Forum on regional zero emissions

WANT to know the best current ways to decarbonise communities? A fresh sustainability strategy will answer questions.

The Grampians Regional Roadmap to Zero Emissions, R2Z, is a new strategy being created to guide the region’s decarbonising.

The leading minds of Australian sustainability will meet in Ballarat this Friday at the Decarbonising Victoria Forum, driving creation of the R2Z, addressing Ballarat, the Central Highlands, the Wimmera and the southern Mallee.

This thinktank, Beyond Zero Emissions, has been commissioned by the Grampians New Energy Taskforce to build the first regional Australian focussed zero emissions roadmap.

At the forum, more than 100 stakeholders from the region, including Mars, Federation University and Ballarat Gold Mine, will unite to share their priorities, ideas and preferences for a zero-carbon tomorrow.

The event will be headed by BZE, economist and author Ross Garnaut, and clean energy expert Alan Pears.

Grampians New Energy Taskforce Chair, Stuart Benjamin, said a shared vision is crucial for the roadmap to be relevant and workable.

“We have more than $3 billion worth of wind and solar construction projects in planning or under construction in our region… what can we do to become 100 per cent renewable and be a leading zero-carbon region?” he said.

“How can we leverage long-term regional benefit and new jobs by supporting the transition of the grid to a renewable energy system? The R2Z will help us answer these questions.”