Our world is changing. It is now widely accepted that the loss of biological variety (biodiversity) is one of the greatest challenges to maintaining human health.
Australia is known for its iconic native plant and animal species, many not found anywhere else in the world and protecting them is paramount. In the last 200 years, 100 Australian species have gone extinct and almost 2,000 species are now threatened or at risk of extinction (Australia State of the Environment Report 2021).
With additional changes due to climate change, the risk to biodiversity has grown. Climate change and biodiversity loss are linked and action against both is required.
This is why, in 2020, the City of Kingston declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, an acknowledgement that we are in an emergency situation and that our response must reflect that emergency's scope, scale and urgency.