Monash Sustainability Institute - Annual Activity Report 2013

Annual Activity Report 2013Building a Global Community

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Monash Sustainability Institute Annual Activity Report 2013 Published by the Monash Sustainability Institute Monash University, Victoria, 3800 Copyright MSI 2014 Edited by: Vicki Kyriakakis Designed by: Aer Design Photos by: Dave Griggs, Simon Rowntree, Jeremy Aarons, iStockphoto

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1Monash Sustainability Institute Annual Activity Report 2013

Contents02 Building a Global Community03 From the Chair 03 From the Director 04 Our Successes in 2013

06 About the Institute07 Solving the Worlds Sustainability Problems 08 Our People

10 World-Leading Programs11 BehaviourWorks Australia 14 ClimateWorks Australia 16 Indigenous Communities and Climate Change 18 Monash Water for Liveability Centre 21 Natural Resources Management in Asia in Response to Climate Change 24 Social and Environmental Sustainability 26 Soil Carbon Program 28 Sustainable Development 31 Sustainability Economics 33 Sustainable Places 35 Systemic Governance Research 38 Australian Bushfire Prevention Initiative 40 Green Steps 42 Education for Sustainability

44 Sustainability at Monash45 Monash Universitys Green Credentials 48 Sustainable Campus Group Report

49 Our Impact50 Seminars 51 Postgraduate Program in Sustainability 53 Awards and Fellowships 53 Representation 55 Presentations 62 Publications and Opinion Pieces

68 Grants and Philanthropic Support

2Building a Global CommunityIn 2013, The Monash Sustainability Institute consolidated its international work, building a global community of experts dedicated to solving our most intractable sustainability challenges.


From the Chair

Australia is a wealthy country surrounded by developing countries. As our region develops and becomes more prosperous there are tremendous opportunities for Australia.

We are already reaping the benefits of the economic growth in China and if we are smart we will also enjoy the benefits of a close relationship with other fast growing countries in the region like Indonesia. Our farmers, miners, universities and increasingly our service industries will rely in a large part on the success of sustainable development in our region.

But it is not a free ride. For Australia to reap the benefits we will need to contribute to sustainable development in the region and help meet key challenges like climate change, food security, social inclusion, governance, fast-growing cities and sustainable management of our energy, water and waste.

Leading universities like Monash have an important role to play in developing the knowledge required to meet these challenges. The Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) is working with researchers and educators across Monash to develop this knowledge and solve key sustainability problems.

In the past year, MSI has increased its focus on international activities. Our Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Visiting Professor, Sir Bob Watson, is leading an important project to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals,

which are proposed to replace the Millennium Development Goals in 2016. We have been appointed the Australia Pacific Regional Centre for the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This makes Monash a major partner in the world-wide effort to accelerate practical problem solving for sustainable development.

Monash is a truly global university and I am very pleased that our great researchers and educators at MSI are making a real contribution to promoting a more sustainable world.

Professor John Thwaites Chair

From the Director

Over the first few years of its life MSIs focus has been primarily in Australia. This was both a strategic and pragmatic decision. We had to demonstrate our value and establish a track record of success (and it was simply easier). However, this year has seen us really take our place on the international stage. Our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) work, generously supported by the Harold Mitchell Foundation, saw us not only hold a national workshop in Melbourne but also a regional workshop in Malaysia, attended by about 100 senior delegates from nine countries across south east Asia. A paper that colleagues and I published in Nature on SDGs generated considerable interest and resulted in me making two trips to the United Nations in New York and trips to Japan, including an audience with the Crown Prince and Princess,

to present our work. Monash University, through the Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI), has also been designated as the Australia/Pacific Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), established by the UN Secretary-General under the leadership of Jeffrey Sachs. Our Chairman John Thwaites has been appointed to its leadership council.

We have continued our extensive work on natural resource management in south and south-east Asia with projects involving Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, plus three Australian Aid PhD scholarships from Indonesia. Our Water for Liveability team has established a Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre in China as part of the Monash-Southeast University Joint Research Centre, joining their ongoing work in Israel and Singapore. Our work with the Yorta Yorta to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into policy and decision making has also attracted international interest, and in late 2013 the World Bank sent a delegation from Zambia, Samoa, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh to learn

from the work we have done in that area. Finally, ClimateWorks Australia has got in on the international act, embarking on a project with the SDSN and 11 other countries to develop deep decarbonisation pathways.

As always I want to finish my report by thanking the staff of MSI, who are absolutely outstanding, along with everyone who has worked with us or supported our work. It is truly humbling to be part of what this year has become a global MSI community striving to ensure a sustainable future for the world.

