Professor Jane Stout:

The Senator asked about the climate benefits of protected areas and whether there is a risk of accelerating climate change if we do not protect biodiversity. Quite simply, the answer to that is "Yes". We need to protect biodiversity and start to restore it. It is not just about protection, as I said in my opening statement. We cannot just leave our biodiversity as it is because it is in such poor condition it needs active restoration. We need to restore biodiversity, as well as protecting the little we have left. As Mr. Fogarty said, protection of biodiversity usually has climate benefits and so that would be a win-win situation.