Australia claims it is ‘on track’ to save nature. We disagree
"Ecosystems are being left to degrade, rare and precious species are sliding toward extinction, and billions of dollars are being used to quietly fund subsidies, including for fossil fuels, which contribute to the very destruction the government claims to be fixing."
"Australia already holds the world’s worst record for modern mammal extinctions – 38 species lost since colonisation, more than any other country. Against that grim inheritance, having no further extinctions (that we know about) is a remarkably low bar."
1. Restoration: not enough done, and the report knows it
2. Protected areas: national figures mask failures
3. Threatened species: declining, not recovering
4. Harmful fossil fuel subsidies hidden, conservation spending inflated
"This new report confirms those weaknesses extend to Australia’s self-assessment, which lacks the rigour and ambition the nature crisis demands.The reforms of Australia’s nature laws, passed in late 2025, are the most significant in a generation, and we welcome them. But legislation without implementation, adequate funding or a delivery plan is not enough."
"This important report – with its hidden subsidies, inflated spending figures, missing implementation plan, and a definition of “on track” that mistakes promises for progress – is not worthy of a nation with both the means and the obligation to lead." >>
https://theconversation.com/australia-claims-it-is-on-track-to-save-nature-we-disagree-278081
#biodiversity #conservation #KMGBF #restoration #NoTake #fishing #ThreatenedSpecies #FossilFuels #FossilFuelsSubsidies #Australia #MarineLife #degradation #EPBCAct