Professor Dave Griggs Director

Our Successes in 2013

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In 2013, MSI has been building a global community committed to finding sustainable solutions to our most stubborn sustainability challenges.

MSI holds widely lauded workshops on Sustainable Development GoalsMSI held two widely lauded national and regional workshops in 2013 on Sustainable Development Goals. The national workshop, held in Melbourne, was attended by leaders from around Australia and across government, industry, business, academia and civic society. The regional workshop, held in Malaysia in November 2013, attracted over 100 senior delegates from nine countries across south-east Asia. The workshops have sparked a region-wide dialogue on international sustainable development goals. In 2013, Monash University was officially established as the Australia/Pacific Regional Centre for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Nature Paper sparks international attentionMSI Director, Professor Dave Griggs, and his colleagues published a paper on sustainable development goals in Nature Magazine in 2013. The paper generated considerable international interestincluding articles in the New York Times, The Guardian, and other international media. Professor Griggs was invited to make two trips to the United Nations in New York and multiple trips to Japan off the back of the paper. He was also invited to an audience with the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan to present MSIs work.

World Bank sends international delegates to learn from our work MSIs work with Victorias Yorta Yorta community to incorporate indigenous knowledge into policy and decision making attracted international interest in 2013. The World Bank sent a delegation from Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Samoa, Vietnam and Zambia to learn from the work that MSI has done in this area. Dr Habiba Gitay, Senior Environmental Specialist with The World Bank, said the attraction of coming to Monash was to tap into how local communities have taken a leadership role in integrating technical and indigenous knowledge to adapt to the multiple impacts of climate change on Australia.

Our Impact in NumbersIn 2013, Monash Sustainability Institute staff: Gave 247 presentations and speeches Published 73 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers

Published 59 reports, books, book-chapters, and non-peer reviewed articles

Represented MSI on 125 boards, organisations and committees

Partnered with over 120 industry, government, academic and civic partners

See the Our Impact section on page 53 for more detail.


Water for Liveability team establishes international Water Sensitive Cities Research Centres in China and IsraelIn 2013, the Monash Water for Liveability Centre reached an agreement with Southeast University in China to establish a Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre within the Monash-Southeast University Joint Research Institute in Suzhou, China. It also announced the creation of a joint Centre on Creating Water Sensitive Cities in Israel. The Israel centre will be an active partnership between the Jewish National Fund of Australia, the Israeli water industry, three leading Israeli Universities and Monash University.

First-of-its-kind Tracking Progress Report launchedClimateWorks Australia launched a highly-anticipated report on Australias progress in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in 2013. The report is the first economy-wide study of its kind to be conducted in the country. The study found that there has been an increase in activity to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the last decade across all sectors of the economy that were studied.

Education for Sustainability strategy developed for Monash UniversityMSI led the development of a University-wide Education for Sustainability strategy for Monash in 2013. The strategy formalises Monashs commitment to embed sustainability in all its education programs and identifies how that will happen. The strategy was developed by MSI in partnership with the Monash University Better TeachingBetter Learning initiative.

UKs University of Exeter joins our Green Steps ProgramMSIs award-winning Green Steps program expanded even further into the United Kingdom in 2013 with the delivery of a second Green Steps course at the University of Warwick and the first delivery of a course with our new partnersthe University of Exeter.

A Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre was established in Suzhou, China in 2013.

MSI would like to gratefully acknowledge the kind support of the Harold Mitchell Foundation in 2013.

About the InstituteMSI brings together national and international experts from multiple fields of endeavour in world leading interdisciplinary programs and centres of excellence.


Solving the Worlds Sustainability Problems

Sustainability and its intrinsic multiple crises is one of the most challenging issues facing society today. Many of these challenges, however, often end up in the too hard basket. Monash through the Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) is tackling these great global challenges head on with a unique and distinctive interdisciplinary approach and through a broad international alliance of experts.

A paradigm shiftWe bring together the best minds from multiple fields of endeavour in world-leading cross disciplinary programs. We pull together top scientists, lawyers, economists, psychologists, biologists, engineers, health professionals, training experts and more to nut out the worlds wicked problems. Our success comes down to the partnerships weve forged between our own experts from MSI and the best from across Monash and other universities, industry, government and civil society. While our researchers, educators, partners and funders may speak different languages, they work together to achieve a common purpose. Its a crucial paradigm shift that has allowed us to have a unique real-world impact.

