An economy-wide transformation to net-zero emissions is a national commitment. It will require the planning, building and financing of infrastructure at a scale and pace unprecedented outside wartime.
The Melbourne Energy Institute and the Grattan Institute invites you to join us for a public seminar in person and online to expand on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
The expert panel will include MEI Director Professor Michael Brear, the Grattan Institute’s Energy and Climate Change Program Director Mr Tony Wood, and Ms Zoe Whitton, Managing Director of specialist climate change consultancy Pollination. The panel discussion and audience Q&A will be moderated by the ABC’s Ms Patricia Karvelas.
PANELLISTS
Professor Michael Brear
Director, Melbourne Energy Institute
University of Melbourne
Michael Brear is a mechanical engineer and the Director of the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) at the University of Melbourne. MEI facilitates the University’s research on the technical, economic, environmental and social impacts of energy.
Michael is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, the Combustion Institute, Engineers Australia and the Australian Institute of Energy. He previously established the University’s multi-disciplinary degree, the Master of Energy Systems. Prior to commencing at the University of Melbourne, Michael worked for ICI Australia (now Orica), and then undertook graduate studies at Cambridge University and post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr Tony Wood
Director, Energy and Climate Change Program
Grattan Institute
Tony has been Director of the Grattan Institute’s Energy Program since 2011 after 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles.
From 2009 to 2014 he was also Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut climate change review.
In January 2018, Tony was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly in the areas of energy policy, climate change and sustainability. In October 2019, Tony was elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.
Ms Zoe Whitton
Managing Director
Pollination
Zoe Whitton is Head of Impact at Pollination Group, a specialist climate change investment and advisory firm. Zoe assists companies and investors to navigate the impacts of climate change and to build new businesses and products which are transition aligned. She previously led the award-winning APAC ESG Research team at Citi, advising institutional investors globally on climate change and sustainable development. Earlier in her career Zoe covered ESG and climate change at Credit Suisse and at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and served as a youth delegate to the UNFCCC. She serves on the boards of the Investor Group on Climate Change and the Centre for Policy Development, and on the Steering Committee of the Australian Climate Governance Initiative. She is also member of the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute’s Technical Advisory Group, and the Sydney Environment Institute’s Advisory Group.
Zoe has won numerous awards for her research and work on climate finance and risk, and regularly contributes to the wider conversation on sustainable finance by commentating in the Australian and international press along with various publications.
MODERATOR
Ms Patricia Karvelas
Presenter
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Patricia Karvelas is the presenter of the ABC’s RN Breakfast and co-host of the Party Room podcast. Previously she was the presenter of RN Drive.
She has been a prominent senior journalist in the Australian media for more than 20 years, beginning her professional career in broadcast journalism at the ABC and SBS as both a producer and presenter.
She worked for The Australian newspaper from 2002 covering federal politics, most recently as the Victorian Bureau Chief and Editor and Senior National Affairs Journalist. Patricia specialised in Indigenous affairs reporting for more than 10 years.
