Greening Goals: Our Climate, Our Trees and the SDG’s

Join us for an informative webinar that explores the intersection of urban trees, policy, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Our distinguished speakers, from WALGA and the EMRC, will address the current challenges related to tree canopy loss, climate change, and share effective solutions. We’ll delve into how trees enhance environmental health, social well-being, and economic prosperity. 

This event presents a unique opportunity for local government staff, planners, industry and councils to align tree and nature benefits with urban canopy policies and SDG targets. 

This webinar is in support of the WA Tree Festival.

Speakers

Melanie Davies is the Urban Forest Facilitator at WALGA and is responsible for delivering projects and policy advice to support Local Governments to retain and increase their urban forest. Melanie has over 20 years’ experience in sustainability and environmental management in Local Government, State Government and the private sector, both within Western Australia and Victoria. Melanie is passionate about urban greening and conserving biodiversity at a local level, and is an active member of three bushcare ‘friends of’ groups, including at her children’s primary school

Julian Bolleter is the Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) at the University of Western Australia, the Program Director of AUDRC’s Master of Urban Design course, and an author and public figure. Julian leads an ambitious climate adaptation project, ‘Future climate, future home: adaptive urban design strategies for WA’ with AUDRC partner organisations Development WA, the Department of Communities, the Western Australian Planning Commission, and multiple Local Governments.

Maassoumeh (Mas) Barghchi, PHD Student at Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC). Mas possesses a PhD in urban planning from Malaysia and has a background in architecture, serves as an urban designer and is affiliated with the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA). With over eight years of combined experience in industry and academia spanning Iran and Malaysia, she embarked on a second PhD journey at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) in June 2020 and seeks to optimise climatic comfort in public open spaces (POS) in Perth, Western Australia, in light of climate change challenges.

Erin Burge Urban Environment Officer at the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council EMRC. Erin is responsible for undertaking a benchmark review of EMRCs progress against the Sustainable Development Goals. Erin also assists member councils in the areas of carbon accounting, energy efficiency, climate change, water efficiency and electric vehicle transition. Erin has over 15 years’ experience working with Local Governments in the area of Sustainability and is the first Local Government Officer in the world to be an Accredited Future-Fit Business Advisor.