Who said things were going to slow down over the winter break? We heard people say that, but we can't find that to be true. There is far too much happening in this space for any slowing down to occur just because we are experiencing the coldest temperatures in years in parts of the country, or because our kids may be off school at the moment.
This month's newsletter will update you on upcoming MECLA events, ongoing surveys and just released publications, as well as provide updates from within our community. And don't wait to read this newsletter over the weekend or next week but dive in straight away because our first event is happening TODAY!
MECLA Briefing on Guide to Low Carbon Concrete
Friday, 19 July 2024 at 11:00am to 12:00pm AEST
The MECLA Guide to Low Carbon Concrete in Australia is an initial guidance document for industry created my MECLA Working Group 5b – Concrete & Cement. The document outlines supply chain considerations in the specification and procurement of concrete, and provides a classification scheme for concrete based on EPD data.
In this briefing, experts responsible for developing the guide will present the document and explain how it can be used in further detail. Following the presentation, there will be an extended Q&A including representatives of the
Speakers and panellists include:
Niki Jackson (Sustainable Future by Design) - 5B Guide Chair
MECLA Briefing on ASBEC's Issues Paper on Upfront Embodied Carbon Project and Survey
Deadline for this survey is 26 July 2024
Last month, MECLA hosted a briefing on ASBEC's Issues Paper on their Upfront Embodied Carbon Project laying out how the built environment contributes to Australia’s carbon emissions and why we need to focus on upfront embodied carbon now.
ASBEC is seeking feedback on whether the issues paper has captured the most important and time-critical issues to ensure that the Comprehensive Policy Framework (to be released later this year) captures stakeholder perspectives and informs final recommendations. The issues, challenges and solutions identified are not definite policy directions, but ideas to stimulate feedback and gather input from stakeholders. MECLA's pledge proposal is featured as one of the possible solutions to achieve clarity, consistency and confidence on the demand side.
Wednesday, 31 July 2024, 2:00 - 3:30pm AWST - in-person
MECLA project director Monica Richter will be in Perth to provide an in-person update on current MECLA activities and publications.
Also presenting at this event will be
Azlan Ho, Managing Director of Green Steel of WA - providing an update on their Collie mill and the low emissions rebar they will be producing, and
Susie Page, Principal Sustainability Project Officer from the WA Department of Transport - talking to and seeking feedback the Sustainable First Policy and Knowledge Hub the department is developing
The event will kindly be hosted by Engineers Australia WA. The event is open to members of Engineers Australia and MECLA members of WA (or those considering joining MECLA). If you wanted to attend this in-person MECLA event, please reach out to Monica Richter.
MECLA's Embodied Carbon Reduction Pledge Policy - which is also featured in ASBEC's Issues Paper on Upfront Embodied Carbon Project and Survey as a possible solutions to achieve clarity, consistency and confidence on the demand side - has now been published by Working Group 1.
You can read the outlining document, and watch a presentation from David Ritter, Sustainability Lead at Grimshaw, on what the pledge pre-requisite is and how it is meant to help solve the embodied carbon challenge.
Another addition to MECLA's Resources page is a case study recently released by the Residential Working Group. Cerclos, a global life cycle assessment software provider, collaborated with The City of Vincent in Western Australia to integrate life cycle assessment for advancing sustainable housing.
If your organisation has a case study please consider sharing it with us. You can submit a case study on the MECLA Website. Each submitted case study will be screened by the MECLA Project Control Group (PCG) before being featured on this website.
Show Me How Do Deviate Survey
Did you know that MECLA's Working Group 1 has a subgroup that focusses on looking at creating a standard pathway for developers and designers to assist the in deviating from material specifications? Once finished, the pathway will identify key stakeholders in this process and will assist them mapping he approval process for contractors or designers to propose alternate, low carbon materials that deviate from client specifications.
The working group is currently seeking input from the MECLA community to share their experiences in dealing with deviations, particularly as a contractor organisation for the delivery of projects. Please take the time to fill in their survey. Thank you.
