First Nations People and the State of the Environment Report

Building on the successful co-authorship model used in the 2021 report, the 2026 SoE Report is embedding two-way knowledge weaving. This brings together First Nations knowledge systems and Western science in a way that values, respects, and produces a more comprehensive evidence base.​

Two-way knowledge weaving is about combining complementary ways of knowing to strengthen environmental understanding. First Nations peoples have managed and observed Country for over 65,000 years, generating knowledge that is empirical, place-based and longitudinal.​

​This deep record of observation is critical when considering environmental condition and long-term trends, the effectiveness of management practices, and​ risks and pressures that may not be evident through Western datasets alone.​

This ensures that assessments are informed by multiple lines of evidence. In practice, this means First Nations knowledge will contribute to identifying signals of environmental change, refining methodologies to incorporate holistic and system-level perspectives, and​ providing context for interpreting scientific datasets.​

This evidence-based model enriches the report by filling gaps in Western datasets, providing longitudinal depth, and offering system-wide insights into environment resilience and decline.​

Through two-way knowledge weaving, the 2026 SoE will deliver stronger, more complete assessments to guide national decisions on protecting and restoring Australia’s environment.