Recap: Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit at Monash University
On World Environment Day (5 June 2025), Monash University contributed to the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, a 24-hour global event spotlighting research, leadership and innovation at the intersection of human rights and climate change.
As part of the Australian and Asia-Pacific time zone block, Monash convened three sessions exploring climate justice from Indigenous, health, and creative perspectives. Each session reflected the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement and regional leadership on climate action.
Watch all session recordings here.
Centring Indigenous leadership and caring for Country
After a generous Welcome to Country issued by Professor N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs AM (Boon Wurrung senior elder and founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation), Associate Professor Susie Ho hosted a reflective conversation with Yorta Yorta cultural fire practitioner and educator Michael Bourke. The discussion highlighted the depth of Indigenous ecological knowledge and the urgency of reinstating cultural land and water practices. Bourke emphasised that fire is a key element of maintaining healthy Country and has been a part of intergenerational learning and cultural continuity for thousands of years.
He spoke of the ongoing trauma caused by colonisation and land mismanagement and stressed the importance of empowering First Nations people to lead conversations affecting Country.
“I am Country and Country is me.”
First Nations people are the voice of Country that can’t speak for itself. The session was a powerful call to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems and voices into mainstream climate policies and programs.
Regional health equity and climate adaptation
The second session brought together health researchers and practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific to explore the regional health impacts of climate change. The panel included:
- David Sweeting, Health and Climate Initiative, Monash University, Australia
- Associate Professor Zerina Tomkins, Monash University, Australia
- Professor Tin Tin Su, Monash University, Malaysia
- Assistant Professor Gabriela Fernando, Monash University, Indonesia
- Professor Karin Leder, Health and Climate Initiative, Monash University, Australia
Each speaker shared research and local insights on how climate change disproportionately affects marginalised and remote communities, from extreme heat to displacement and vector-borne disease. The speakers advocated for co-designed, equity-led responses – highlighting the role universities can play as hubs for evidence, capacity building and for regional partnerships connecting community, experts and policy makers.
A key insight was the need to embed health in all climate policy and to increase access to health and climate information in local languages and cultural contexts. Panellists called for broader recognition of health as a human right within climate adaptation planning.
Music and sound as climate storytelling
The final session explored how art can shift the emotional and cultural narratives around climate change. Dr Louise Devenish (Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music) presented works from The Sound Collectors Lab, a creative research initiative that uses sound and music to represent environmental change.
Projects such as Preservation Reference Area (in collaboration with climate scientists) and Alluvial Gold (which documents stories of gold mining pollution in Western Australia) were highlighted as examples of how creative expression can engage audiences in new ways and deepen our understanding of complex environmental issues.
Devenish described sound as a tactile and affective medium, capable of conveying urgency, loss, and hope in ways traditional communication often cannot. By combining scientific data with artistic practice, her team is creating immersive experiences that provoke reflection and connection.
A university-wide approach to climate justice
Across the day, three consistent messages emerged:
- Indigenous people must lead in speaking for Country, with authority embedded in policy, not just consultation.
- Universities must evolve, not just as centres of research, but as active contributors to systems change through co-creation, education and community partnerships.
- Stories matter. Music, art and local knowledge are powerful tools for translating data into meaning and sparking collective action.
Across all three sessions, Monash’s approach was clear: climate justice requires diverse voices, cross-sector collaboration, and creative forms of engagement. From fire management and First Nations sovereignty to public health and sound-based storytelling, the summit demonstrated how Monash researchers are shaping inclusive and impactful responses to the climate crisis.