Monash University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global energy company ENGIE. The two organisations will explore opportunities to co-develop scalable zero-carbon solutions that accelerate the implementation of Monash's Net Zero Initiative, winner of the 2018 United Nations 'Momentum for Change Award'. As part of its broader scope, the collaboration to be developed under the MoU will see Monash and ENGIE utilise their combined expertise to build the foundations for better cities globally. Through coordinated deployment, research and education activities, the collaboration ultimately aims at exploring and developing Net Zero solutions for cities and major precincts worldwide. Professor Ken Sloan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Senior Vice-President (Enterprise and Governance) at Monash, said the opportunities being explored would be an important step in accelerating the implementation of the University's Net Zero Initiative. "It will harness both of our strengths to tackle the critical global challenge of reducing carbon emissions before the irreversible impacts of climate change are felt by the world's ecosystems, societies and economies," Professor Sloan said. Associate Professor Ariel Liebman, Director of the Monash Energy Institute, said: "Building on ENGIE's world leading approach to R&D for decarbonisation, the Monash research community has an incredible opportunity for long-term societal impact starting right here on our own campus." Augustin Honorat, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE Australia & New Zealand, praised Monash University for their early adoption of a net zero emissions target as well as
capturing knowledge for future innovations. "ENGIE is excited to sign the MoU and looks forward to working with Monash to help achieve their net zero target by 2030 and to accelerate, together, the global transition to net zero emissions," Mr Honorat said. "We're looking forward to bringing ENGIE's global expertise to projects undertaken as part of the MoU and to any future collaboration with Monash to demonstrate our solutions in a local context." ENGIE joins a vibrant ecosystem of partners across academia, industry and government, working with Monash changemakers to create solutions for real-world application. Activities undertaken between Monash and ENGIE under the MoU include: Net Zero Precincts: an interdisciplinary approach to decarbonising cities Decarbonising a city is not just a technological challenge. To accelerate the adoption of net-zero solutions, innovations in governance, policy and community participation are needed, from the design phase of solutions to their wide diffusion. Monash University and ENGIE are leading a four-year Linkage program, co-funded by the Australian Research Council, which has the aim of developing an interdisciplinary framework to accelerate the journey to net-zero emission cities. Led by Professor Rob Raven from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, this program will combine research, education and translation activities, utilising the Monash Technology Precinct as a living lab for net-zero experimentation at scale across energy, mobility and building sectors. Clayton Campus Roadmap to Net Zero The Clayton Campus Roadmap to Net Zero aims to architect and define the infrastructure investment, financing, energy procurement and operational opportunities required to cost effectively complete the transformation to Net Zero emissions at the Clayton campus. This project will be undertaken with input from the wider Monash community to ensure a link between Monash's operational ambition and impact via research, education and translation. 360 degree City Scan A 360 degree City Scan has been completed by Tractabel, an ENGIE company, at the Clayton Campus and the Monash Technology Precinct providing insights on how well evolved the city is for mobility, inclusiveness, attractivity, productiveness, resilience, and connectivity. The outputs will help to guide the development and prioritisation of solution development across the Monash Clayton Campus and Monash Technology Precinct to activate a thriving community.