Can we tell you what an overachiever Working Group 1 is? Not only have they just released the Embodied Carbon Reduction Pledge Policy and are working on the Deviation project, they are also working closely with Infrastructure NSW on their Readiness Index project.
The idea of the Readiness Index is the development of a dashboard with evidence of the industry's readiness to the use of low and/or no embodied carbon materials. The index will serve to provide governments with confidence that industry is ready to respond to their policies, such as pledges to low carbon procurement and tendering, and other demand policies.
Update on MECLA Funding beyond June 2024
As outlined in our last newsletter, MELCA is continuing to secure funding for its activities beyond the end of this financial year. We reached out to our industry membership over the past month and would like to thank those organisations that have already pledged a financial contribution.
If your organisation is keen to make a financial contribution towards MECLA for the next financial year, please reach out to Kathy Verheyen to discuss.
If you wanted to read more about past MECLA funding, you can check out our Annual Review 2023, where we provide information about past funding amounts and spending.
Monday, 12 August, 11am-12pm - WG5d Construction Materials & Assemblies
If you are part of any of these working groups but haven't got an invite in your calendar yet, or you are keen to participate in any of these working groups, please reach out to us here.
Project Leadership Group meeting
Thursday, 8 August, 11am-12pm - online
MECLA's Project Leadership Group (PLG) will be meeting for they half yearly meetings in August. Topic of this meeting will include program oversight including program funding, timing, resourcing and communications and ensuring there are no perceived or real conflicts of interest. According to our MECLA Governance, the PLG is made up of members of the secretariat (representing WWF Australia, Presync and Climate-KIC Australia), as well as up to two MECLA industry members and up to two government representatives.
If you wanted to nominate a representative of industry or government from within MECLA for participation in the Project Control Group moving forward, please reach out to us here.
Working Groups looking for new co-chairs
Working Group 3&4 on Guidance and WG5e on Building Services are looking for co-chairs to work together with the existing chairs to further the work programme of their respective working groups.
If you think you might be interested in taking on this position, please reach out to us here.
CIA NSW Industry Breakfast - Circular Economy
Thursday, 25 July 2024, 7:15 - 10:30am - Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Don't miss out on the upcoming 2024 CIA NSW Industry Breakfast - Circular Economy. Moving towards a circular economy in the concrete construction industry is essential for there to be real change in sustainability but it will require significant change in how we specify, design, supply and construct in the future.
The event will focus on these key aspects, and there is none better than our keynote speaker, Davina Rooney, CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia, to address our delegates on where and how we can start to see these changes.
MECLA members will be able to register to the breakfast at the same price as CIA members this year. Just let them know at registration that your organisation is a member of MECLA.
What is industry willing to pay – green premium survey
This survey by Climate Group, ConcreteZero, Steel Zero and Ramboll investigates market interest in lower-emission alternatives and seeks to pinpoint challenges and solutions for increasing the availability and adoption of lower-emission concrete and steel within key industries, such as energy, infrastructure, construction, and manufacturing. The intention of this work is to better inform member governments on (a) the current status of private sector activity (b) challenges in scaling up demand-side commitments and (c) the role of governments to support these efforts.
WWF-Australia launching report on Australia’s opportunities around green iron
Wed 31st Jul 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm AWST - Perth
Join WWF-Australia in Perth when they are releasing their new report "Australia’s Green Iron Key: Unlocking Asian steel decarbonisation, securing Australia’s economic future". The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A on the economic opportunities, risks of inaction, requirements for success, and significance for climate change and for our regional trading partners.
You can find out more about MECLA by going to our website, by signing up to our newsletter or following us on LinkedIn to stay updated on future events and developments.
As always, email us with any questions and enquiries at info@mecla.org.au.
MECLA is funded through a mixture of industry and government commitments. We would like to thank all industry organisations, plus the NSW and SA Government that have already made a contribution to support MECLA going national.
MECLA c/o Climate-KIC Australia, University of Technology Sydney, Building 10, Level 10, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
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