Now, that the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals is about to complete the first phase of its mission and move to the next one, Id like to use the opportunity to express my acknowledgement and appreciation to [MSI] for the valuable support we received. The ideas provided in the Griggs et al Nature paper and the presentation of these ideas to us here in New York was a significant input to the deliberations of the Open Working Group (OWG) in our consideration of future Sustainable Development Goals.

Csaba K rsi Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations Co-Chair of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

World-leading programsExciting sustainability research, cutting-edge education programs and practical solutions define MSIs work. Were making a difference through our world-leading partnerships:

BehaviourWorks Australia

ClimateWorks Australia

Green Steps

Sustainable Development Program

Monash Water for Liveability

MSI is also leading a range of cross-disciplinary research programs:

Australian Bushfire Arson Prevention Initiative

Education for Sustainability

Sustainability Economics

Indigenous Communities and Climate Change

Natural Resource Management in Asia in Response to Climate Change

Social and Environmental Sustainability

Soil Carbon

Sustainable Places

Systemic Governance Research

Education for Sustainability

8A world-expert in atmospheric science and global environmental issues. The first woman to ever win the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation in Physical Sciences. An Australia-Davos Connection leadership award-winner. A Top 100 global sustainability leader. A Top 100 most influential Victorian. A leading expert on sustainability and climate change invited to speak before the United Nations and the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan.

Its clear that MSIs greatest strength is its people.

Our People

MSI's people are it's greatest strength.


Staff ListManagement and administrationProfessor John Thwaites, Chair Professor Dave Griggs, Director of MSI and CEO of ClimateWorks Australia Vicki Kyriakakis, Marketing & Communications Manager Julie Arcilla, PA to the Director

Research projectsDr Janet Stanley, Chief Research Officer Dr Paul McShane, Chief Research Officer Sir Bob Watson, Sir Louis Matthesson Fellow Professor Michael Ward, Professor of Sustainability Economics Dr Philip Wallis, Research Fellow Dr Max Richter, Research Fellow Dr Gill Owen, Research Program Leader David McInnes, Professorial Fellow Dr Tahl Kestin, Research Project Manager Dr Tina Kalivas, Research Fellow Professor Ray Ison., Professor, Systems for Sustainability and Open University UK Dr Terry Chan, Research Fellow Professor Carol Adams, Professor (Research) Dr Jeremy Aarons, Research Fellow Simon J Rowntree, Project Coordinator Nicole Reichelt, Research Assistant Jacqueline Mandelbaum, Senior Legal Researcher

BehaviourWorks AustraliaDr Liam Smith, Director Dr Jim Curtis, Research Fellow Dr Haywantee Ramkissoon, Research Fellow Dr Josh Newton, Research Fellow Michael Lam, Research Assistant Pauline Forbes, Administration

Education TeamProfessor Geoff Rose, Professor and Convenor Education for Sustainability Mark Boulet, Education for Sustainability Researcher Belinda Allison, Project Manager, Education for Sustainability Trent McCarthy, Manager Green Steps Kati Thompson, Green Steps Training Coordinator Erin Simpson, Green Steps Internship and Alumni Coordinator Helena Schultze, Green Steps Marketing Coordinator Emma Grace, Green Steps Project Administrator Kendra Scaife, Green Steps Project Administrator

Monash Water for LiveabilityProfessor Rob Skinner, Director Professor Ana Deletic, Associate Director Professor Rebekah Brown, Associate Director Professor Nigel Tapper, Associate Director Jenny Edwards, Executive Assistant

ClimateWorks AustraliaAnna Skarbek, Executive Director Meg Argyriou, Head of Engagement Amandine Denis, Head of Research Brigid OBrien, Head of Information Systems Samantha Tannahill, Executive assistant Rob Kelly, Business Analyst Wei Sue, Business Analyst Emma Lucia, Business Analyst Sebastian Barney, Business Analyst Eli Court, Engagement Project Manager Scott Ferraro, Engagement Project Manager Shane Gladigau, Engagement Project Officer Rafi Mohamed Feroze, Senior Analyst Programmer Steven Mann, Web Developer

Jackys work with Columbia University and MSI is focusing on international investments in the extractive industries (oil, gas and mining). In particular, she is looking at optimizing legal frameworks for promoting sustainable development from these investmentswith the objective of balancing the countrys interest in capturing the benefit of the resources while remaining competitive. Jacky is researching and providing advice on issues related to environmental regulation, local community development requirements, transparency, capital gains tax, local content requirements, and allocation rights.

Jacky is working on a raft on projects, including:

A legal review of oil, gas and mining laws, regulations and contracts.

