New Post-Carbon Research Centre launched

New Post-Carbon Research Centre launched

RMIT’s new Post-Carbon Research Centre will tackle the complex challenges of decarbonising the built environment and infrastructures to transition to a sustainable, equitable and resilient future.

A joint initiative of the University’s College of Design and Social Context and STEM College, the Centre brings together multi-disciplinary research capabilities across the built environment and infrastructure sectors, together with expertise from design, architecture, planning, engineering, construction, computer and geospatial science, and the social sciences.  ​

The Centre’s official launch event ‘Creating Australian Built Environments for the Post-Fossil Fuel Era’ featured a keynote address by Alison Scotland, CEO of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, on the role of research and collaboration for positive change.

29 October 2024

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Alison Scotland at lectern in front of PowerPoint slideAlison Scotland spoke about the role of research and collaboration for positive change.

Scotland addressed recent regulation regarding mandatory climate related financial disclosure and how it will encourage more private companies to seriously consider their environmental impact.

“Over the next three years, the number of companies and businesses that are going to have to report on their impact on the climate, and what they're going to do to fix it, is going to be more and more,” Scotland said. 

“Their climate impact becomes a financial risk. It's something that a company board is going to need to look at. The need for companies to understand their impact and their place in our built environment is becoming imminent.”

Professor Priya Rajagopalan, Director of the Centre, said that it would work alongside industry to co-produce impactful research. 

“We want to co-produce research with industry and societal stakeholders to imagine, design, deliver and manage built environments free of intensive carbon emissions, preparing for the post-fossil fuel era,” Rajagopalan said. 

“Our aspiration for regenerative futures is to enhance liveability for everyone. We believe that digital technologies have the potential to change the way we plan, build and use the built environment.” 

Group photo of leaders from industry and RMITFrom left to right: Damien Crough, Alison Scotland, Ralph Horne, Priya Rajagopalan, Stefano Scalzo, and Andrew Maher.

Professor Tim Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Design and Social Context and Vice-President, said the Centre will play an important role in responding to the climate crisis.

“The Post-Carbon Research Centre will play a leading role in our work to contribute knowledge, capacity and support for society to respond to the climate crisis through inclusive decarbonisation and planetary regeneration,” Marshall said. 

 “It’s this multi-disciplinary network that positions the Centre so strongly to address the complex challenges of decarbonising infrastructure and the built environment and to support the transition to a sustainable, equitable and resilient future.” 

The Centre’s work is organised around three research themes: 

  • transition; 
  • design; and 
  • production.

Using a whole life cycle approach, the Centre strives for innovation across full life cycle, value and supply chain within the built environment.

Learn more about the Post-Carbon Research Centre. 

 

Story: Nick Adams

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29 October 2024

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