28 Nov 2008: ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Securing Sustainable Energy Supplies in Europe and Australia: Policy-Makers, Business, Scientists, NGOs on Energy and the Environmental Challenge

Venue: Monash University Prato Centre, Prato, Italy

An international conference of the Monash European and EU Centre, the Monash Sustainability Institute, the Centre for Green Chemistry and School of Applied Sciences and Engineering,  the Faculty of Business and Economics (Monash University, Melbourne), the Australian National University (Canberra), the Machiavelli Centre (CIMA), University of Florence, the Institute for European Studies (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium), the Centre for Environmental Law, University of Amsterdam and the Delegation of the European Commission to Australia.

Securing sustainable energy supplies has become a key priority in the European Union and is a growing concern in Australia.

The diversity of responses to this problem in each of these jurisdictions offers rich opportunities for cross-learning, for example in relation to emissions trading, investment in climate change solutions, shared experience in managing the economic risks of adapting to climate change, and the opportunities presented by the Clean Development Mechanisms and Joint Implementation instruments in the Kyoto Protocol.

The purpose of this interdisciplinary conference was to provide a forum for academics, policy-makers, business representatives and environmental groups to explore, debate and compare the different approaches and experiences in securing energy supplies in Europe and Australia, with a view to facilitating the development of sustainable government and business strategy.
In particular, the conference focused on the interplay between policy-makers, scientists, business and environmental groups in securing sustainable energy supplies in the European Union and Australia. It also investigated the relations between risk, uncertainty and decision-making; energy security across borders; and the technological, ecological and social aspects of clean energy technologies.

Speakers included:

• Professor Laura Carballo (University of Vigo, Spain)
• Dr Samuele Furfari (European Commission, Brussels)
• Mr Daniel Guéguen (CEO, Clan Public Affairs, Brussels)
• Dr Karen Hussey (Australian National University, Canberra)
• Professor Marc Pallemaerts (University of Amsterdam/Université Libre de Bruxelles)
• Associate Professor Antonio Patti (Centre for Green Chemistry, Monash University, Melbourne)
• Dr Graeme Pearman (GP Consulting/Monash Sustainability Institute)
• Professor Richard Pomfret (University of Adelaide)
• Professor Werner Pleschberger (University of Agricultural Sciences, Vienna)

Further information [pdf: 106kb]

Posted on 14 December 2008