Net Zero Futures: Nature as Climate Infrastructure - Systems, Scale & Investment for Net Zero

Professor Jua Cilliers, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Design and Society

Professor Jua Cilliers is Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Design and Society at UTS, and Professor of Urban Planning. Jua was also the inaugural Director of the UTS Green Infrastructure Lab, and currently the elected President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners, representing over 40,000 professional planners across 30 national planning organisations worldwide. She holds professional registrations with both the South African Council for Planners and the Planning Institute of Australia. Jua serves on the Sydney District and Regional Planning Panels. She has been recognised with numerous accolades, including being a finalist in the prestigious Women in Science Awards and the South African Science and Technology Awards. She is also the recipient of the South African National Teaching Excellence Award and the NAWIC NSW Executive Leadership Award. Jua leads public workshops, symposia, and industry training events focused on sustainable urban planning, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and community engagement. Her research and leadership have driven projects across Africa, Europe, and Australia. Through her work, she remains deeply committed to shaping sustainable, resilient cities, and empowering the next generation of urban leaders.

Cyril Giraud, Head of Sustainability, Planning & Environment, Holcim Australia & New Zealand

Derryn Heilbuth, Founder & Chair, BWD Strategic, Co-Chair, Value Australia

Natalie Jiricek, Associate Principal, Environment & Biodiversity, Arup

Professor Martina Linnenluecke, Director, Centre for Risk and Resilience

Professor Martina Linnenluecke is an internationally recognised scholar in climate risk, corporate adaptation and resilience. Her research examines the strategic and financial implications of global environmental change, with a particular focus on how climate risks reshape firms, industries and financial markets. Her work has advanced understanding of sustainability, resilience and environmental finance, and has been widely published in leading academic outlets. She is the author of The Climate Resilient Organization and has published more than 100 academic articles, book chapters and conference papers. Her research has received multiple international awards and has informed policy and practice through close engagement with government, regulators and industry on climate risk and adaptation strategies.

Kate Lynch, Division Head - Environment Policy, Regions & Markets, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia

Professor Kate McGrath, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research

Sharon Molloy, Executive Director, Nature & Natural Capital Markets, DCCEEW NSW

Marco Moreno, General Manager, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council

Dermot O'Gorman, Chief Executive Officer, WWF Australia

Dermot O’Gorman is a global champion for a regenerative revolution for nature, communities and climate. At this critical moment in time for our planet, Dermot is leading environmentalists, philanthropists, businesses and governments in envisioning a regenerative future. With over 23 years as a CEO and experience across the globe, Dermot is a thought leader and a Fulbright Scholar. He has co-founded several social ventures, including OpenSC and WWF’s Panda Impact. He also serves on various purpose-driven boards. As a founding member of the COP31 Collaboration Group, Dermot advocates for a unified, society-wide approach to COP31.

Nick Palousis, Managing Director, 2XE

Nick Palousis describes himself as a sustainability entrepre-nerd, having established a number of companies in the field over the past two decades and worked with over 1,000 businesses and governments to help them pursue ESG and net zero emissions with the best possible holistic return on investment. He is the Founder and CEO for 2XE, a highly-regarded Australian sustainability consulting firm with an expanding footprint in Southeast Asia, North America and Europe. Under Nick's leadership, 2XE was recognised as a Top 5 Sustainability Consulting company by the Australian Financial Review in 2025, and received a Telstra Business Award in 2024. Nick has degrees in Mechatronics Engineering (First Class Honours) and Mathematical & Computer Science from the University of Adelaide.

Associate Professor Mathieu Pernice, Deputy Director, Climate Change Cluster

Mathieu Pernice is an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Deputy Director of the Climate Change Cluster (C3), and Chief Scientific Officer of Algenie, a UTS spin‑out commercialising advanced algae biomanufacturing technologies. With over 15 years of multidisciplinary experience across climate science and biotechnology, Mathieu’s work focuses on translating research into scalable solutions that reduce emissions and displace fossil‑based systems. He has authored more than 120 peer‑reviewed publications and contributed to major government and industry programs. His current focus is on accelerating the transition to net zero by enabling algae‑based biomanufacturing pathways that support low‑carbon food, feed, and materials production, contributing to a resilient and globally competitive Australian bioeconomy.

Stephanie Russo, Managing Director, Pollination Group

Emily Simso, Associate Director, Sustainability & Impact, New Forests

Heechung Sung, Executive Director, Head of Natural Capital Investments & Capital Management, Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Chris Thomas, Director, Investment, Wollemi Capital

Sally Townsend, Head of Sustainability, Blackmores Group

Rayne van den Berg, Chief Value Officer, Value Australia

Professor Stuart White AM, Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS

Professor Stuart White is Director of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS, where he has led transformative sustainability research for over 30 years. He grew up on a mixed sheep and cropping farm near Esperance in Western Australia. Stuart is a qualified electrician and then studied nuclear physics at the University of Western Australia and for a PhD in solar energy at the University of Sydney, while teaching design students at Sydney College of the Arts. He founded a sustainability consultancy on the north coast of NSW before joining the Institute for Sustainable Futures. His applied research work spans water and energy futures, food and agriculture, the circular economy and deliberative democracy. In 2012, Stuart was jointly awarded the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Environmental Research for work on phosphorus security. In 2025, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his service to environmental research and policy.

Convening Innovation, Action and Partnership for a Just Climate Transition

The UTS Net Zero Futures series brings together leaders across universities, industry, government, philanthropy, and community to shape practical, inclusive pathways toward more sustainable approaches. At a time of accelerating climate, environmental and social change, Net Zero Futures exists to move beyond discussion; connecting evidence, lived experience, and climate leadership to support real-world action. It is a platform for collective learning, courageous dialogue, and collaborative solution finding grounded in place, equity, and impact. We use futures, plural, intentionally. There is no single path to net zero. Multiple futures are possible, shaped by the choices we make today, the voices we centre, and the systems we are willing to rethink and redesign.

• Convening Innovation, Action and Partnership for a Just Climate Transition's website