Judith Schinabeck represented GECA earlier this month at the Australian Climate Action Summit hosted by the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia (BCSDA).
The one-day Summit, located in the heart of Parliament House, provided a platform for Australian businesses, not-for-profits, academia, city and state government policymakers and community members to ‘Clear the Air’ and engage on carbon reduction strategies.
There were four sessions during the Summit which explored the possibilities and challenges in achieving a net-zero economy for the following sectors:
🔸 Power (grids, microgrids, PPAs, renewables)
🔸 Industry (including manufacturing and materials management)
🔸 Cities and Transport (including infrastructure), and
🔸 Land Use (food, agriculture and forestry)
Judith, GECA’s Standards & Technical Manager, participated in an industry panel alongside experts such as Dr Kate Ringvall, (IKEA Australia), Brooke Donnelly (Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation) and Jonathan Jutsen (Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity).
Judith discussed GECA’s unique role in carbon reduction in Australia and beyond. This includes supporting the production and procurement of low-carbon materials. When it comes to carbon-intensive products, GECA’s standards set limits on greenhouse gas emissions to make those products ready for a low-carbon future. Examples of such standards include our Cement, Concrete & Concrete Products as well as our Steel and Steel Products standard.
While IKEA and APCO demonstrated their leadership towards a circular economy, the panel also reminded us that there is still much work to be done to get all Australian businesses on to a trajectory towards a zero-carbon future. Throughout the day, there was a general feeling that in the current political climate, we need the enthusiasm of individuals and organisations now more than ever.
The BCSDA has provided an excellent platform to accelerate these conversations. The Summit is part of a year-long initiative to frame an ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution for Australia’s emission reductions.
