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flag Dr. Brooke Williams wins $530K grant to develop a tool for identifying optimal lands for forest restoration in Australia, aiming to boost carbon and biodiversity markets while ensuring science-based policies.

flag Dr Brooke Williams, a conservation ecologist at the University of Newcastle, has been awarded a $530,000 Australian Research Council grant to create a tool identifying optimal lands for forest restoration. flag The project aims to enhance Australia’s carbon and biodiversity markets, valued at $1.1 billion and projected to reach $137 billion by 2050. flag Williams emphasizes the need for science-based policies to ensure restoration efforts effectively combat climate change and protect biodiversity, warning that unregulated markets could inadvertently harm ecosystems or displace agriculture. flag Her research, including a 2023 Nature study, shows natural forest regeneration could restore 215 million hectares globally, offsetting 23.4 gigatonnes of carbon emissions—equivalent to 50 years of Australia’s current emissions. flag Despite recent environmental law reforms, experts say they fall short due to excessive ministerial discretion and loopholes, underscoring the urgency of evidence-driven conservation strategies.

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