Dr Megan Evans
- Doctor of Philosophy,听Australian National University
- Bachelor of Science with Honours Class 1,听The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics 鈥 Extended Major),听The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Science (Ecology),听The University of Queensland
I am a Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Management within the听. I am an interdisciplinary social scientist whose work aims to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental laws, policies and tools.
My research has contributed significantly to environmental policy in Australia and internationally: key examples include work on forest regeneration carbon offset integrity that triggered the Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units (Chubb review), the development of the Australian government鈥檚 biodiversity offset policy under federal environmental laws, and work on the economics of land-based carbon offsets that informed the establishment of the $500 million Land Restoration Fund in Queensland. I was a member of Professor Graeme Samuel AC鈥檚 Consultative Group as part of the Independent Review of the EPBC Act in 2020, and have engaged extensively with the federal government鈥檚 Nature Positive law reform process. 听
I recently completed an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (2020-2023) which examined the growth of private sector investment in biodiversity and natural capital, and currently supervise five PhD students researching various aspects of environmental policy and governance.听 I hold undergraduate degrees in mathematics and ecology (UQ), a PhD in environmental policy (ANU), and I am a member of the editorial board of the journal .听
Recent media and comment
- Threatened species have declined 2% a year since 2000. Nature positive? Far from听it. The Conversation.
- 'Australia鈥檚 long-sought stronger environmental laws just got indefinitely deferred. It鈥檚 back to business as usual. . April 2024.听
- 'Pretending to grow forests in the desert': New research questions integrity in safeguard mechanism scheme. , March 2024
- 鈥淚t makes climate change worse:鈥 Carbon credit projects claiming to regrow forests are failing. . March 2024
- Labor plan for nature repair market rehashes old proposal and risks failure, experts say. . February 2023.听
- What are biodiversity credits and how do they work?听听January 2023.
- 鈥楢bysmal鈥 number of Australian banks and super funds have policies to mitigate environmental risks: report. . December 2022.听
- Biodiversity market has huge potential for rorting and greenwashing, expert. October 2022.听
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- 2022: $32,160. Environmental offset scarcity under the EPBC Act. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Investigators: Maron, M, Evans M.C., Dutson, G.).
- 2021: $39,800. Interrogating cross-sectoral narratives around the role of private sector finance and investment. School of Business, 国产精品 Canberra (Investigators: Evans, M.C., Bazbauers, A., Chand, S., Rooney J.)
- 2021: $5,000. Review of Environmental Offsets Policy Guidance. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (Investigator: Evans, M.C)
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2020: $41,600.听WWF-Australia. Modelling pathways to a carbon neutral Queensland beef sector through policy and investment to drive transition from deforestation to reforestation.听
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2020-2023: $379,729. Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA)听The Effectiveness of Impact Investing for Biodiversity Conservation
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2017鈥2018: $95,786. Project funded by New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage to develop response to management models for priority species (Investigators: Maron, M, Evans M.C., Rhodes J).
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2017: $3,000. Awarded a Visiting Fellowship (RMIT University) by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED).
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2015: $7,000. Funding for a workshop on the legal and institutional dimensions of biodiversity offsetting by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED).听
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2013 鈥 2016: $87,500. Won a prestigious Australian National University Australian Postgraduate Award.
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2013 鈥 2016: $49,500. Won a highly competitive CSIRO Climate Adaptation Flagship Top-up Scholarship.
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2021: Awarded the for the Australian Capital Territory by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science
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2018: Winner of the University of Queensland Faculty of Science Rising Star (Academic) Award (selected from 29 nominations and 349 eligible academics).
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2014: Awarded competitive scholarship by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) to participate in a year-long leadership program for 14 early career researchers, which included media, facilitation and leadership training, and individual and group projects.
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2014: Awarded a prestigious Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists Science Program Scholarship.
Expertise
- Environmental markets, policy and governance
- Sustainable and conservation finance
- Public policy
- Carbon offsets
- Science-policy interface
- Interdisciplinary research
Research Impacts
- My research has made significant national and international policy impact. My collaborative work on carbon offset integrity has been widely reported in the media, including the The Australian Financial Review, an 鈥 by The Juice Media, and has prompted calls for an independent inquiry.
- My work on biodiversity offset policy , including the Australian Government鈥檚 Offset Assessment Guide (2012) and the IUCN Biodiversity Offsets Policy (2016).
- My work on the economics of land-based carbon offsets (aka carbon farming) informed the establishment of the AUD 500 million in Queensland.
