Monash University Circular Economy Roundtable: Meeting 2 2026

Monash Business School’s Circular Economy Roundtable is now in its third year, and for the second meeting in 2026, our theme is: Government’s New Vision for Circular Economy.

Sustainability Victoria made significant advances facilitating the business and passionate network for the transition to a circular economy in Victoria. However, this ended in June 2026. Many are asking what the state government’s new vision for the circular economy is. At the federal government level, we are asking the same question. Despite this void, several local governments are continuing to make excellent progress in transitioning to the circular economy.

Hence, in this roundtable meeting, we have invited speakers who will reflect on what the three levels of government have achieved in the circular economy transition, and what their vision is for sustaining these efforts and successes in an uncertain government environment.

Dr Dai Forterre, Chief Representative of the Netherlands Business Support office in Australia, will also join us. He will provide an international perspective, after recently returning from his experience of a world-leading example of government leadership for the circular economy transition.

We will also provide an update on Monash University's circular economy activities and achievements, in particular “Circular@Scale” and the “Sustainability Transitions Lab”

Speakers

Professor John Thwaites, AM, Professor of Practice in Sustainability, Monash Business School

In addition to his roles at Monash Business School, Prof Thwaites also chairs the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership, and is interim Executive Chair of McKinnon, a non-partisan philanthropic foundation which aims to improve the quality of Australian government, political leadership and democratic institutions.

Prof Thwaites was appointed Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the environment and to the people and Parliament of Victoria in the 2021 Australia Day Honours. He has received many other sustainability awards including being named among 100 Global Sustainability Leaders by ABC Carbon Express.

Prof Thwaites was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 until his retirement in 2007. During this period, he held various Ministerial portfolios including Minister of Health, Minister of Environment and was Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change. In these portfolios he was responsible for major reforms in social policy, health, environment and water.

Linda Duffy, Circular Economy Strategic Coordinator, City of Greater Bendigo 

Ms Duffy has focused on sustainability for two decades, working with federal and state governments on policy, strategy and delivery programs, including her leadership of the Circular Economy Councils Fund at Sustainability Victoria.

Ms Duffy is a Churchill Fellow and a Centenary of Federation medal recipient for her work with remote and regional communities. She holds a Masters Degree in Sustainability from University of Sydney, and has a specific interest in creative thinking to work on circular strategies, and keeping textiles and natural fibres in circulation.

Maya Shin, Circular Economy and Waste Planning Lead, Moonee Valley City Council

With an educational background in social and political theory tied in with the study of climate change policy and ecology, Ms Shin is passionate about advocating for the protection of the environment and translating complex science into digestible actions and behaviour change for as many people as possible. Having entered the realm of circular economy in local government in 2022 at the beginning of an immense shift in this space, her own understanding and project prioritisation has shifted and melded with the new challenges that constantly arise.

Ms Shin is currently working to draft a Circular Economy and Waste Management Strategy for Moonee Valley Council, alongside overseeing the ongoing implementation of projects by her team such as trialling benchtop food waste dehydrators for food recycling in high-rise apartments, end-of-life textile recycling, and an education campaign targeting key contaminants identified in our kerbside bin education program, among many others. Councils across Victoria are converging on these challenges and taking turns leading the charge in trialling innovative solutions, led by internal priorities.

Dr Dai Forterre, Chief Representative, Netherlands Business Support Office in Australia.

Dr Forterre is a seasoned sustainability professional with global experience across government, business, and civil society, and an adjunct professor at Luiss Business School (Amsterdam).

Most recently, he was a senior member of the economic diplomatic team at the Netherlands Embassy in Canberra and a program leader responsible for Business Conduct (RBC) at the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. In both roles, he built an extensive track record in establishing effective partnerships connecting business, academia, different levels of government, and civil society.

Dr Forterre strongly advocates for co-designing sustainability policies and applying transition brokerage models. His innovative approach has proven effective in driving the circular economy, decarbonization, and RBC.

Prior to his civil service career, Dr Forterre made significant contributions to the Corporate Sustainability programs and teams in the logistics industry and sporting goods sectors. His work spanned across the Asian-Pacific and Europe, and he led ground-breaking initiatives such as the development of the world’s first low-carbon performance running shoe for ASICS with MIT’s Center for Transport and Logistics and the launch of the sector’s first Sustainable Apparel Library with Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM).

Facilitators

Professor Amrik Sohal, Department of Management, Monash Business School

Associate Professor Glen Croy, Department of Management, Monash Business School

Associate Professor Martin Geissdoerfer, Sustainability Transitions Lab, Monash Business School

Dr Shiqing Yao, Department of Management, Monash Business School

Dr Limin Fu, Department of Management, Monash Business School

Dr Alka Nand, Department of Management, Monash Business School

Associate Professor Stefan Kaufman, Sustainability Transitions Lab, Monash Business School