A global survey of local content provisions inserted in legal frameworks governing resource investments, including in contracts, legislation and bidding practices.

Development, in collaboration with the World Bank Institute and Revenue Watch Institute, of the first online, searchable, user-friendly database of publicly available oil, gas and mining contracts from around the world (www.resourcecontracts.org).

Compiling and reviewing community development requirements in legislation, regulations and policies globally, such as provisions for entering into a community development agreement, paying a special tax for the community, preparing a community development plan or for consulting with the community.

Conceptualising a user-friendly online portal that will include a roadmap of the process of negotiating large-scale extractive industry contracts, to help countries visualise the stages of preparing for, negotiating and monitoring complex contracts.

A world-wide survey of competitive bidding requirements for mineral rights allocation in national legislation.

Senior legal researcher, Jacky Mandelbaum was welcomed into the MSI team in 2013. Jacky comes to us from the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment (VCC), a joint centre of the Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Jacky Mandelbaum joins the MSI team

World-Leading ProgramsExciting research, cutting-edge education programs and real-world impact define MSIs work.


BehaviourWorks Australia is at the forefront of behaviour change research, bringing interdisciplinary researchers at Monash and other universities together with leading practitioners in government and business who share an interest in behaviour change for individual and social good.

Were committed to understanding the behaviour and audience our partners want to influence. We apply leading behaviour change theories and thinking, build the behaviour change capacity of our collaborators and conduct formative research and field trials to try and answer the all-important question: what works best?

Our core partners are the Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI), Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria, The Shannon Company, Sustainability Victoria and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Together we incorporate the expertise and learnings of a host of behaviour change disciplines and practices to better understand behaviour and develop applied approaches to influence the everyday decisions that are integral to living in a sustainable world.

2013 Highlights We developed a new five-year strategic plan.

We undertook a range of new projects on pollution and waste, illegal dumping, zoo staff and visitor behaviour, low income energy efficiency, water use, flood preparedness, business compliance, organisational change, household recycling, education for sustainability, sustainable transportation and bridging the research-practice and research-policy gap.

We hosted world leading thinkers on behaviour change, including Professor Icek Ajzen from the University of Massachusetts, Professor Uri Gneezy from the University of California San Diego and Professor Neil Gunningham from Australian National University.

We coordinated a plenary session and gave three presentations at the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators Network (AELERT) conference in Melbourne.

BehaviourWorks Australia

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Core TeamDr Liam Smith, Director Dr Jim Curtis, Research Fellow Dr Haywantee Ramkissoon, Research Fellow Dr Josh Newton, Research Fellow Dr Gill Owen, Research Program Leader Michael Lam, Research Assistant Pauline Forbes, Administration

Project StaffDr Itir Binay, Research Assistant Sarah Kneebone, Research Assistant Stephanie Judd, Research Assistant Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Research Assistant Dr Lisa Curtis-Wendlandt, Research Assistant

Collaborating AcademicsDr Judith Mair, Department of Management, Monash University Dr Pieter van Dijk, Department of Management, Monash University Dr Andrea Kirk-Brown, Department of Management, Monash University Professor Julie Wolfram-Cox, Department of Management, Monash University Dr Kelly Fielding, Institute of Social Science Research, University of Queensland Associate Professor Jo Lindsay, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University Professor Michael Ward, Monash Sustainability Institute and Department of Economics Professor Roy Ballantyne, School of Tourism, University of Queensland Dr Jan Packer, School of Tourism, University of Queensland Associate Professor Phillip Payne, Faculty of Education, Monash University Dr Fiona Newton, Department of Marketing, Monash University Professor Lata Ganghadaran, Department of Economics, Monash University Dr Rory Gallagher, NSW Behavioural Insights Team Dr Eve Merton, La Trobe University Professor Betty Weiler, Southern Cross University Professor Harmen Oppewal, Department of Marketing, Monash University Associate Professor Jan Brace-Govan, Department of Marketing, Monash University Dr Damian Morgan, Federation University

Key InitiativesIn 2013, BehaviourWorks Australia undertook a range of exciting initiatives.

Accelerating transitions to water sensitive cities BehaviourWorks Australia researchers are identifying and prioritising behaviours that are key to making the transition to water sensitive cities. Their work is part of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities program. The identified behaviours will be sequenced to create a road map to water sensitivity, including testing interventions designed to foster spill-over between behaviours.

Illegal and charity store dumpingResearchers on this project are developing and evaluating interventions to reduce illegal dumping. The first phase of the project investigated the impact of different deterrence interventions on reducing dumping outside charity stores. The second phase is examining strategies to motivate alternative desirable behaviours to reduce illegal dumping in public spaces.

