“We are embarking on the largest all-industry task in history. Putting ourselves on a 1.5–2 degree pathway and holding ourselves and each other accountable for achieving interim targets is essential for humanity. We have a vital role to play with our clients to help them in many sectors to meet this challenge as well. When we talk about leaving a legacy, there is none more important than this.”

Aurecon Group Director Sustainability, Paul Gleeson, said the work of this decade is what matters most and the cost of inaction is becoming clearer both in the pathway to net zero emissions and in the adaptation required to prepare for more frequent and extreme weather events.

“As we see an increasing shift in focus beyond commitments to action and delivery, keeping climate smart engineering at the forefront is critical. In this decisive decade of climate action, instilling our profession with the right mindset to design for the future and not the past has become the need of the hour.”

17 of Aurecon’s climate smart designers, engineers and advisors will showcase their ideas, feedback and examples on how to address and adapt to climate change at the inaugural Climate Smart Engineering (CSE) Conference from 16-17 November 2021.

The virtual conference will bring together engineers across all disciplines to demonstrate the pivotal role of engineers and engineering-led solutions in mitigating and adapting to the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. It will feature presentations from influential global leaders including Al Gore, former US Vice President and global environmentalist, Emilio Granados Franco, Head of Global Risks and Geopolitical Agenda at the World Economic Forum, and Dr Cris Liban, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Aurecon will be joining the global leaders to deliver content featuring themes aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to demonstrate the pivotal role of engineering in providing sustainable solutions, systems, efficiencies and pathways by which business and government may avoid serious climate consequences.

Engineering for humanity: responsive design for greater liveability

Society is feeling the pressure in areas of energy, water supplies, the living environment and public health services. How do engineers play a part in designing a future fit for humanity and embracing the sustainable ethos, so we can live in a world where the standard of living is equitable for all?

Aurecon will deliver five presentations and one poster presentation featuring this theme and aligned to the following UN SDGs:

Aurecon will deliver five presentations and one poster presentation featuring this theme and aligned to the following UN SDGs

Presenters	Presentation
Andrew Chapman Director, Infrastructure Advisory	Transitioning the heart of Melbourne into a climate resilient water sensitive city
Peter Gillam Manager, Environment & Planning	Integrated water planning for a cooler, greener and more resilient Western Sydney
Katrina Swalwell Technical Director, Wind Energy	Keeping the end in sight: Circularity in the wind sector
Theresa Qin Mechanical Engineer	Thermo-economic analysis of a solar-geothermal hybrid generator with multi-effect desalination and its viability for Winton, Queensland
Melissa Gaspari Lead Consultant, Sustainability Jessica Holz Associate, Sustainability	Life Cycle Assessment – shining a light on the unseen, emerging markets and opportunities, and pitfalls to valuation in infrastructure and building
Rich Mitchell Lead Engineer, Integrated Transport & Mobility	*Can Intelligent Transport Systems save the planet?

*poster presentation

How new technology and innovations are reshaping engineering

How do new technologies shape the engineering landscape and what are the opportunities for the future? How will engineering continue to positively impact our society?

Aurecon will deliver seven presentations featuring this theme and aligned to the following UN SDGs:

Aurecon will deliver seven presentations featuring this theme and aligned to the following UN SDGs

Presenters	Presentation
Adolfo Fernandez Benito Technical Director, Power Generation Paul Godden Power Generation Capability Leader	How do you create Net Zero precincts?
Quentin Jackson Sustainability Leader, Buildings Jeffrey Robinson Sustainability Leader, Buildings	Net zero energy vs net zero carbon buildings – how far can we go?
Ben McGarry Future Energy Capability Leader	Creating the REZilient and climate smart energy system of the future
Steve Bondio Lead Engineer, Future Energy Mark Griffith Power Generation Practice Leader	Turning the tables on supply and demand in our future energy mix
Thom Cameron Hydrogen & Chemical Technology Director	Hydrogen – When it is the solution to our problems… and when it isn’t
Bill Hakin Technical Director, Dams	Moving the delivery of hydropower projects to a unified digital delivery platform: benefits and challenges
Steve Wilson Technical Director, Power Generation	Large scale battery storage technology – Reshaping power system engineering to combat climate change

View the CSE Full Program here and CSE Poster Listing here.

Aurecon is committed to helping communities and economies transition to a more sustainable future. While our biggest contribution is through the work we do with our clients, we also want to inspire engineers to harness their technical expertise, to help solve the climate change challenge. It’s why we’re very proud to be a major sponsor of the Climate Smart Engineering Conference 2021.

Aurecon is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and is set to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2025, as part of its plan to decarbonise its business and transition its services.

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