Womadelaide

SPEAKERS Darryl Jones, Sheryn Pitman, Sarah Bekessy FACILITATOR Chris Daniels Imagine a world where cities are homes to thriving ecosystems of plants, animals and other life, and not just concrete metropolises. Australian cities have the potential to transform into nature wonderlands, but how can nature be better integrated within our towns and cities? What role do individuals, neighbourhoods and communities have to play? We will explore diverse approaches to greening our streets, towns and cities.   

SPEAKERS Abby Barrows, Vanessa Pirotta, Bronwyn Gillanders. HOST Clare Peddie Our oceans are in deep trouble, and facing threats and stressors on multiple fronts. From alarming rises in temperature to the tonnes of microplastics, the health and ongoing integrity of our marine environments are under severe threat. In addition noise pollution from seismic exploration and shipping disrupts the ability of marine animals to communicate. A powerhouse panel of marine biologists, who are using new technologies and citizen science to better understand these impacts, will discuss the different ways to advocate for the necessary change.   Presented in partnership with The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre

SPEAKERS Anote Tong, Yessie Mosby, Tishiko King Facilitator Tiahni Adamson Can Australia shift its global reputation from climate laggard to climate leader, and fulfill its hopes of co-hosting the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference with the Pacific? Although Australia has committed to net zero by 2050, it continues to approve new coal, oil and gas mines. It is now under increasing pressure from within the Pacific region and its own borders to commit to an end to the expansion of fossil fuels. Are we reaching a pivotal moment for climate action? Join a panel of Torres Strait and Pacific Islanders to hear first-hand about the growing climate movement emerging from our nearest islands.  

SPEAKERS Bob Brown, Elaine Johnson, Roj Amedi Facilitator Noah Schultz-Byard With protest laws tightening, misinformation campaigns on the rise, and the media landscape changing, what is the future of social and environmental activism? A discussion to explore the myriad ways there are to fight for change, whether it’s in the courtroom, at shareholder AGMs, in online communities or through targeted political and media stunts. 

SPEAKERS Andrew Skeoch, Simone Slattery, Anthony Albrecht.  HOST Shannon Evenden The soundscape of the natural world is rich with the voices of birds, insects and animals. What might these species have to say to us? Can listening to them help us learn not only how to care for them, but how to create a ‘culture of care’ for nature? Can listening help create stronger emotional connections between humans and the natural world?   Featuring multimedia presentations from one of Australia’s most prolific nature-sound recordists Andrew Skeoch and music duo the Bowerbird Collective. Have you ever heard humans perform a dawn chorus of birdsong? Come along and hear for yourself.   

SPEAKERS Joe Morrison, Kate Andrews, Ariadne Gorring, Martine Maron HOST Andrew Lowe How can our nation transform from being a global leader in species extinction to a global leader in nature regeneration? The term Nature Positive has snuck into the conversation and sounds like a good thing, but what does it really mean? Could it be a game-changer or is it just another buzzword, or worse, yet another form of greenwashing.  Australia will host the first Global Nature Positive Summit in October 2024, and governments and businesses are starting to incorporate ideas of Nature Positive into the way they operate. Hear from a range of experts on what this means for our environment, and how we can help build momentum for Nature Positive ideas to help restore and regenerate Australia’s fragile ecosystems and deliver positive outcomes for First Nations people. 

SPEAKERS Alice Jones, Steve Meller and Catriona Mcleod HOST Nikolai Beilharz With thousands of kilometres of coastline, a tradition of seaweed use going back thousands of years, increasing demand for sustainable foods and products, and the capacity to contribute to regenerating ecosystems, is Australia ready to take advantage of this opportunity?  In the Blue Economy, something as simple as seaweed could provide new opportunities for regional communities as well as climate solutions. Featuring entrepreneur Steve Meller and marine researchers Alice Jones and Catriona Macleod, hosted by ABC 891s breakfast presenter Nikolai Beilharz. Supported by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre Proudly presented by The Environment Institute

SPEAKERS Eytan Lenko, Polly Hemming and Brynn O'Brien  HOST Maree Lowes  Reaching net zero by 2050 is now law of the land for Australia. But how are we going to get there? With policy slowly or totally failing to make change fast enough, some businesses, industries and financial institutions have started to set the path for themselves, or face pressure from stakeholders to do so. So when it comes to government versus industry, who is leading who on the race to net zero?  We speak with Eytan Lenko, CEO of Boundless, the philanthropic organisation funded by Mike-Cannon Brookes Green Fund, Polly Hemming, Climate & Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute and Executive Director of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility Brynn O’Brien.   Proudly presented by The Australia Institute    Supported by Dr Bronner's 

Planet Talk favourites Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas give you the political analysis that matters and explain what it means for you with a live recording of the best political podcast in Australia.  SPEAKERS Fran Kelly, Patricia Karvelas, Penny Wong and Tory Shepherd. Proudly presented by The Australia Institute

