POSTPONED: What does ‘good’ look like on the path to net zero?

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been postponed. Melbourne Climate Futures will contact all registrants with updated event details early in 2024.

About this Event

Countries all around the globe are racing to secure new economic opportunities on the path to net zero. While many have questioned whether these efforts will be enough to meet the challenge of climate change in the time required, new concerns are emerging that the rush to build the clean industries we need to transition may inadvertently exacerbate growing economic inequities and social division.   

As Australia pursues its own goals of becoming a ‘renewable energy superpower’, what can we learn from the experiences of other countries to ensure that this historic opportunity to transform our economy genuinely benefits workers and regions over the long term? What does good development look like as we decarbonise our economy? And how do we avoid the negative impacts and extractive practices that have characterised the boom-and-bust cycles of past industrial developments?  

In this talk, Dr Cahill will share her insights into how Australia can navigate the energy transition to ensure a climate resilient, regenerative and just economic future, drawing on her findings from her Churchill Fellowship to Spain, Scotland, Italy, Greece and Germany in March-May this year, as well as a recent trip to the United States. 

About the Speaker

Dr Amanda Cahill is the CEO of The Next Economy, a non-profit organisation that supports all levels of government, industry, workers and community groups across regional Australia to understand and manage economic change. Over the past decade, Amanda has facilitated a diverse range of projects to help communities understand and manage the energy transition across Central Queensland, the Hunter Valley, Latrobe Valley and the Northern Territory. This has included designing and delivering the Gladstone Economic Transition Roadmap in partnership with the Gladstone Regional Council (2022); contributing to the design of the Net Zero Economy Agency; authoring various reports including What Regions Need on the Path to Net Zero (2022); and undertaking policy work on the energy transition for both state and federal government departments. Amanda advises the Australian Government on energy transition issues through her role on the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Advisory Council on Social License, as well as through the National Hydrogen Strategy Review Committee. She has a PhD from the Australian National University and has formal affiliations with the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney and Melbourne Climate Futures at the University of Melbourne.  

About the MC

Professor John Wiseman is a Senior Research Fellow with Melbourne Climate Futures and Adjunct Professor at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. He is also Chair of the Board of The Next Economy. His current research and writing focuses on actions needed to rapidly phase out fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to a just and regenerative safe climate future. His most recent book is Hope and Courage in the Climate Crisis: Wisdom and Action in the Long Emergency Palgrave 2021.