New COVID-19 "variants of concern" have emerged and spread worldwide, putting pandemic control efforts, including vaccination, at risk of being derailed.
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As a state MP for 15 years and Victoria’s deputy premier from 1999 to 2007, John Thwaites was constantly in the public eye but after politics he has flourished in academia as a sustainability advocate.
Professor Thwaites, 65, has been made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2021 Australia Day honours, “for significant service to the environment, and to the people and Parliament of Victoria”.
Professor John Thwaites
As chair of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute at Monash University and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, he sees himself as a bridge between researchers, government and business.
The Institute works in Australia and Asia on climate action, sustainable cities and developing a more environmentally conscious approach to water management.