People assign themselves rights over nature all the time.  The right to extract, or the right to protect.  But what happens when you give nature its own rights?   What happens when we extend human rights to the earth?      When policy fails, can the legal system step in?  What if rivers had human rights? Join Community leader, advocate and scholar Anne Poelina, legal scholars Erinn O’Donnell and Peter Burdon on recognising personhood in the ecology around us. SPEAKERS Erin O’Donnell, Anne Poelina, Peter Burdon  HOST Tanya Ha Proudly presented by The Environment Institute

Stealing water, illegal logging, smuggling animals and plants – there are some pretty terrible things that humans do. But who is there to hold them to account?  And who makes the rules? Join water economist Sarah Wheeler, ecologist Phill Cassey and environmental lawyer Emma Carmody with host, Ruby Jones as they delve into how we can fight crimes against nature.    SPEAKERS Phill Cassey, Sarah Wheeler and Emma Carmody HOST Ruby Jones Proudly presented by The Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources

SPEAKERS Alex Bruhn, Amber Brock-Fable, Pantju Nam, Amelia Chaplin, Tiahni Adamson HOST Keira Jenkins What might a renewed relationship to the planet look like? What do we need to regenerate? Form anew? Bring again into existence? We’re joined by six young, engaged and passionate advocates for change who will share their stories about what we should be paying more attention to.

SPEAKERS Anika Molesworth, Bruce Pascoe, Charles Massy HOST Anthony James How might regenerative agriculture change the way our food production system works, so that it’s better for the soils, uses water more efficiently, captures carbon, emits less CO2 and is still profitable for farmers?

SPEAKERS Katja Hogendoorn, Rocio Ponce Reyes, Richard Glatz HOST Michael Harvey We might overlook them, but they outnumber us around 20 million to one. It’s an insects’ world and we’re just living in it. Join our panel of experts to examine how much we rely on insects and how resilient they are in the face of catastrophic change.

SPEAKERS Waleed Aly, Scott Stephens, Lisa Hill ABC Radio National Podcast - Recorded live at WOMADelaide If our current politics is failing our children, should they get a say in changing it? After all 16 and 17 years olds already pay taxes, work, drive, volunteer for political parties. Not that any of these are a pre-requisite for voting in Australia, so why exclude young people? Especially when the policy decisions made now will be felt for decades when it comes to things like energy, climate and the environment.

SPEAKERS Richard Denniss, Renate Egan, Andrew Blakers HOST Nick Feik Reducing our emissions by making everything electric won’t just benefit the climate, it’s going to be great for everyone. In the long run, electrifying everything is cheaper and more efficient. We can get to 80 per cent emissions reductions by 2035 and we don't need any new technology at all. So what are we waiting for?

SPEAKERS Michael-Shawn Fletcher, Martin Breed, Luke Price HOST Lee Constable Human interactions with the environment aren’t always a disaster. There are thousands of years of history of people working and shaping the Australian environment, and more efforts than ever today to restore ecosystems both marine and terrestrial. But a healthy ecosystem doesn’t have to mean untouched by humans. And healthy ecosystems lead to healthy people.

SPEAKERS Dr Jane Goodall HOST Hosted by Natasha Mitchell A pre-recorded conversation with one of the world’s most influential conservationists. Jane Goodall made discoveries that radically changed and enriched the field of primatology, and has worked for decades advocating to protect habitats and promote environmental education. From a lifetime dedicated to nature, she shares her insights into how we find hope and strength in the face of the climate crisis.

SPEAKERS: Christiana Figueres HOST: Sabra Lane Former UN Secretary for Climate, Christiana Figures, and Tom Rivett-Carnac, her UN political strategist, are the architects and driving force behind the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement when 194 countries, including the EU and China, signed up to collectively tackle the climate emergency. Their mission however didn’t stop in Paris. It continues to empower the world to make a difference for the sake of future generations via international campaigns, engagements and initiatives such as Global Optimism, Mission 2020, Profiles of Paris, Future Stewards, the podcast – Outrage and Optimism, and a new book titled The Future We Choose to be released in March featuring ten things we can do today to make a difference. Join Christiana in conversation with Sabra Lane as she discusses how the final hour, can still be our finest hour.

SPEAKER: Jan Fran HOST: Tory Shepherd Walkley Award-winning journalist and TV presenter Jan Fran is an ambassador for Plan International Australia, anorganization that works alongside children, young people, supporters and partners to tackle root causes of the injustices facing girls and the most marginalised children. She’s best known for her work as host of SBS TV’s The Feed and Medicine or Myth, Network Ten’s The Projectand podcasts Sexism and the City and The Few Who Do and ‘The Frant’. The Advertiser State Editor and senior columnist Tory Shepherd is the author of On Freedom, a Churchill fellow, a Walkley judge – and once wrote a thesis on UFO cults. Proudly presented in partnership with the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre