What is the Australian material and energy landscape going to look like in 5-10 years?  Join us as we explore the opportunities and challenges of the future as Australia transitions to a circular economy.

Transitions Everywhere: Energy, the Circular Economy, and the Role of Bioenergy 

In Prof. Scott Valentine`s most recent book “Empowering the Great Energy Transition”, he and co-authors Marilyn Brown and Benjamin Sovacool argue that an energy transition is inevitable; the central question now is, “Can we enact a transition before the perils of climate change detrimentally alter the ecological and economic world as we know it?”. Recently, Scott has engaged with local government authorities and businesses throughout Australia on the development of a circular economy (CE) strategy. There is a parallel to his energy work in the CE because there is a transition afoot in resource management. Increasingly businesses and companies are realising that better resource productivity means more profitable businesses operating at a lower resource footprint. 

In this webinar, Scott will review the energy landscape and introduce developments in the circular economy before delving into a discussion on what this means for firms in the biofuel space and the supply chains that support this industry sector.

Future vision for Australian manufacturing and biomass resources

Helen is currently engaged by the Federal government to recommend major policy, regulatory and financial shifts to encourage eco-designed product to enable greater circularity and improved performance across all sectors. The analysis contains a series of recommendations for government, industry, education and business to support the transformation in supply chains and sectors for Australia, so we improve our competitive position, jobs, substantially reduce waste and greenhouse gasses emissions. Helen will present some of the key findings in this project due out in coming months.
 
In this webinar, Helen will address:

• How will the principles of circularity and sustainability drive decisions for improved manufacturing and production in Australia?
• How must suppliers respond to the demands for a low emissions and more circular economy exacted by customers and governments.
• In what way can Australia lead the world in rethinking design, manufacturing and supply chains for the 21st century.

Agenda

Welcome 
Dianne Glenn, Principal Corelli Consulting and Chair of the Circular Economy Network (CEN)
Nigel Murphy, Chair Victorian CleanTech Cluster (VCC)

Transitions Everywhere: Energy, the Circular Economy, and the Role of Bioenergy 
Scott Valentine, Senior Circular Economy Advisor at KPMG, Australia and Professor of Regenerative Planning and Circular Economy at Kyushu University

Future vision for Australian manufacturing and biomass resources
Helen Millicer, Director, One Planet Consulting, Co-Founder Australian Associations Climate and Emissions Program, Board Advisor Replas, Chair Churchill Trust Panel (Ag, Commerce and Logistics)

Q&A 
Panel session moderated by Dianne Glenn

Cost
Bioenergy Australia Members: FREE
Non-Members: FREE

With thanks to the Circular Economy Network and our Co-Host, Victorian CleanTech Cluster (VCC) for supporting this event:

Speaker Bios & Image
 

Scott Valentine
Dr Scott Valentine is Senior Circular Economy Advisor at KPMG and Professor of Regenerative Planning and Circular Economy at Kyushu University in Japan. With over 30 years of diverse international business experience. Scott provides strategic project advice related to circular economy work within the firm and provides expert support for projects around the circular economy. He has led major research projects in Denmark and Holland around the circular economy with an emphasis on corporate strategy and public policy design and implementation. He represents Standards Australia on international development of an ISO standard for the Circular Economy and is the Chair of the Australian Circular Economy Hub’s advisory committee.

Helen Millicer
Churchill Fellow, GAICD
Helen Millicer is one of the first in Australia to explore and speak on practical steps for Australia’s transition to a more circular economy. Building on two decades of working and consulting to all levels of government, and national industry stakeholders including at Chemistry Australia, Australian Industry Group and Enviromix on sustainability and circularity, in 2018 Helen won a Churchill Trust Scholarship to investigate how Australia could shift to a more circular economy, with a strong focus on plastics. In 2018 she was appointed by the EU as Chair of the EU-Australia Leadership Forum on Circular Economy and recent appointments have included contributing practical industry knowledge to form Victoria’s ground-breaking Circular Economy Action Plan, Kerbside Reform including organics, CDS programs, and Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation’s targets to 2025. Helen is currently Co-Leader in a major national strategic project with RMIT and Arcadis recommending policy, financial and regulatory levers to the Australian Government on ways to enable circular product design and supply chain systems. Helen is also leading with the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS in Sydney in delivering a series of Masterclasses connecting climate and circular economy initiatives, with the first sessions focussing on Plastics and on Organics. 

Dianne Glenn
Di Glenn has extensive experience in diverse aspects of the biotechnology sector and the bio-economy. She has hands-on research experience in industrial biotechnology and molecular genetics at UNSW, a CRC and CSIRO, and was research team leader for an industrial biotech company. She has been a senior analyst within a specialist investment bank, and at KPMG provided corporate services for technology-based companies, with clients in the biotech, agricultural, healthcare, construction and engineering sectors. She is currently the principal of Corelli Consulting, with clients including State and Federal governments, listed and private Australian and international companies, industry groups, CRCs, CSIRO and venture capital and other investors. In addition to Bioenergy Australia’s Circular Economy Network, Di is currently on the advisory committee for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology. Di holds a PhD in biotechnology and molecular genetics from UNSW, and is a graduate of the AICD.

Nigel Muphy
Nigel Murphy is Chair of the Victorian Cleantech Cluster. He is passionate about developing a strong Cleantech sector in Victoria and Australia. He is a founder and Director of Earth Systems and Cyclic Carbon, companies that have been actively innovating and commercialising technology in the Cleantech sector over the last 25 years. His Cleantech experience covers product development, IP protection, capital raising, commercialisation and market development. He has degrees in environmental and earth sciences and experience in working in Australia, China, S.E. Asia, Africa and the Pacific. He has provided technical advice to companies, government, financial institutions and the aid sector in environmental science, cleantech and environmental management.