Technology leader Siemens has announced a major summit to discuss how Australia can harness digitalisation to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and use technology to help fight climate change.
And it’s calling for engineers to play a bigger role in the environmental and economic success of the nation.
The Beyond 1% Summit, scheduled to take place in Sydney on 3 and 4 July will feature global and national thought leaders, engineers, business leaders, government, educators and sustainability experts.
Australia currently accounts for around one per cent of global emissions. By achieving net zero by 2050, it will have addressed that one per cent, but Siemens’ engineers and leaders believe the country has the expertise to do more if it engages its engineers and accelerates the deployment of key technologies and hastens digitalisation.
Over two days, summit attendees at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park will explore big-picture ways to accelerate sustainability outcomes while still growing the economy.
Stephan May, CEO of Siemens’ electrification and automation business, and one of the most prolific global voices on energy transition will be joining the summit as a distinguished guest speaker. He will reflect on how sustainability and grid stability go hand in hand and discuss the challenges and opportunities in facilitating energy transition.
The stellar lineup of speakers will also include:
- New South Wales Premier Chris Minns will talk about his state’s holistic approach to achieving decarbonisation.
- CSIRO Chief Scientist and materials engineer Bronwyn Fox, who will highlight the organisation’s work in leading innovation in Australia and AI’s evolving role in industry
- David Chuter, Executive Director, Industry Growth at the Department of Industry Science and Resources, who will discuss investment and partnership opportunities for businesses supporting energy transition
- CEO and co-founder of Space Machines, Rajat Kulshrestha, who will reveal how his business’s recently-launched commercial satellite, the largest by an Australian company, will help sustainability in space
- Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council, who will address the key role of managing energy demand to drive down costs, increase profitability and ease the burden of energy targets
- Jon Dee, Founder of Planet Ark and Co-Founder of National Tree Day, who will outline practical steps and tools for businesses to reinvent and take advantage of this global imperative
Boosting renewables
The summit will bring together leading engineers with representatives from industry, government and academia to map out how Australia can capitalise on the many advances in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, energy efficiency, data analytics, digital twins and other technologies to boost sustainability and speed up energy transition. According to Siemens, the holistic approach needs to encompass energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors, with engineers playing a fundamental and critical role.
“Embracing key technologies, including digitalisation, gives us the opportunity to really punch above our weight when it comes to the clean energy transition and the broader topic of decarbonising the world,” said Peter Halliday, CEO of Siemens Australia and New Zealand.
“Meeting our net zero commitments requires big-picture thinking and an ‘all-in’ attitude. But, most of all, it needs our engineers to step up.”
The two-day event follows the success of other recent, state-based Siemens Beyond 1% themed events.
Discussions will cover evolving technologies critical to sustainability including the industrial metaverse, data processing, machine learning applications and clean energy infrastructure.
Interactive agenda
In addition to the keynote addresses, attendees will take part in a series of panel discussions, technology streams and workshops showcasing real-world success stories from both Australia and overseas.
“The summit will also act as a practical lighthouse for businesses by demystifying the targets and legislation, and highlighting avenues to access funding while providing opportunities for collaboration and networking,” Halliday added.
Fox highlighted the importance of digitalisation in achieving sustainability.
“In so many ways, climate change and the critical race to net zero will be the defining challenge of our generation,” she said. “As Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO is right in the middle of meeting this challenge and that includes environmental, technical, social and economic research, and innovation to help industry and communities prosper in a low emissions world.
“Of all the levers we have to pull in what is an increasingly urgent setting, digitalisation is among the most powerful and effective, bringing new capabilities, insights, and options as well as helping us address the age-old adage that you can’t improve what you can’t measure.”
The summit will also include an evening gala event to recognise Australian organisations that represent the ideals underpinning Beyond 1%.
“In the race to net zero, Australia needs to do more with less,” Halliday said. “Digitalisation allows us to reduce waste, increase our efficiency in the use of scarce resources and optimise our supply chains.
“With the right technologies, we can do much more than address one percent of the world’s emissions. I look forward to discussing how we can collectively achieve this at the summit.”
Engineers Australia members can claim a 25 per cent discount on the price (both early bird and full price) using the code PARTNERORG25 while registering.