CEE Deputy Director Dr Emilka Skrzypek and Affiliate Dr Nick Bainton have published a short piece over on the Beyond Hot Air website discussing their research on ‘compound exposure’ in the Pacific.
Based on their recent paper (2025) ‘Compound exposure: Climate change, vulnerability and the energy-extractives nexus in the Pacific’ co-authored with Éléonore Lèbre (University of Queensland), the blog post provides an overview of the situation in the Pacific in regards to the climate crisis. Many of these nations find themselves on the frontlines of the crisis, with rising sea levels and extreme weather events. These vulnerable nations also find themselves in possession of critical mineral deposits, vital for the Energy Transition, and thus in the crosshairs of companies looking to capitalise on the extraction of these minerals. The concept of ‘compound exposure’ refers to the specific combination of these pressures.
Beyond Hot Air is designed as a conversation forum. The project allows for the inclusion of multiple perspectives and addresses the complexity of interactions in various contexts, especially when there is an imbalance of power. Local communities and Indigenous peoples need genuine and authentic involvement through a fundamentally decolonial, trans-disciplinary approach to engagement and to conducting research on and around mining and consumption.