- My paper on how early-career researchers (ECRs) can achieve听policy impact听() was featured in听听听and听, including a听career feature. This paper is the top-rated contribution in听Palgrave Communications听on听听(score of 568).
- My research on听deforestation听() was featured in the 2016 Australian State of the Environment Report. You can download the data听听and听.
- My work with colleagues from CSIRO has directly informed the Australian Department of the Environment鈥檚 risk-based approach for听
- My听听was featured in the 2011 Australian State of the Environment Report.
Recent submissions
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Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Australia鈥檚 extinction crisis.
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Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment (Safety and Other Measures) Bill 2024 [Provisions]
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Submission to the Nature Repair Market Bill.
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ANU-国产精品 research team submission to the Chubb Review.
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Submission to a proposed National Biodiversity Market.
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Response to Question on Notice in the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standards and Assurance) Bill 2021 (鈥渢he Bill鈥)听
- Submission to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standards and Assurance) Bill 2021
- Submission to the Interim Report of the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
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Submission to the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Webinars and videos
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Federal Govt proposes certificate scheme to promote biodiversity.
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What are biodiversity credits and how do they work?听
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Honest Government Ad | Carbon Credits & Offsets.
- Webinar on The NSW State of the Environment Report with Minister James Griffin MP. 21st March 2022. Coalition for Conservation.
- Closing the biodiversity finance gap with private investment: how is it working on the ground? 61st Annual Ecological Society of Australia conference. Online, 22-26 November 2021.
- Innovative approaches to mobilize finance for conservation: how does it work on the ground? The IORA Indian Ocean Blue Carbon Hub. Webinar, 6th October 2021.
Media and comment
2023
- Federal Govt proposes certificate scheme to promote biodiversity. 听March 2023.听
- Australia introduces nature repair market legislation to parliament. . March 2023.听
- 鈥楲ike the subprime mortgage crisis鈥: Most of Australia鈥檚 carbon credits are junk, experts say. . March 2023.听
- Losing the natural world comes with major risks for your super fund and bank. . February 2023.听
- Labor plan for nature repair market rehashes old proposal and risks failure, experts say.听. February 2023.听
- Losing the natural world comes with major risks for your super fund and bank. The Conversation.听
- Traded biodiversity 'credits' are key to Labor's environmental plans, but critics are not convinced. 听January 2023.
- What are biodiversity credits and how do they work?听听January 2023.
2022
- 鈥楢bysmal鈥 number of Australian banks and super funds have policies to mitigate environmental risks: report. . December 2022.听
- Why a biodiversity environment market doesn鈥檛 work. December 2022.听
- Forest regeneration that earned multimillion-dollar carbon credits resulted in fewer trees, analysis finds. November 2022.
- The government hopes private investors will help save nature. Here鈥檚 how its scheme could fail. . October 2022.听
- Labor鈥檚 plan to save threatened species is an improvement 鈥 but it鈥檚 still well short of what we need. . October 2022.听
- Biodiversity market has huge potential for rorting and greenwashing, expert. October 2022.听
- Catastrophe, pollution, dirty subsidies and nature capitalism: another week in the climate crisis. . September 2022.听
- Albanese outlines plan for nature restoration market prompting calls for more urgent action. . August 2022.听
- Albanese parrots a pro-coal talking point as Ampol offers 鈥榗arbon neutral鈥 petrol. . July 2022.
- We blew the whistle on Australia鈥檚 central climate policy. Here鈥檚 what a new federal government probe must听fix. The Conversation. June 2022.听
- Story on the previous government鈥檚 decision to scrap recovery plans. . June 2022 (from 13:03).
- Soaring demand for trees exposes carbon credits 鈥榤inefield鈥 in fight to offset Australia鈥檚 emissions.
- How to make space for species. . June 2022.
- More than 40 per cent of Earth鈥檚 land surface 鈥榤ust be conserved to maintain biodiversity鈥. . June 2022.
- Native species are in crisis, but you wouldn鈥檛 know it from the election campaign. . May 2022.
- Can you really carbon offset a power station? Sure 鈥 but it鈥檚 unimpressive. . February 2022.听
- Australian government 鈥榓ggravating extinction鈥 through land-clearing approvals, analysis finds. . March 2022.听
2021
- Country, culture and nature-based solutions key to reducing emissions. . November 2021.听
- Parks credits bill will underpin fossil fuel expansion, biodiversity expert warns. . November 2021.听
- Hopes and doubts for public sector transferring skills into post-COVID world. The Mandarin. November 2021.
