QUT has today launched its new Centre for Environment and Society, bringing together more than 100 researchers across all faculties to address the world's most pressing environmental and societal challenges.
Harnessing the university's strengths in climate adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity conservation, resilient infrastructure, and sustainable consumption, the centre will drive interdisciplinary research to guide communities, industry, and governments toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
Centre Director Professor Jonathan Rhodes said its mission is rooted in collaboration and innovation.
"We're facing unprecedented environmental challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss, to natural disasters and unsustainable production systems," Professor Rhodes said.
"The Centre for Environment and Society is designed to generate real-world solutions by integrating technological and scientific innovation with social and economic insight. It's about creating impact through partnerships and co-developed research that responds directly to the needs of communities and ecosystems."
The centre's major research themes include:
- Climate mitigation and adaptation
- Ecosystems and biodiversity conservation
- Resilient communities and infrastructure
- Sustainable consumption and production
Professor Rhodes said the centre was already delivering tangible impact through projects such as coral reef restoration using bioadhesives, advanced data science for biodiversity planning, nature monitoring technologies, and communication strategies for disaster response.
Its researchers are also developing infrastructure materials to withstand extreme weather events and pioneering recycling strategies for textiles and other waste streams.
Professor Rhodes said the centre's multidisciplinary approach is key to its success.
"We are bringing together engineers, ecologists, economists, designers, and social scientists to work side-by-side. That's what makes this centre unique. It's not just about understanding problems, it's about solving them in ways that are socially just, economically viable, and environmentally sound," Professor Rhodes said.
The Centre for Environment and Society actively engages with partners across government, industry, and community sectors to co-create research that drives transformative change.
