Dr Gergis’ residency project is a submission to the June 2024 edition of Quarterly Essay where she takes aim at the vague rhetoric and policy inertia of the Australian government in the face of climate peril, pointing out exactly what rising temperatures will mean for our continent, and how far we have to go to claw our way back to safety.

Dr Gergis is an internationally recognised expert and award-winning climate scientist and writer. She was a lead author on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report and author of Sunburnt Country: The History and Future of Climate Change in Australia and Humanity’s Moment: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope. She was also a co-host of Fear & Wonder, a podcast that unpacked the science behind latest UN Climate Report

“Having Dr Gergis on board is an incredible honour for the Australia Institute”, said Richard Denniss, Executive Director of the Australia Institute.

“Never has there been a more critical time to have voices resonating from the scientific community about the climate crisis facing Australia and the world.”

“I’m thrilled to be in Canberra as the Australia Institute’s Writer in Residence. I’ll be working on a Quarterly Essay which provides a climate scientist’s perspective on the latest science, the inadequacy of Australia’s climate policy, and what we need to do to get out of the mess we are in,” said Dr Joelle Gergis.

“As the driest inhabited continent on the planet, Australia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The more warming we lock in from the continued burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of land, the challenge of extreme weather becomes harder, if not impossible to adapt to.

“The best thing we can do to avoid the worst aspects of climate change is to stop expanding and supporting the production of fossil fuels. We need our political leaders to be brave enough to do what they know is right and embrace the opportunities of a green economy.”