- Millions of junk credits issued for Australian forests that already exist.听. November 2021.听
- Carbon offsetting: does it actually work? . November 2021
- Climate-contrary Nationals, strawman arguments and rewriting Australia鈥檚 Kyoto history. . October 2021
- Compensation revelations.听. September 2021
- Warragamba Dam鈥檚 EIS shows New South Wales government鈥檚 efforts to avoid compensation.听. September 2021
- Destroying vegetation along fences and roads could worsen our extinction crisis 鈥 yet the NSW government just allowed it.听. September 2021
- Coal companies allowed to delay environmental offsets on NSW mines for up to 10 years.听. September 2021
- Taking care of business: the private sector is waking up to nature鈥檚 value. . February 2021.
- It鈥檚 not too late to save them: 5 ways to improve the government鈥檚 plan to protect threatened wildlife. .
2020
- Navigating Uncertainty - S01E12 - Why Biodiversity Loss Is A Growing Risk For Business. 国产精品 Canberra Podcasts. . . December 2020.
- Brisbane 'throws ratepayer money overseas' to be carbon neutral鈥: Councillor. . 26th November 2020.
- Why ignoring biodiversity loss is an increasingly risky business. . September 2020.
- 'We are relying on a pinky promise鈥: The problem with the Government moving its environmental powers to states. . 13th September 2020.
- Ask an Expert: What is the EPBC Act? 4th September 2020.
- New environment law framework could give States too much power. . 2nd September 2020
- Environmental changes should not be rushed to become law: experts. . 24th July 2020.
- The magic of the market won鈥檛 help the environment unless government also takes responsibility. . July 2020.
- National cabinet just agreed to big changes to environment law. Here鈥檚 why the process shouldn鈥檛 be rushed. . July 2020.
- Morrison government urged to fix flawed environmental offsets leaving threatened species at risk. . 27th June 2020.
- Scientists fear Coalition鈥檚 push to deregulate environmental approvals will lead to extinction crisis. . 16th June 2020.
- Overestimating rate of biodiversity loss can have unexpected consequences.听. May 2020
2019
- A calculated approach. . 24th March 2019.
2018
- Help to shape policy with your science. 560: 671. August 2018.
- Four personality traits ECRs can foster to help impact policy and practice. August 2018.
- Early Career Researchers: So You Want To Make A Difference? . August 2018.
- So you want to make an impact? Some practical suggestions for early-career researchers. . July 2018.
- Land-clearing wipes out $1bn taxpayer-funded emissions gains. . 29th May 2018.
2017听
- Land clearing rates in Queensland on par with Brazil, new study finds. . June 2017.
- Australia鈥檚 species need an independent champion. , October 2017.
- The plan to protect wildlife displaced by the Hume Highway has failed. , May 2017.
- Land clearing on the rise as legal 鈥榯hinning鈥 proves far from clear-cut. , June 2017.
- Hume Highway duplication project failed to protect threatened species, ANU study finds. . May 2017.
2016 and earlier
- Queensland farmers protest proposed changes to tree clearing laws. Interview on . August 2016.
- Australia needs better policy to end the alarming increase in land clearing. , August 2016.听
- Queensland moves to control land clearing: other states need to follow. , May 2016.
- Assisted regeneration could make farmers money. . 17th March 2015.
- Can we offset biodiversity losses?听听and听. May 2013.
- Can we offset biodiversity losses? , May 2013.
- Australia鈥檚 biodiversity under increasing threat from multiple fronts. . April 2011.
- No refuge: When a 鈥榩rotected area鈥 is not really protected. , September 2011.
- Australia set for tidal wave of wildlife extinction: WWF. . November 2008
My Research Supervision
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The social construction of property rights across governance scales and the implications for biodiversity conservation in Australia
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Making businesses work for biodiversity: Decision-support tools for integrating biodiversity conservation into the finance sector
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Governance arrangements, use and availability of economic and financial information for decision making on ecosystems investments
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An integrated basin-scale blue-green algae strategy for the 21st century.听
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Nature finance
Completed supervision
- Dr Toiaba Binta Taher (Doctor of Philosophy), Primary supervisor (with Professor Catherine Althaus). Thesis title: Practices of participatory conservation: an ethnographic听investigation in听the Sundarbans of Bangladesh
My Teaching
I teach the following courses: