The State of the Environment Report 2021 was co-authored by Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts, creating a report that combined knowledge of the oldest living environmental management systems in the world, and Western science. The report included Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors who worked together over more than 2 years.

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To guide the work of the team, the authors developed the 2021 State of Environment Report Collaboration Guidelines for Indigenous Co-Authorship. These guidelines provided a strong foundation for Indigenous inclusion in the Australian State of the Environment report 2021 (SoE).

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The ten True Tracks® Principles developed by Solicitor Director Dr Terri Janke, and co-chief author of the SoE, were adopted as Co-Authorship principles.  There were also 11 Co-authorship guidelines which included that authors recognise that Indigenous knowledge is oral and performance based and constantly evolving. 

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The guidelines were a useful way to approach the writing of this historical report. It is hoped that the collaboration model will continue for future reports.   

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