Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Andrew Parfitt, writes that universities are well-equipped to find solutions to the impacts of climate change with the support of industry and government.
Photo by Lewis Parsons on Unsplash
Scott Morrison has said “technology, not taxes” should be Australia’s path to net-zero emissions. Technology will be a key driver in reaching net zero, no doubt. But for this to occur as quickly as we need it to, universities should be front and centre in the government’s thinking.
When it comes to innovation for the public good, universities have a strong track record.
Just two years ago a vaccine for a coronavirus was inconceivable. Today, not only are there several viable vaccines for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), there’s also a pill that is showing promise in stopping Covid-19 infection in its tracks.
What enabled this rapid response from global pharmaceutical companies? Decades of investment into university research, often in collaboration with industry partners, to help identify viruses, understand how they work and how to vaccinate against them.
Now, we need to turn that resolve, determination and collaborative approach to the other existential threat of our time: climate change. I have no doubt if we apply the same methodology to this problem – scientific rigour, technological advances, industry insight, the right public policy settings, government-led and community-driven action – we can and will meet this challenge.
Universities are ground zero when it comes to problem solving. It is university academics and researchers who first explore possible concepts and ideas in search of an answer. Some of those concepts and ideas fail; others are proven to work and take off, gaining attention and then traction once partners – government, industry, communities – are on board. Success lies in the collective, but ultimately, without that first spark of an idea, an iota of an opportunity, we would not reach that finish line.
The University of Technology Sydney is committing more resources for action-oriented climate change research and skills creation, ensuring our graduates are armed with the tools to contribute towards positive change. UTS was the first Australian university to sign the Climate Emergency Declaration and we are determined to walk the walk.
UTS is working towards carbon neutrality on campus, cutting emissions by 30 per cent since 2007 by maximising on-campus solar, signing an Australian-first district chilled water agreement, Green Star building certifications and other key initiatives.
Then there’s the research. Finding solutions to the impacts of climate change is a multidisciplinary exercise.
We’re exploring how to reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry, in fashion, when brewing beer and in the way we feed cattle. Our researchers are looking at ways to build resilience in coral reefs, coastal environments and office spaces.
Microgrids can help us use energy more efficiently and there are practical projects under way to ensure sustainability of water, sanitation and hygiene services, particularly in the developing world.
The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures is leading the charge when it comes to adopting practical approaches to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
As Australia transitions to renewable energy and transport systems to meet the Glasgow Climate Pact principles, ISF researchers are already exploring sustainable solutions to keep resource-reliant electric vehicles running. They have identified strategies for more efficient and ethical lithium-ion battery production, significantly reducing the need for new mining.
Our partners in the Australian Technology Network of Universities are equally as committed to tackling climate change using clever technology. RMIT University, for example, is helping reduce Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions through revolutionising how wastewater is stored, while the University of Newcastle is developing new ultra-thin flexible solar cells, able to be produced rapidly and giving our manufacturing industry greater diversity.
Some of the answers are already here. Some of the technological breakthroughs have occurred and, as many pointed out when the Prime Minister promised technology over taxes, what is needed now are the policy settings to encourage the deployment of those technologies on a much bigger scale.
This is a problem too big for Australian universities to tackle on their own. It is hard to undervalue the importance of international co-operation and collaboration among universities to tackle climate change.
This month UTS signed on to a global network of research institutions – the Worldwide Universities Network – that provides financial and infrastructural support to foster international research collaboration and facilitate academic mobility.
Responding to climate change is the one of the main aims of this group, focusing on research projects that address scientific, cultural, health and social issues.
Priorities include the global availability of clean and affordable food, clean and affordable energy, and human response and adaptation to climate change.
These are, of course, issues that governments and corporations can and should prioritise. But by working with and supporting universities, which by their mission and their design are working for the public good, we can ensure that all aspects of society are acknowledged and addressed when taking on this challenge.
This article was first published in The Australian on 23 November 2021 and is republished here with permission.