Dr Karen Hussey is an Associate Professor at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University where she undertakes research on the policy and institutional dimensions of sustainability. Her most recent publications include Environment and Sustainability: A Policy Handbook (2013, Federation Press, co-authored with S. Dovers), a forthcoming publication Climate, Energy and Water: Managing trade-offs and seizing opportunities (Cambridge University Press, with J. Pittock and S. Dovers) and Water Resources Planning and Management (2011, Cambridge University Press, with Q. Grafton). Dr Hussey’s current projects are in the areas of climate adaptation, urban and rural water governance, institutional rigidity in energy markets, and the implications of environmental regulation for the international trade system.