Charting Australia’s path to a fairer and more prosperous future - ONLINE ONLY

Prof. John Thwaites AM is a Professorial Fellow at Monash University and holds leadership roles across several sustainability-focused institutions, including the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Climateworks Centre, and the Biodiversity Council. He also serves as Deputy Chair of the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership and is a Director of FairTrade ANZ.

From 1999 to 2007, John was Deputy Premier of Victoria, holding senior portfolios such as Health, Environment, and Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change. He led major reforms in social policy, water, and environmental management.

John has chaired numerous national and state advisory bodies, including the National Sustainability Council and the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group, and has co-authored key reports such as the Sustainable Australia Report and the Victorian Building Cladding Taskforce review. He is a Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and a former Commissioner on the Lancet Covid-19 Commission.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2021 for his service to the environment and the people and Parliament of Victoria. He has received many other sustainability awards including being named one of the 100 Global Sustainability Leaders by ABC Carbon Express, the “Planning Champion” award by the Planning Institute of Australia and the Richard J Evans Award for excellence in planning in Victoria.

Dr Cameron Allen is a Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and an interdisciplinary scientist with over 20 years’ experience working with governments, research institutes, and the United Nations on sustainable development and climate policy. He has worked across the globe, including postings with the UN in New York, Geneva, Beirut and Buenos Aires, supporting countries to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and net zero strategies.

Cameron leads the Transforming Australia project, which provides independent assessments of national SDG progress, and has received prestigious Australian Research Council grants for projects on sustainable development transitions and post-growth climate futures. His research focuses on long-term decision-making tools, policy trade-offs, and drivers of transformation, with work published in leading journals such as Nature, Nature Sustainability and One Earth.

He holds a PhD and MPhil in Sustainable Development, a Master of Environmental Management, and degrees in Business, Economics and Science.