Carbon Triggers: The Big Debate
Description
Join us for the next Big Debate – a panel discussion and audience vote to decide if Australia is ready to mandate carbon budgets for building projects to avoid demolition.
The topic
Embodied carbon is one of the biggest rising concerns for the built environment. Whether you’re an architect, engineer, developer or consultant, you know how volatile the mention of carbon is. Tearing down buildings today is increasingly seen as a bad idea – the argument is we need to retain all the carbon we can.
Legislation
In the UK, the London Plan prompted global headlines when new planning provisions around carbon limits made it very difficult to demolish buildings and a furore emerged over the well-known department store, Marks & Spencer. In Australia there’s emerging moves from governments to develop national frameworks along similar lines.
Professionals say it sometimes takes more carbon to keep a building upright – or safe – than to build new.
How it works
Before the debate kicks off, you’ll be asked to vote on the proposition:
We need to mandate carbon limits for new projects to avoid (or stop) demolition of existing buildings
Our panellists will share their six individual view points (they can make a strong case or argue from their own unique viewpoints). Then you get a chance to share your questions and views in a generous QandA session.
And you’ll be invited to vote again.
Will you change your mind?
You’ll hear from:
The engineer – Tristram Carfrae from Arup is challenging. Columns and basements use a heap of carbon. How about reducing these, or using stone? This engineer, known globally for his outstanding work and engineering awards – think the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, the Water Cube for the Beijing Olympics and One Eagle Street among many other highly regarded buildings – also knows what happened at the Marks & Spencer redevelopment project at Oxford Street in London. Read our interview with Tristram here
The consent authority – Jess Miller, Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney. The City has just announced it will demolish seven buildings to make way for a grand public square. Iin London they have mandated carbon assessments across the entire metropolitan region. Can Sydney lead the way in Australia?
The architect – Jeff Morgan, Hassell. Architects are at the front end of what our future built environment looks like. How do they persuade clients to go along with the sustainability goals: what gets the client across the line and when does the client draw a line in the sand?
The developer – Filomena Beshara, Freecity, ex Built and ex several years in New York working on adaptive re-use projects. This is sustainability work at close quarters from the inside of the decision making process – and how to balance green objectives with market reality.
The quantity surveyor – Michael Mihailou, RLB, is where the buck stops. Money, cost, budget is always at the heart of the decision making. But how do these experts assess carbon and sustainability – short and longer term? How do they paint the scenarios their clients expect to choose from? This is a mysterious world full of possibilities and the ability to influence how these professionals work, what they bring to the equation and how they measure it, could be the solution to our green dreams.
The MC – Maria Atkinson, NSW Net Zero Commissioner. No matter what the argument, how contentious, how ribald, Maria knows how to work the crowd and keep things moving fast and highly interesting. This MC has had a huge track record at our events – she’s highly engaged, knowledgeable and always with a close eye on the passion and the fun that paves the way for progress and solutions!
Lineup
Filomena Beshera, Development Manager - ESG and Innovation lead, Freecity
Filomena Beshara is the Development Manager – ESG and Innovation Lead at Freecity, where she drives integration of sustainable initiatives and emerging technologies across major development projects. Her role extends beyond environmental leadership to spearheading research, new methodologies, and forward‑looking solutions that create long‑term commercial, social, and environmental value. Before joining Freecity, Filomena held senior sustainability roles where she helped shape industry practice through research collaborations, design‑for‑disassembly frameworks, and white papers on sustainable construction. She brings a multidisciplinary background spanning architecture, sustainability, and hands‑on project delivery, supported by previous experience as a Project Manager contributing to high‑rise and mid‑rise developments through design coordination, contract management, construction phases, and BTR delivery. Her professional achievements have been recognised through key industry honours, including being named a Finalist for the Property Council of Australia’s Future Leader of the Year (2025) and receiving IWBI’s Next Frontier of Design Award (2025). Filomena is a WELL Accredited Professional, a LEED Accredited Professional, a Certified Passive House Designer, and a Green Star Accredited Professional. She holds a Master of Science in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and a Master of Architecture from Politecnico di Milano.
