How might we demonstrate leadership in reaching below zero emissions as fast as possible?

About this Event

This digital workshop (via zoom) provides an opportunity to share your ideas for how the Australian National University (ANU) might demonstrate leadership in reaching below zero emissions as fast as possible. The event will kick off with very short presentations to set the scene by:

• Prof Brian Schmidt, ANU Vice Chancellor
• Prof Mark Howden, Director of the ANU Climate Change Institute
• Paul Duldig, ANU Chief Operating Officer
• Kate Donnelly, Master of Climate Change student
• Janet Turpie-Johnstone, HDR Scholar, National Centre for Indigenous Studies 

Participants will then be invited to share their ideas for how ANU can achieve this goal (40 mins). All contributors are requested to keep their statements very short and concise to allow a range of people to contribute.

This is a public workshop event and will be recorded. The recording will be made available through the ANU Below Zero website and to those who register using the Registration link above. Please read the Consultation Information Sheet, User Guide and Moderation Guidelines which detail important information and the terms and conditions of engaging with this process.

ANU Below Zero Consultation

In February 2020, ANU called for urgent action to address climate change and committed to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to below zero, as soon as possible.

ANU are now undertaking a consultation process around how we can address climate change. Consultation is open from 8 Sept -20 October 2020 and you can participate by:

• Registering for this workshop
• And / or contributing your ideas and build on other people’s ideas via our online idea capturing platform - Ideanote*

*In order to post/save your idea, you will be asked to join ANU Below Zero after hitting the submit button. You can use your ANU ID and password by clicking the Single Sign On (SAML) option.

The consultation has been divided into seven themes. You can also engage on the other themes:

• Energy and Buildings
• Travel
• Behavioural Change
• Reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases
• Integrating Below Zero operations, research & teaching
• Finance, investment and purchasing

Background on leadership and targets

Transformational change is required to limit global warming to below 2°C, including rapid reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the implementation of technologies which remove and store GHGs from the atmosphere. As Australia’s national university, ANU has a responsibility to lead the nation in line with world's best practice on emissions reduction.

In February 2020, the ANU Council passed a resolution recognizing the urgency of action to address climate change and committing to minimising the University's greenhouse gas emissions footprint through its own operations.

ANU is in a unique position to lead societal transformation by combining on-campus climate action with our world-leading climate and energy research and teaching to develop innovative solutions at an institutional level. The University has the capacity to promote these innovations and provide leadership to other organisations in Australia and worldwide.