100 Climate Conversations

Some coastal wetlands – known as blue carbon ecosystems – capture carbon dioxide 30 to 50 times faster than terrestrial forests. With Blue Carbon Lab, Dr Maria del mar Palacios studies how these natural carbon sinks can help mitigate climate change and support aquatic biodiversity.  Maria del Mar Palacios is recorded live in conversation with Nate Byrne at Powerhouse Ultimo . For more information...

In 1983, Martin Green led a team that invented the PERC cell, a solar power technology that allows more sunlight to be captured and turned into electricity. This innovation, since further developed by Green and his team, is now used in over 90 per cent of global silicon solar module production.  Martin Green is recorded live in conversation with Nate Byrne at Powerhouse Ultimo . For more informati...

Drawing on over three decades of climate experience, Mark Howden is the director of the Australian National University Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions. With the increased frequency of bushfires and floods, Howden is committed to researching mitigation and adaptation responses to these potential severe weather events.  Mark Howden is recorded live in conversation with Marian Wi...

Globally recognised scientist, conservationist and author Tim Flannery has been a stalwart champion on climate action for decades. After the abolition of the federal Climate Commission, Flannery co-led the formation of the independent Climate Council in 2013 and is now chief councillor. Through his research and work at the Climate Council, Flannery continues to campaign for effective climate polic...

Tackling issues of climate through the application of new techniques in digital fabrication and principles of circular economy, architect Ninotschka Titchkosky leads the decarbonisation of the Australian architecture and building industries. Ninotschka Titchkosky is recorded live in conversation with Paddy Manning at Powerhouse Ultimo . For more information go to 100climateconversations.com/ninots...

Raised on a farm in regional Australia, cardiologist Dr Arnagretta Hunter understands the impacts of drought and heat on health. After the devastating fires of 2019 that exposed many to air pollution, Hunter began studying the impacts of bushfire smoke on community health and is determined to adapt care to cope with climate change.  Arnagretta Hunter is recorded live in conversation with Marian Wi...

The sea country of the Great Barrier Reef is facing significant stress due to climate change – warming oceans, ocean acidification and plagues of crown of thorns starfish are some of the biggest threats. The Dawul Wuru Reef Rangers apply traditional knowledge to monitor and care for this most precious ecosystem and all of its inhabitants.  Gavin Singleton is recorded live in conversation with Rach...

When a drought devastated Charles Massy’s farm, he looked to regenerative agriculture to help the land recover. After decades of research into how the holistic agricultural approach can capture carbon in soil and help mitigate drought and climate change effects, the fifth-generation farmer is now advocating these techniques to farmers nation-wide. Charles Massy is recorded live in conversation wit...

Social researcher Rebecca Huntley thinks we need thousands of everyday conversations about climate change with our friends, family and neighbors to make progress. Researching how individuals approach the climate challenge with different understandings, perspectives and attitudes, Huntley has developed tools for engaging the disengaged, persuading the cautious and increasing the numbers of concerne...

Urban heat expert Professor Sebastian Pfautsch is working to adapt Western Sydney to its increasing temperatures. Using trees and other natural and man-made urban design elements, the award-winning researcher aims to create cooler streets and public spaces through clever design and revegetation. Sebastian Pfautsch is recorded live in conversation with Craig Reucassel at Powerhouse Ultimo . For mor...

Bruce Pascoe looks to how traditional knowledge and cultivation of Indigenous crops might foster a revitalised relationship to land and agriculture. One of Australia’s most influential thinkers, Pascoe shares his experiences of the 2019 Mallacoota bushfire and how he has been nourished by the revival of his East Gippsland farm and traditional knowledge and practice. Bruce Pascoe is recorded...

Australian cities are where the nation’s majority live, eat and emit. Combatting the emissions that accompany these highly urban environments, Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore established some of Australia’s most ambitious climate initiatives including plans for net zero by 2035, reducing waste and increasing green space. Clover Moore is recorded live in conversation with Benjami...

