Explore the relevance of circular economy, ESG, sustainability, and climate change to local businesses in this workshop designed for business operators, local councils, and governments interested in understanding how these factors impact their operations and the community at large.

Hosted by Bunbury Geographe CCI corporate partners, GHD - a global professional services company renowned for their leadership in engineering, construction, and architectural expertise - this workshop will delve into the importance of integrating forward-looking and innovative approaches in business practices.

Learn about the importance of integrating circular economy practices, sustainable initiatives, and climate change strategies into your business operations. Discover how forward-thinking approaches can not only benefit the environment but also lead to improved social and economic outcomes for your community.

With expertise in connecting and sustaining communities worldwide, GHD is committed to fostering lasting relationships with partners and clients. Don't miss this opportunity to explore innovative solutions and develop sustainable practices that will position your business for long-term success in a rapidly changing world.

Meet your experts:‍

Host and Facilitator: Fionnuala Hannon, Technical Director Environment

Fionnuala is based in GHD’s Bunbury office and has over 30 years of experience in environmental impact assessment and approvals, water allocation and planning, stakeholder consultation and sustainability. Fionnuala has been the Project Director and Leader for a range of multidisciplinary projects in the southwest. Major projects Fionnuala has delivered in the southwest include environmental approvals for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, Albemarle’s lithium processing plant, the expansion of Talison’s hard rock mine in Greenbushes and SIMCOA's mine expansion. Fionnuala is currently delivering environmental approvals for the Collie Battery Energy Storage System.

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Presenter: Nick Houldsworth, Market Leader – Environment

Topic: Integrating sustainability in business processes

Nick has 25 years of experience leading environmental, social and sustainability teams and has been responsible for the delivery of major environmental and social impact assessments, approvals and post-impact assessment compliance programs for many major projects in Australia and internationally. Nick is an experienced sustainability professional and is a specialist in the circular economy, sustainability implementation frameworks, implementing sustainability into engineering and sustainable decision-making. He has applied sustainability to planning, design, construction, operations and decommissioning for major projects across many market sectors including infrastructure, urban development, industrial precincts, mining, water infrastructure, energy and ports.

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Presenter: Huia Adkins, Business Group Leader –Sustainability

Topic: Circular Economy

An experienced professional who co-creates sustainability strategy and action. Huia utilises her expertise and understanding of the principles, tools and strategies of sustainable practice to help deliver workable solutions that support global sustainability goals. Huia has more than 20 years of working across private, public and tertiary education sectors; facilitating the development and implementation of environmental policy, programs and plans, assessment and analysis of expected outcomes and advice to key stakeholders on pathways forward. She has worked extensively in sustainability, circular economy, waste and resource recovery as well as strategic planning, impact assessment and environmental regulation. She has extensive experience developing strategy and implementation pathways as well as undertaking stakeholder engagement and facilitation processes. Huia is a founding member of Circular Economy WA (CEWA), established to act as the circular economy hub for WA and has contributed to numerous other working groups and steering committees supporting the circular transition across Australia.

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Presenter: Laura Trotta, Senior Environmental Engineer / Sustainability Consultant

Topic: Climate risk assessment and adaptation for business

Laura is an environmental engineer with over 15 years’ experience in sustainability/ climate change services, environmental management systems, mine closure, cultural heritage management and contaminated land assessment. Laura is experienced in conducting climate change risk assessments and authoring climate change adaptation plans, and has completed climate change studies for multiple Defence, resources/ mining and transport/ infrastructure projects throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Her experience includes 11 years in site-based environmental roles at various mines and smelters throughout Australia including four years at the open cut Century Zinc Mine in NW Queensland and four years in a senior environmental and business improvement role at BHP Olympic Dam.

She is a trained ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) lead auditor and accredited Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

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‍Panel Member: Hayley Rolfe, Technical Director – Circular Economy

Hayley is an experienced environmental scientist and leader with substantial policy, project management and stakeholder engagement experience in circular economy, sustainability and waste management. Hayley works with clients to provide advice and develop circular economy approaches that include assessment of business processes, management and recovery of commercial wastes, impact assessments and opportunities for the beneficial use of waste derived materials. Hayley has extensive policy and legislation experience with a particular focus on waste regulation and reform, she has contributed to environmental and regulatory working groups in WA and Nationally.

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Panel Member: Michele Villa, Technical Director - Sustainability

Michele has 30 years’ experience providing environmental, health & safety and social impact consulting services to the oil & gas, mining, manufacturing and public service sectors across Europe and Australia. Michele is an expert at integrating environmental issues into the long-term financial success of organizations, Michele’s areas of specialization include identifying risk, improving business performance through digital solutions and implementing best practice for climate change strategies, emissions trading systems, environmental and health and safety management systems, sustainability strategies and waste management. As an entrepreneur he founded ADAM AI Solution, a start up providing digital solution to safety and sustainability.