Can anyone smell spring in the air already, or is that just us being overly hopeful that winter is coming to a close? After what felt like a long , grey winter, MECLA is ready for spring with an exciting line-up of upcoming events and working group meetings. We've even added a new subgroup to the mix and are welcoming back another one from its wintery slumber. Without further ado.... please dive into our August newsletter!
MECLA Spotlight on Ways Forward with Trees
Thursday, 29 August 2024 at 4:00pm AEST
Wood products are widely viewed as one of the key solutions to decarbonising the construction sector. The timber industry is a complex ecosystem spanning forestry through to engineered products manufacturing. As the ways we manufacture, design and work with wood continue to develop in Australia, so too do methods in management of naturally regenerating and purposefully planted forests. And new questions around carbon accounting for the forest industry are being asked.
In MECLA’s Spotlight on Ways Forward with Trees, a collection of experts in native forest science, agroforestry, timber product manufacturing and architecture come together to explore how this ecosystem is evolving, and to discuss some positive directions forward for Australia’s timber industry in the context of a climate and biodiversity emergency.
Speakers and panellists include:
Paul Haar - Architect and Honorary Principal Fellow in the School of Architecture and Building at the University of Melbourne
Patrick Baker - Professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecology in the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences at the University of Melbourne
Working Group 5f's co-chair Hamid Valipour has organised a MECLA Deep Dive at UNSW in Sydney on 6 September 2024 from 10:30am – 3:00pm.
Agenda for the day:
10:30am – 12:00pm:Visit to Infrastructure and Asphalt Laboratory at UNSW Kensington Campus (arrival to be arranged individually)
12:00 – 1:30pm: Lunch (provided) and presentations
Low-carbon cement and cementitious materials, and digital fabrication - Concrete-durability and sustainability aspects
Utilization of wastes in concrete and asphalt
Timber, composite, and prefabricated elements
1:30 – 3:00pm: Visit of Heavy Structures Laboratory at Randwick Campus (transfer from Kensington Campus to Randwick Campus provided)
Attendance of the event is free and there is a maximum of 25 attendees. At this stage, there is a limit of one person per MECLA member organisation. If you want to attend this event, please email your name, organisation, job title and phone number with “WG5f Engineered Timber Deep Dive” in the subject line.
After a short break earlier this year, Working Group 2 on Evaluation is taking up is regular monthly meeting schedule again. The working group analyses the opportunities and challenges in using different methodologies for benchmarking embodied carbon, creating assets industry can use to better understand the current state of play.
We want to thank our previous chairs, Dr Caroline Noller, Founder of The Footprint Company and Lucy Marsland, Senior Environmental Designer at Atelier Ten for their tireless work for this working group and on the Upfront Carbon in the Built Environment discussion paper that was published late 2022.
WG2 is now chaired by Rocio Rutter, National Head of Growth and Advisory at pitt&sherry and Rachael Stewart, National Decarbonisation Lead - Future Ready & Net Zero Program Manager at WSP in Australia.
Their first meeting will be this Thursday, 22 August 2:00 - 3:30pm. If you want to join this working group, please email your name, organisation, job title and phone number with “Joining WG2” in the subject line.
Working Group 1 - *NEW Subgroup Finance/Property Investors*
Now that the work on the Pledge Pre-Requisite has been finalised, the ever productive group members are looking at setting up a new subgroup to keep themselves busy.
The idea for this subgroup centres around influencing & supporting property investors and the finance community to include expectations for low upfront embodied carbon outcomes as a standard ‘ask’ when financing new builds. First steps will include testing how far the investor community has progressed in requesting embodied carbon, identifying what the barrier to update and financial levers around embodied carbon are and how investors can add an "ask" for embodied carbon reductions of property fund managers and developers.
If you are interested in joining this working group, please email your name, organisation, job title and phone number with “Joining WG1 - Finance” in the subject line. This is a great opportunity to join this working group, or MECLA in general, just when a new subgroup is forming. Also, there are two spots open for co-chairs!
We have mentioned it before, Working Group 1 on Demand is very active. Currently, there are two surveys that WG1 has been involved in.
Readiness Index
WG1 Subgroup on the Readiness Index has worked with Infrastructure NSW (I-NSW) on the development of a survey to assess industry readiness to deliver low carbon infrastructure as part of the commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
I-NSW is due to close this survey, so this is your last chance to participate in this round.
This subgroup 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.
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.
Thursday, 19 September, 12-1pm - WG1 SG Readiness Index
Thursday, 19 September, 1-2:30pm - PCG meeting
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.
Elena Bondareva in conversation with Davina Rooney
Thursday, 5 September 2024, 6:30-8pm - The Royal Oak, Balmain
On her current international book tour, Elena Bondareva will be making a stopover in Sydney to explore how we professionalize change-making and equip those remaking the world for the better! You can join her being interviewed by the Davina Rooney on Thursday 5th September at The Royal Oak, Balmain, in cooperation with Roaring Stories Bookshop.
This is what Elena has to say about the event:
This discussion is for you if you’re a change-maker, if you feel responsible for the world’s problems we did not cause, see possibilities others miss, and feel compelled to intervene. If you were a chemist, a geneticist, an architect, or a beautician, you would master your trade’s best practice. Hey, you might even innovate! By unfortunate contrast, our impact has remained haphazard; the unlikely upside of nearly assured self-destruction. The roadmap feels allusive, and the results – incidental at best. Is it any wonder we’re burning out?
This ends now! What could we achieve if we could plan for the impact we target?
It is time to distill the best of science and experience into roadmaps for impact. Exactly what Change-maker’s Handbook offers anybody looking to make a meaningful difference in their lives, communities, or society at large.
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.
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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