Best of 2025 on Matters Journal
By Matters Journal
Over the past year, we’ve continued to spotlight the issues that matter most.
With our writers unpacking key developments across First Nations innovation, circular economy solutions, the regenerative economy, rethinking waste and life cycle approaches to sustainability and more, we’ve covered a wide sweep of ideas shaping Australia’s future.
As the year closes, we’re pleased to share some of the standout stories that defined 2025 for us at Matters Journal.
Magic and Measurement: Building Bridges to the Next Economy
Daniel Simons brought to readers’ attention a global movement challenging the outdated, profit-centric economy by building a new system that values wellbeing, equity, and environmental health alongside financial returns.
‘In Australia alone we have more than 12,000 social enterprises, nearly 50,000 registered charities and over 1,800 cooperatives and mutuals.
‘Purpose-led businesses are on the rise and social and environmental sustainability have become hot topics for large corporations. ‘But wanting to have an impact is one thing. Knowing whether you’re actually making one is something else. How do people know if they’re solving the right problems? How do they prove it? How do they inspire others to fund their efforts or follow their lead?’
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Is it Sustainable? Quantifying Footprint Through Life Cycle Approaches
Daniel Vlahek looked at how adopting Life Cycle Thinking helps businesses and policymakers make more informed, circular decisions in a complex and interconnected world.
‘Thinking in systems is not something that we’re readily taught. ‘Western culture values a reductive approach, where we break individual parts of a system into manageable pieces instead of seeing how individual aspects interact with each other. ‘This framing is coined Life Cycle Thinking as we observe the economic, environmental and social consequences of a given process or product. ‘This includes its relations with adjacent systems and institutions, which is something that is of increasing importance as we try to shift our economy from linearity to circularity.’
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How First Nations Innovation is Shaping Australia’s Environmental Future
Alexi Freeman delved into how First Nations Peoples are combining Traditional Ecological Knowledge with tools like drones and AI to care for Country in smarter, culturally grounded ways.
‘Today, deep ancestral knowledge is augmented with state-of-the-art Western technology to care for Country in culturally grounded, scientifically advanced ways.
‘From machine learning tracking endangered species to drones managing fire regimes, fusing ancient wisdom with disruptive tech is driving smarter, more eco-sustainable practices.
‘And not just in research, industry collaborations are delivering fruitful outcomes and gainful employment, benefiting ecosystems and communities alike.
‘These projects are reshaping how Australia listens to, learns from and works with Indigenous knowledge systems – and just imagine where these systems could take us in the future?’
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Taking the Pedal off the Metal: Eco-Alternatives to Mining
Alexi Freeman looked at eco-alternatives to mining.
‘The steps toward circularity include decoupling the mining industry from fossil fuels and implementing eco-mining alternatives like recycling metals, phytomining, biomining and decarbonising steel.
‘Having ascended these eco-steps, let’s take our collective foot off the emissions pedal and be ‘ore’ inspired by the view of molten metal flowing mercurially through closed-loops as we transition to mining the sustainable future we deserve.’
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Unveiling the Journey: Digital Product Passports and Improved Traceability
Daniel Vlahek examined digital product passports (DPPs) which provide detailed product data, improving traceability, sustainability, and second-hand market value across supply chains.
‘To help achieve a climate-neutral, resource-efficient future, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) was finalised and took effect in July 2024.
‘This legislation set out new performance and information requirements - known as ecodesign criteria - aimed at improving energy efficiency, product circularity, and reducing environmental impact.
‘At the core of this ambitious initiative is the concept of 'DPP,' or Digital Product Passports, which promise to play a key role in transforming how products are designed, used, and reused in a sustainable economy.’