Past Events

Since its launch in late 2009, the GreenCollar Think Tank has featured local and international high calibre experts  through lectures, informal talks, and by popular demand, Oxford-style debates where teams of experts face off on key questions.

* A moderated panel of mixed background professionals took on the topic “Does Australian media have an agenda to influence the public discussion on climate change?” Moderated by Tracey Cain, Managing Director of Australian Public Affairs, the event included Giles Parkinson, Editor and F0under of ClimateSpectator; Dr Rod Lamberts, Deputy Director of Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science; James Schultz, CEO of environmental markets consultancy GCS; Martijn Wilder, Head of Global Environmental Markets and Climate Change, Baker & McKenzie; and Lewis Tyndall, barrister and low carbon entrepreneur. Sydney, 15 Novermber, 2011. A summary of the discussion can be found here. 

* An Oxford-style debate on the subject “Any action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by Australia is irrelevant until there is a significant global agreement for action that includes China, India and the USA” was hosted alongside CarbonExpo 2011. Melbourne, 8 November, 2011. (Click here to read the discussion summary.) 

* John Virgoe, First Secretary for Climate Change and Economics, British High Commission, spoke on “Austerity Britain – climate ambition in tough economic times.” Sydney, 21 September, 2011. (Click here to read the event report.)

* An Oxford-style debate was hosted at the ECOGEN Conference, discussing the future of clean transport. Participants included  Dan Kammen, Chief Technical Specialist for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, The World Bank, Patrick Hearps, Research Fellow, Zero Carbon Australia, Andrew Dicks, President, Australian Hydrogen Energy Association and Tristan Edis, Research Fellow for Energy, Grattan Institute, among others. Brisbane, 6  September, 2011. (Click here to read the event report.)

* Andrew Hewett, Executive Director of Oxfam Australia, spoke about food security as a global challenge and specifically within the Australian context. Sydney, 3 August, 2011. (Click here to read the event report.)

* Bob Carr, Former Premier of NSW, spoke about how a new State government is changing environmental policy and the implications for industry and conservation on state and federal level. Sydney, 13 July, 2011. (Click here to read the event report.)

* Simon Smith, Deputy Chief Executive Climate Change and Programs, NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, spoke on the topic of ”Bio-banking vs. bio-security – does a market mechanism secure the means to protect biodiversity?” Sydney, 19 April, 2011.

* Simon Carter, Director, Morphosis, presented on the subject of ”The Good News Story: A view of the latest revolution to transform our world.” Sydney, 29 March, 2011.

* An Oxford-style debate was hosted in conjunction with HAC at the Energising South East Asia Conference & Exhibition, on whether the future of emission reductions in Australia should be achieved through a carbon tax or direct action. Participants included Alannah McTiernan, former WA’s Planning and Infrastructure Minister and Tony Wilkins, Manager Environment & Climate Change with News Ltd. Perth, 23 March, 2011.

* Ian Dunlop, Chairman of Safe Climate Australia, speake about peak oil and global energy security. Sydney, 1 December, 2010.

*A panel discussion was hosted in conjunction with the Government of Canada and the Canadian Trade Commission, on the debate around developing smart grids. This event  featured Ralph Zucker, Executive Director of SmartGrid Canada and Dr Glenn Platt, Research Group Leader with CSIRO Energy Technology. Sydney, 26 October, 2010.

* An Oxford-style debate was held in partnership with Norton Rose, on whether Australia is being left behind in the Asian Green Revolution. Participants included Tom Luckock, a projects lawyer with Norton Rose based in Beijing; David Antonioli, CEO of the Voluntary Carbon Standard Association based in Washington, DC; and Arek Sinanian, Australia-Pacific Technical Executive in Climate Change and Resource Efficiency at Parsons Brinckerhoff, among others. Sydney, 14 October, 2010.

* An Oxford-style debate was held on the sidelines of the 2010 Australasia CarbonExpo, considering whether “A carbon tax is the only effective policy to achieve real reductions in emissions, drive significant investment in clean technology and change in consumer behaviour with the least cost to the economy.” Participants included Anthony Hobley, Global Head Climate Change & Carbon Finance at Norton Rose; Geoff Sinclair, Head of Carbon Sales & Trading at Standard Bank, London; Meg McDonald, CEO of the Australian Carbon Trust; and David Antonioli, CEO at Voluntary Carbon Standards Association, Washington DC, among others.  Melbourne, 12 October 2010.

* An Oxford-style debate was held on the sidelines of the EcoGen 2010 conference, considering ”Whether the future of renewable energy in Australia lies in small-scale or large-scale generation.” Participants included Seb Henbest of Bloomberg New Energy Finances; Jeff Serfass, President Technology Transition Corporation; Vincent Dwyer, Corporate Partner at Norton Rose; Phil Harrington, Pitt & Sherry; and Janice Larson, Director of the Renewable Energy Development Branch (Canada) among others. Sydney, 7 September, 2010.

* A one-day workshop focused on the role of forests in the carbon markets was held in conjunction with Environment Tasmania, at the University of Tasmania School of Arts. Hobart, 30 August, 2010.

* James Cameron, Executive Director and Vice Chairman of Climate Change Capital in London, gave his thoughts on practical ways to create sustainable wealth in the emerging green economy. Sydney, 9 June, 2010.

* Dr Charlotte Streck, a leading global forestry and carbon finance expert and CEO of Climate Focus, spoke on the subject of “Global carbon markets and avoided deforestation.” Sydney, 13 April, 2010.

* Dr Emily Crawford, a Professor of International Law and International Humanitarian Law at UNSW, presented on her work around climate change and forced migration.  Sydney, 31 March, 2010.

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_{Photo courtesy of EcoGen.}