It is ironic that a generation that one could justifiably argue wins the award for ‘Least Time Spent Outdoors, Climbing Trees and Frolicking in Meadows’, is also the one that is most presciently preoccupied with a fear that Planet Earth will imminently collapse.

With this we welcome you to this year’s edition of Short Supply, ‘The Environment’, a place for the young economists of the future and today to speak up about their concerns and what they believe may be the solutions to the environmental issues we face today. Since 2015, Short Supply hasbeen a platform for students, academics and professionals to share their views on an annual theme with economic importance.

This year, the pieces in here reflect the urgency with which we feel concerted, collective action needs to be taken. They examine a range of current theory and practice both within Australia and abroad, though at the core of each piece is a common issue: Where should we go next? What canwe do about it? What should we do?

There are innumerable people to thank for this year’s edition of Short Supply. Thank-you to Melissa Kung for her beautiful design; all the writers and editors; and the ESSA committee for helping to make Short Supply a reality. We thank Monash Business School for helping to fund its printing; and to Eshan Gaindhar from Frontier Economics for sharing his insight into how Australia might reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Thank-you for picking up a copy of Short Supply. We hope it sheds some light on one of the most pressing and complex issues of the century, and that you are inspired to learn more and take action.

Thao-Mi Bui

Director of Publications (ESSA Monash Clayton)