Tristram Carfrae, Arup Fellow, Arup
Tristram Carfrae is a world leading structural designer. He has an unswerving commitment to designing better buildings that consume less resources, materials, energy, time, and money; yet give more pleasure. He has been awarded IABSE's International Award of Merit in Structural Engineering, the Gold Medal from Institution of Structural Engineers and the MacRobert Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2006 he was appointed a Royal Designer for Industry by the RSA. He is known for challenging the status quo and has contributed to the design of dozens of award winning buildings, with some of the world’s best architects, over his 40+ years with the firm. He is currently helping to complete the design of Gaudi’s amazing church, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. With over 250 architectural projects completed, and provision of advice on hundreds of retrofits, Light House has shown there is growing demand for smaller, smarter, sustainable, gas-free housing. Despite only doing smaller, smarter sustainable homes, Light House projects have won numerous local and national architecture and housing awards
Michael Mihailou, Director, Rider Levett Bucknall
Michael Mihailou is a Director at Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB), where he leads the delivery of quantity surveying, cost management, carbon advisory, and strategic consulting services across major projects throughout New South Wales. He works with government, institutional, and private sector clients on the planning and delivery of complex developments spanning education, health, residential, aged care, infrastructure, and commercial sectors. In addition to overseeing major project portfolios and commercial strategies, Michael leads RLB NSW's carbon services, helping clients navigate the growing challenges of embodied carbon, decarbonisation, sustainability reporting, and whole-of-life asset performance. He is also a strong advocate for digital transformation within the property and construction industry, driving the adoption of AI, data analytics, and automation to improve decision-making and project outcomes
Jess Miller, Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Sydney
Councillor Jess Miller is the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. Her vision for Sydney is that it remains Australia's pre-eminent City, with a reputation for liveability, innovation, fairness, and fun. On Council, Jess is the Deputy Chair of the Transport, Heritage & Planning Committee, a member of the Cycling Advisory Panel and Nightlife & Co-Chair of the Creative Industries & Nighttime Industries Panel. Formerly a TEDxSydney curator, speaker and board member, she has also served on the board of the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre and currently sits on the National Art School board. Jess has lived in the City of Sydney for 25 years in Alexandria and more recently with her family in Glebe, is a member of the Legacy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team, a kickboxer and supporter of the Greater Western Sydney AFL team (and the Melbourne Demons.) Jess speaks Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish and happily converses with her constituents in both.
Jeff Morgan, Principal, Hassell
Jeff Morgan leads the charge on sustainability in the Sydney studio and contributes to Hassell’s global sustainability strategy and industry groups. He has an unwavering focus on embedding market-leading sustainable initiatives into his projects.
Maria Atkinson, MC
Maria Atkinson is a scientist turned global sustainability leader, Maria is NSW Net Zero Commissioner, Venture Partner with Nirman Ventures, and a Member of the Order of Australia for pioneering sustainable building development. She serves on the Technical Working Group for IEEE 3469 – the international standard for environmental liability accounting in systems engineering. Maria brings rare authority and practical insight to every stage she steps onto, speaking at the frontier of policy, investment, and innovation, and actively shaping it.
Agenda
- 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Registration and networking
Networking
- 6:00 pm
Introduction and welcome
Introduction: Maria Atkinson (Moderator) Welcome: Reid Butler (Hassell)
- 6:05 pm
Vote: We need to mandate carbon limits to avoid (or stop) demolishing buildings
- 6:10 pm
Panel debate
Panel debate: 4 minutes presenting an argument from each speaker (with variety of views, not binary) Filomena Beshara, Freecity (the sustainability expert)Jess Miller, City of Sydney (the consent authority)Tristram Carfrae, Arup (the engineer)Jeff Morgan, Hassell (the architect)Michael Mihailou, RLB (the quantity surveyor)
- 6:35 pm
Q and A
- 7:20 pm
Closing arguments
(1 minute each)
- 7:30 pm
Vote again: Did you change your mind?
- 7:30 pm
Refreshments and networking
- 8:00 pm
End of event
Thank you to our event sponsor
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