A sustainability researcher nominated by the Australian Academy of Science has been awarded an international science prize worth A$1.5 million at a ceremony in Switzerland.
Associate Professor Arunima Malik of the University of Sydney has been named one of three international champions of the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize, a prestigious award recognising research with the most promising potential to keep humanity within planetary boundaries.
The Frontiers Planet Prize, awarded by the not-for-profit Frontiers Research Foundation, is the world's largest science prize in scientific solutions for planetary health, offering US$1 million to each of the three international champions.
The award ceremony took place on 17 June 2025 at the Villars Symposium in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland.
Associate Professor Malik's winning paper, 'Polarising and equalising trends in international trade and Sustainable Development Goals,' was published in Nature Sustainability and underscores the significant global implications of trade on sustainability.
Associate Professor Malik's interdisciplinary research employs big-data modelling to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts embedded in global supply chains.
Her work reveals that while international trade can drive economic growth, it also often shifts environmental and social burdens to lower-income nations, exacerbating global inequalities.
This research challenges traditional models by highlighting the uneven distribution of trade-related benefits and costs.
"The year 2030 is fast approaching, but many targets for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals remain out of reach. Our work on cross-border effects sheds light on multiple interconnected factors that influence the Goals," Associate Professor Malik said of her research.
"This award is a testament to the successful interdisciplinary collaboration across multiple institutions and reflects the commitment of all authors in realising this important research. I thank Professor Manfred Lenzen, Dr Mengyu Li, Camille Mora, Dr Sarah Carter, Dr Stefan Giljum, Dr Stephan Lutter and Professor Jorge Gomez-Paredes for their valuable contributions.
"This award is a stepping stone for putting research on cross-border impacts on the global agenda, and to further strengthen collaborations with international organisations and networks working to drive progress towards sustainable development," Associate Professor Malik said.
The Australian Academy of Science nominated Associate Professor Malik's research for the Frontiers Prize. In April, she was named as Australia's National Champion for the prize, alongside national champions from 18 countries.
President of the Australian Academy of Science Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC commended Associate Professor Malik's achievement.
"This recognition underscores the global significance of Australian research in addressing critical sustainability challenges," Professor Jagadish said.
"Professor Malik's work exemplifies the impact of science in shaping a more equitable and sustainable future."
As an international champion, Associate Professor Malik joins a distinguished network of researchers committed to advancing planetary health.
