Expertise
Professor Lesley Hughes is a Distinguished Professor of Biology and former Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Integrity & Development) and Interim Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Macquarie University. Her research has mainly focused on the impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems.
She is a former federal Climate Commissioner and former Lead Author in the IPCC’s 4th and 5th Assessment Report. She is a founding Councillor with the Climate Council of Australia, a former Director for WWF Australia, and a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists. She has recently been appointed as a member of the Climate Change Authority.
Enquiries
Email info@climatecouncil.org.au
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Available for media interviews
Contact Climate Council media team, on 0485 863 063 or email media@climatecouncil.org.au
Beneath the waves and out of sight, an unimaginable tragedy is unfolding. Late Thursday afternoon, just as the nation was…
In late October 2023, after three years of above average rainfall had given way to El Niño and Australia’s driest three months…
In Australia, our love of the ocean is truly profound, we surf it, camp by it, we marvel at its incredible beauty from its many…
Right now, Australia’s environment is under grave threat from climate change; facing some of the greatest risks in human…
In a world pummelled by the consequences of the climate crisis, our simple pleasures, our livelihoods, and our overall safety and…
The record-breaking and relentless deluge that has flooded towns and cities in Queensland and New South Wales is one of the most…
No community within Australia remains untouched by climate change. Our country is highly exposed to impacts including…
Environment Minister Sussan Ley is wilfully misinterpreting UNESCO’s decision to classify the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in…
This article was originally published on The Conversation, 23rd April 2021, authored by Lesley Hughes and Will Steffen. Prime…
Climate scientists have observed with mounting concern the continuing emissions and the rise in atmospheric concentrations of…
Sport is a major part of Australian culture. Every weekend, millions of Australians participate in, watch or discuss sport.…
Australia’s Black Summer of 2019-2020 was characterised by catastrophic bushfires. The bushfire season started in winter…
A long-term warming trend from the burning of coal, oil and gas is supercharging extreme weather events, putting Australian…
The word “unprecedented” has been in regular use lately. As predictions about climate change increasingly become…
Introductory note: The Climate Council will publish a report on bushfire risk in Queensland in early 2019. This builds on a…
Water is essential for life. It shapes where and how we live, determines the availability of food and other services that…
THE INTERNATIONAL effort to tackle climate change must be accelerated in order to limit global temperature rises, a new report…
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF could be hit with repeat coral bleaching events every two years by 2034 under current greenhouse gas…
Accelerating climate change is exacerbating drought conditions across parts of southern Australia, contributing to a wide range…
AUSTRALIA’S MOST POPULAR tourist destinations are in the firing line, with intensifying climate change posing a significant…
New South Wales is facing increasingly dangerous bushfire seasons, commencing earlier and lasting longer as a result of…
Climate Change made Australia’s warmest winter on record an astounding 60 times more likely, our new report highlights. The…
In Australia, local councils and communities have long been at the forefront of climate action, continuing their efforts, despite…
Intensifying climate change remains the biggest threat to coral reefs around the world, with rising sea surface temperatures…
Chair of the Board Sharon Warburton Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility Board We write to you to express our deep concern…
Climate change is now influencing all extreme weather events – with some of the most severe climate impacts occurring in 2016,…
Victoria is on the brink of an extreme bushfire season as climate change continues to intensify bushfire risk, our new report…
NSW and the ACT are bracing for another severe bushfire season, as climate change continues to drive extreme conditions, our new…
Climate change is increasing the risk of bushfires in Queensland, our new report has found. While damaging bushfires are less…
Our new report reveals that climate change is likely to worsen the systemic disadvantages suffered by rural and regional…
Our new report reveals the influence of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef, and provides strong scientific evidence that…
More needs to be done to prepare Australia’s health and community sectors to cope with the pressures from more frequent and…
As an academic, I have regularly attended conferences, both national and international over the years. The Paris climate talks…
Money is supposedly the root of all evil, and it’s certainly an issue that’s been front and centre in the Paris climate…
The oceans cover two thirds of the Earth’s surface, and in the words of renowned oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle, were once…
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie and councillors Prof Tim Flannery and Prof Lesley Hughes are at the climate talks in Paris.…
Any plan for the future needs a clear, credible and well-justified goal. The goal at the core of the discussions and negotiations…
Australia’s bushfire preparedness is under threat from climate change as bushfire seasons here and in the Northern Hemisphere…
The price, quality and seasonality of Australia’s food is increasingly being affected by climate change with Australia’s…
This latest report comes halfway through the Critical Decade for climate action and four years after the Climate Commission…
DOWNLOAD REPORT 4 KEY FINDINGS 1. Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of heatwaves in Western Australia and…
Our firefighters, emergency services and communities need to prepare for much greater bushfire risk from climate change.…
Residents of NSW have experienced the serious consequences of bushfires. In 2013, bushfires in January and October burnt 768,000…
A landmark report exploring coastal flooding: the sleeping giant of climate change risks. READ THE REPORT SIX KEY FINDINGS Sea…
Residents of South Australia have experienced the serious consequences of bushfires. In 2005 the Black Tuesday bushfires on the…
This article originally appeared in The Conversation. In New South Wales in 2013, bushfires in January and October collectively…
The Climate Council is extremely saddened by the loss of our great friend and colleague, Prof. Tony McMichael (1942-2014). Tony…
Residents of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) have experienced the serious consequences of bushfires. in 2003 large and…
Climate change is already increasing the intensity and frequency of many extreme weather events, adversely affecting Australians.…
2013 has been a record-breaking year for Australia. The 2012/2013 summer was the hottest on record, and we have just experienced…
We're a quarter of the way through the Critical Decade for tackling climate change. Many consequences of climate change are…
Climate change is harming our health in Australia, and will lead to more injuries, disease and deaths in decades to…
Climate Councillor Prof. Lesley Hughes has the…
The evidence is more certain than ever, says Professor Lesley Hughes - climate change is happening now, and the world needs to…
Over the past year, record-breaking temperatures have been experienced across the country. More than 120 weather records were…
