Australia is using its bid to co-host the world’s largest climate conference with Pacific nations to greenwash decades of climate inaction and future fossil fuel expansion, think tank the Australia Institute has warned. Its new report, A Fair Cop31, urges the international community to think twice before awarding hosting rights to the 2026 United Nations

For a document that self-advertises as “the most substantial and ambitious approach to Defence … since the second World War”, the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) is neither.

A range of high-profile politicians, former military leaders and academic experts have signed an open letter calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal, appearing in full-page ads today in the Australian Financial Review.

New polling research reveals Australians are confused about how to pay for the nuclear submarines as part of AUKUS. The nuclear submarines are estimates to cost between $268 billion and $368 billion. Key findings: None of the four options for meeting the cost of the AUKUS submarines were chosen by a majority of voters. 34%

This presentation to the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network’s European Leadership Network explores Australian perceptions of strategic risk, the country’s heightened sense of threat and the differences between the two. In short, threats come and go, while risk is a constant in a world that is inherently chaotic. Long-term strategic policy needs to be based on analysis of risk and its mitigation, not on perceived threats.

Stronger climate action and better resource sector governance are two ways in which Australia can partner with countries in our region to promote stability according to a research submission by the Australia Institute to the Inquiry into supporting democracy in our region. Key Points: Climate action has languished for the last decade and fossil fuel

The mammoth task of purchasing, operating, and maintaining nuclear-powered submarines is beyond Australia’s current industrial, skills and technological capacity to deliver, according to a new research paper by defence experts. Experts say the ambitious project is achievable, but only if the building blocks are put in place with great care and deliberation. The report, Australia’s

New research from the Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program on Australian and Taiwanese views regarding China reveal a large and growing degree of fear of China and the prospect of war. The research reveals more Australians think that China will attack Australia than Taiwanese believe China will attack Taiwan. Australian and Taiwanese men

As tensions in the Pacific and war in Europe continue to escalate, Australia could play an important global role in reducing the spread and threat of nuclear weapons at an important upcoming conference in New York, according to a new research report. The Australian Government has been urged to adopt 4 key policy goals to

The election of a new government presents Australia with a much-needed opportunity to reappraise its place in the world. In less than 20 years, we have segued from serious engagement in Asia and a leadership role in the Pacific to marginal significance in the affairs of Asia (except as a massive mine and a source

“The looming applications by Finland and Sweden for NATO membership together constitute the most significant strategic change in Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the Berlin Wall,” said Allan Behm, Director of the Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program. “This move will signal a monumental ‘own goal’ for

A new research report released today has found that by hosting the UN’s largest climate event (COP29 in 2024) in partnership with Pacific neighbours, Australia could ease diplomatic tensions in the region, in addition to tackling climate change and stimulating local tourism and hospitality. The report comes as Australia’s relations with the Solomon Islands have

On ANZAC Day our nation remembers and honours those who lost their lives in that failed, bloody mission at Gallipoli in 1915. Today, with a war in Europe and instability closer to home, it’s worth contemplating how we can best honour the memory of the fallen by avoiding repeating the mistakes of the past.

New research has found no evidence of a major China-backed campaign to influence Australian political discourse on social media, according to the Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology. The research analysed more than 69,000 tweets from two low-points in Australia-China relations in 2020 and found no evidence the CCP was using bots to shape political