About the Centre

Our Mission

The Centre for Sustainable Development Reform (CSDR) at UNSW Sydney conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of environmental science, law, and public policy. Established within the Faculty of Law & Justice, the Centre translates complex sustainability evidence into actionable frameworks for government, industry, and civil society.

Research Focus Areas

Our research programme spans three interconnected domains:

• Climate Risk Assessment — Quantifying physical and transition risks across sectors, translating climate science into decision-relevant metrics for policymakers and institutions.
• Environmental Accounting — Developing frameworks that integrate environmental costs and natural capital into economic reporting and regulatory impact analysis.
• Development Governance — Analysing institutional structures and legal mechanisms that enable or impede sustainable development outcomes at national and international scales.

UNSW Context

CSDR sits within the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW Sydney, drawing on cross-faculty expertise in engineering, science, business, and the social sciences. The Centre’s location within a leading research-intensive university enables rigorous, peer-reviewed analysis that bridges academic inquiry and practical policy application.

Partnerships

We work with Australian federal and state government agencies, international organisations, and private sector partners to deliver evidence-based analysis that drives measurable policy reform. Our collaborative approach ensures research outputs are grounded in real-world implementation constraints and opportunities.

For research enquiries, partnership opportunities, or media requests, contact the Centre at csdr@unsw.edu.au.