MECLA Radical Collaboration

The Materials Embodied Carbon Leaders' Alliance (MECLA) is a unique alliance of industry, government, and research driving embodied carbon reductions in the built environment. The alliance has over 450 active participants around Australia across over 160 member organisations. Member organisations represent a vast range of stakeholders along construction supply chains. Construction is full of complicated supply chains with myriad companies and government bodies influencing projects in various ways. By extension, these different players also have different capabilities and roles in changing those supply chains and the assets they produce to become more sustainable.

There are two key pillars of MECLA's success: radical collaboration and systems thinking.

Through radical collaboration in a pre-competitive environment, MECLA brings together stakeholders to better understand the challenges and opportunities in embodied carbon for the industry, and move us toward a more sustainable future.

Systems thinking sits at the nexus of that problem solving. By better understanding the various roles construction organisations play, their capacity for change, and how they are embedded within the complex ecosystem, MECLA has been able to identify opportunities to drive sustainable outcomes and helped Australia progress the embodied carbon conversation.

In this event MECLA intends to host a conversation for industry, government and research professionals outside of the construction sector to explore what radical collaboration and systems thinking could do for other industries in Australia. After a presentation exploring MECLA as a case study, a panel discussion exploring the opportunities and barriers to change in other sectors will occur. The discussion will include experts from the fashion industry and aviation.

Panelists will include:

• Ainsley Simpson - CEO, Seamless
• Taylor Brydges - Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures
• Rebekka Carey-Smith - Head of Sustainability, The Iconic
• Kimberly Camrass - Sustainability Lead - Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific, Boeing
• Hudson Worsley - Chair, MECLA

Representatives from various industries will contribute to the conversation, adding their expertise and knowledge. Through this exploration, a comprehensive model of radical collaboratioin and systems thinking will be expanded beyond embodied carbon toward other aspects of our green transformation.

Doors open at 3:45 PM for check-ins before the event starts at 4:00 PM.