Extreme heatwaves are landscape-scale shocks to our natural, agricultural and social systems that occur against the backdrop of rising average temperatures.
Their increasing severity is posing major societal challenges.
With each passing season, high temperature records are being broken globally, with heatwaves now occurring across more than 10% of the Earth’s terrestrial surfaces (up from 1% in the 1960s).
Australia is especially vulnerable to extreme heat challenges, with life-threatening heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe across the continent.
The 2025 joint Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and Australian Academy of Science Fenner Conference on the Environment will explore current knowledge in the area and highlight gaps. It will shape future research collaborations, both locally and internationally, which seek to develop environmental, technical and social solutions that will address the challenges of extreme heat.
The conference brings together experts from research, industry and policy who are focused on charting positive alternative futures for our landscapes and society.
Confirmed speakers
Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis, Social & Health Researcher; former Youth Representative to the United Nations
Ary Hoffman, Professor of Ecological Genetics, University of Melbourne
Brajesh Singh, Professor & Director, Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University
Carmel Reyes, Climate & Sustainability Manager, Powerhouse Museum
David Obura, Chair, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); Founding Director, Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (CORDIO) East Africa
Joan Leach, Professor, Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University
Joshua Waters, Senior Research Fellow, National Indigenous Knowledges Education Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute, Deakin University
Owen Atkin, Professor & Director, Agrifood Innovation Institute, Australian National University
Peter Susanto, 2025 NT Young Australian of the Year; COP29 Youth Representative
Philippa Collin, Professor & Co-Director, Young & Resilient Research Centre, Western Sydeny University
Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, Professor of Climate Science, Australian National University
Xuemei Bai, Professor of Urban Environment & Human Ecology, Australian National University.
Event details
Dates: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 September 2025
Day 1: Full-day conference ($65) and evening public lecture ($20 full admission, $10 students and early-career researchers)
Day 2: Research agenda-setting workshop (invitation only)
Time: 9.30 am – 5.00 pm
Venue: Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science, Canberra
