Impact Hour Illawarra: Implementing Sustainable Solutions

In a world where collaboration is key to addressing the climate crisis and other social and environmental challenges, it's crucial to bring people together across different industries and perspectives.

Impact Hour Illawarra is a space for anyone passionate about corporate responsibility, sustainability, ESG, and driving impact to connect, learn, and grow.

These in-person events break down barriers and build community by inviting professionals and enthusiasts from all levels and backgrounds to meet up, share ideas, and enjoy meaningful conversations.

Featuring expert panel discussions on pressing sustainability topics and guided networking opportunities, Impact Hour Illawarra fosters local connections that can drive real change.

Implementing Sustainable Solutions

Impact Hour Illawarra on 20 February 2025 will focus on how local businesses are implementing sustainable solutions. In our panel discussion we will discuss which steps a local business can take to become more sustainable. What are key considerations to ensure sustainable solutions do not come with undue cost and effort? Equally, how can making you business more sustainable and responsible create more value; ie. reduce cost and enhance the bottom line? Our people will include representatives from the Wollongong City Council's sustainability team and local business owners with real-world experience on 'going sustainable'.   

This event welcomes sustainability professionals, corporate executives, and anyone interested in sustainability for business. Together, we'll discuss the increasing importance of ESG in strategic decision-making.

Hear from our panel of experts and join the conversation

	Phil Preston Transformation & Change Speaker, Strategist & Author After leading high-performance teams in corporate roles, Phil broke out on his own to become a globally recognised expert in the purpose-driven leadership and business fields, having worked with more than a hundred clients across all sectors over the past 16-years. He’s authored Connecting Profit with Purpose, launched two podcasts and recently featured in The CEO Magazine, CPA’s InTheBlack and the AFR report on purpose in business. Phil's an accredited ‘master facilitator’ with critical thinking experts, Janellis, and a co-founder of the Purpose Ignition community and Impact Hour business event series.
	Clayton McDowell Associate Director Sustainability, University of Wollongong Clayton McDowell is the Associate Director Sustainability for the University of Wollongong where his team is responsible for managing energy, water, and biodiversity initiatives as UOW aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. Clayton previously worked as a Research Associate at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) where he managed the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) funded Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling (i-Hub) project. Clayton is passionate about sustainable buildings and construction methods with a particular interest in improving energy efficiency and thermal comfort through smart construction.
	Mitch Golding  Environmental Sustainability Officer, Wollongong City Council Mitch has over five years of experience in Local Government climate action and a background in sustainability and energy management. As the Environmental Sustainability Officer at Wollongong City Council, Mitch leads efforts to embed sustainability across council operations and within the community. His role focuses on policy development, project management, and driving initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and promoting clean energy regionally. Recently, Mitch led the Electrify Wollongong campaign, which focused on showcasing the benefits of electrification for households through initiatives such as community batteries, household solar programs, public EV charging, and community education.
	Ifan Jones Sustainability Engagement Coordinator - CitySwitch Program Manager and National Coordinator, City of Sydney Ifan has over 8 years of experience as an environmental professional across a variety of disciplines, including flood risk, contaminated land, waste and recycling, and, most recently, sustainability within local government. Ifan currently works at the City of Sydney as the National Coordinator for the CitySwitch program, a free program which supports businesses in the commercial office sector working toward net zero. In addition to providing resources to help businesses decarbonise, Ifan collaborates with local, state, and federal governments to ensure policies support businesses in achieving net zero emissions.
	Billy Barneston Co-owner, The Reub Goldberg Brewing Machine in Tarrawanna The Reub Goldberg Brewing Machine's (RGBM) goal is to provide quality, fresh beer in the most sustainable way possible. We are a small brewery with a hyperlocal focus - providing just enough great beer to service the thirst of our local area plus a couple of select spots beyond. Most of our patrons either walk or ride to the brewery, and as a venue we don’t even create enough rubbish to require a commercial bin. We are proud to run our brewery on solar energy, having made the switch to green in 2020. We are committed to moving towards zero waste, closing the loop wherever possible and will continue to evolve our eco-credentials as we grow.