations, as well as stakeholder interests. However, what is meant by integration is not always clear. While the imperative is being increasingly enunciated, the challenges it presents are difficult and indicate a long term pursuit. This paper clarifies the different dimensions of integration, as an important preliminary step toward advancing mutual understanding and the development of approaches. The paper identifies the driving forces for integration, discusses when integration is required, categorises forms of integration, and proposes principles to inform research programs and projects

Mainstreaming fire and emergency management across legal and policy sectors: Preliminary findings on measures of success

This paper reports on a research project, funded by the Bushfire CRC and conducted at the Australian National University, jointly by the ANU College of Law and the Fenner School of Environment and Society. 'Mainstreaming Fire and Emergency Management across Legal and Policy Sectors: Joint Research and Policy Learning' is looking at the impact of law and policy on emergency and fire management. This paper argues that an absence of clearly defined goals in emergency management policy inhibits our ability to make decisions on what are acceptable trade-offs and makes it impossible to know when Emergency Management goals have been achieved. The paper reports on the research conducted so far and identifies the next steps in the research program

Institutional change and learning for sustainable development

This research project has been commissioned by Land and Water Australia,and focuses on lessons drawing for Australia from selected international examples of institutional change for sustainable development in the past decade. An interim product of the project is now available as a CRES Working Paper, setting out the conceptual basis of the research and the proposed case studies

Integrative Research in the University Context: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, The Australian National University

At a time of increasing interest and advocacy in integrated and policy-oriented research, this paper offers an empirically-based view of the intellectual and practical challenges of undertaking such research. It analyses the experience of a long-standing university research and postgraduate training centre from 1973-2004: the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at The Australian National University. The paper discusses staff development issues, cross-disciplinary understanding, organisational requirements for collaborative research, postgraduate and early career considerations, a range of integrative frameworks, and the tensions that arise for interdisciplinary research in the political and economic operating environments of modern universities