Charlie Veron knows the Great Barrier Reef more intimately than anyone. The retired marine scientist spent decades studying its complex ecosystem and the threat posed by climate change. With a mission to safeguard the reef, Veron advocates for emission reductions, collaborates on a coral biobank and is planting thousands of trees on his rainforest property. Charlie Veron is recorded live in conver...

Atlassian co-founder and co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes is determined to push Australia towards a carbon neutral future. An outspoken advocate for renewable energies and investor in the nation’s largest solar farm, Cannon-Brookes sees a transition to renewables as a win for the climate and an incredible economic opportunity for Australia. Mike Cannon-Brookes is recorded live in convers...

Shane Rattenbury MLA has been an outspoken advocate for environmental and climate action throughout his career. He holds dual portfolios as both ACT Attorney-General and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction. In the latter role he has overseen the territory’s shift to be powered 100 per cent by renewable energy for the past two years in a row and a greater than 40 per cent reduc...

Lesley Hughes is one of Australia’s most distinguished authorities on climate change. Over decades of climate advocacy and watching the country’s tumultuous climate politics, the biodiversity researcher and climate councillor remains determined to implement solutions and speak truth to power. Lesley Hughes is recorded live in conversation with Rae Johnston at Powerhouse Ultimo . For mo...

Visionary inventor Professor Veena Sahajwalla sees waste as an opportunity. Through her work as Director of the Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT) Centre, UNSW, she engineers new ways to combat and find value in waste that drive down manufacturing’s carbon footprint. Veena Sahajwalla is recorded live in conversation with Rae Johnston at Powerhouse Ultimo . For more infor...

With a clear vision of how Australia can decarbonise, Ketan Joshi consults and comments on Australia’s climate targets, energy transition and the state of play of the fossil fuel industry. One of the most influential voices on the net zero opportunity, Joshi began his career working on-the-ground on renewables, previously working with Infigen energy, CSIRO and the Australian Renewable Energy...

As the world heads towards net zero in the coming decades, governments can take advantage of the opportunity or risk falling behind. Since the 2019-2020 bushfires, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has championed a more progressive set of energy and climate policies in the Liberal Party, introducing a 20-year plan incentivising private investment in renewable energy and reducing emissions in NSW. Matt Kean...

In the early 2000s fourth-generation farmer Charlie Prell was looking for ways to lessen the financial and mental burden of the millennium drought. He signed up to host Crookwell 2 windfarm on his property. He’s never looked back and now works to encourage other farmers to take up renewables as a secondary income. Charlie Prell is recorded live in conversation with Gabrielle Chan at Powerhou...

Richie Merzian sees a simple three-step solution to climate change: get to 100 per cent renewables, electrify everything, then learn how to remove carbon from the atmosphere through sequestration. As climate and energy program director at think-tank The Australia Institute he advocates for meaningful policy action towards these goals. He brings insights from his experience as b...

Solar industry veterans Chris McGrath and Edan Tehan founded 5B in 2013 to create a system to deploy solar farms faster and use land more efficiently. Their technology will soon be rolled out by the ambitious Sun Cable project, a massive solar installation that will send electricity via an underwater cable from the Northern Territory to Singapore. 5B has committed to create green su...

v2Foods founder and chief executive Nick Hazell hopes better meat-free alternatives will encourage more people to embrace a plant-based diet reducing global carbon emissions. Working closely with the CSIRO, Hazell is developing plant-based ‘meats’ that look, smell and taste like the real thing. Nick Hazell is recorded live in conversation with Pat Abboud at Powerhouse Ultimo . For more information...

Marine ecologist Adriana Vergés is on a mission to bring back Sydney's disappearing seagrass meadows, which provide critical habitat and support marine biodiversity off Australia’s biggest metropolis. From her lab at UNSW, she leads Operation Crayweed : an initiative dedicated to restoring seagrass ecosystems, opening new carbon sinks and mitigating climate impacts.  Adriana Verg...

Torres Strait Islander, human rights lawyer and Fulbright scholar Sasha Purcell is an advocate for the rights of Torres Strait Islander people who are on the front lines of climate change. A delegate with the United Nations Association of Australia, Purcell is determined use the tools of international law to hold governments and industry accountable.  Sasha Purcell is recorded live in convers...