Improving household recycling behavioursWorking with Sustainability Victorias Get It Right on Bin Night team, our researchers developed a workshop and toolkit of behaviour change approaches that local councils can use to improve household recycling.

Home composting and worm farming trialsBehaviourWorks Australia audited resident beliefs related to home composting and worm farming in the City of Whitehorse and evaluated a council trial to determine which elements worked best in promoting the uptake of composting and worm farming behaviours.

PhD and Masters Candidates in 2013Sarah Kneebone, PhD candidate Franz Carillo-Higueras, PhD candidate Kate Buckley, PhD candidate Nita Smith, PhD candidate Lena Jungblath, Masters candidate Daniel Simons, Masters candidate

Advisory BoardProfessor John Thwaites, Chair, Monash Sustainability Institute Professor Dave Griggs, Director, Monash Sustainability Institute John Merritt, CEO, EPA Victoria Bill Shannon, Principal, The Shannon Company Stan Krpan, CEO, Sustainability Victoria Michael Reid, Senior Manager, Statewide Programs, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

BWA Working GroupDr Stefan Kaufman, Social Science Portfolio Leader, EPA Victoria Roger Clifton, Board Member, The Shannon Company Ian Forsyth, Managing Partner, The Shannon Company Susan Pyke, Research Lead, Strategy and Planning, Sustainability Victoria Alex Graham, Senior Team Leader, Sustainable Households, NSW Office for Environment Heritage

Organisational PartnersSustainability Victoria, Funder and Delivery Partner NSW Office for Environment and Heritage, Funder and Delivery Partner EPA Victoria, Funder and Delivery Partner The Shannon Company, Funder and Delivery Partner

Our researchers are testing different ways to encourage more energy efficient behaviours in the home.


Business compliance indicator frameworkEPA Victorias environment protection officers are responsible for monitoring business compliance requirements designed to prevent pollution. Our researchers formalised the officers field experiences into a structured framework of compliance indicators, which will inform future intervention strategies with businesses and the practices of the officers.

Business values, organisational change and sustainabilityBehaviourWorks Australia worked with The Shannon Company to integrate behaviour change processes within its Sustainability 360 toolkit. The toolkit targets the disconnects between espoused and enacted business values, and adapts key learnings from leading behaviour change researchers into a formal organisational change process that supports sustainability outcomes.

Home Power Savings ProgramWorking with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, our researchers refined the Home Power Savings Program and experimentally tested different behaviour change principles to encourage the uptake of energy efficiency behaviours. This involved working with Green Steps to train energy experts in these principles.

Evaluation of low income energy efficiency projectsBehaviourWorks Australia is evaluating two projects. The first, led by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, investigates the impact of a subsidised hot water upgrade on energy and monetary savings. The second, led by Goulburn Valley Community Energy, evaluates the impact of different engagement strategies on energy use, behaviour, self-efficacy and dollars saved.

New home buyers decision making

In collaboration with Ergon Energy and the Department of Marketing at Monash, BehaviourWorks Australia focused on understanding consumer decisions when building a new home. The researchers mapped the decision making processes of new home buyers, developed a model of key decision points, and made recommendations on how to promote energy efficiency decisions.

Environmental education and intergenerational influence

Those who run environmental education programs are often interested in whether their programs have an impact both within and beyond the school gates. Working with the Faculty of Education at Monash, our researchers examined evidence and data related to the impacts of such programs, and how they can be modified to foster a range of desired behavioural outcomes.

Improving cogeneration of knowledge between research and policyWorking with La Trobe University and the Department of Management at Monash, our researchers are investigating how projects funded by the Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research have co-generated knowledge with Government partners. The project includes case studies of good practice and tests how different activities influence policy impact.

Using websites to influence the pro-wildlife behaviour of zoo visitorsResearchers in this ongoing project are investigating whether websites can be used to influence the behaviour of zoo visitors post-visit and the usefulness of different website content. It is an ARC Linkage Project with the University of Queensland, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Territory Wildlife Park, Bronx Zoo, and Wellington Zoo.

BehaviourWorks Australia gets things that arent academic. It generally gets working with government entities [and] that has worked really well. It is very unusual within the university context, but it has been very well-focused on what [stakeholders] need. These guys are way ahead of many other university groups.

BehaviourWorks Partner

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ClimateWorks Australia is an independent, non-profit, multi-award winning organisation founded by The Myer Foundation and Monash University (under the auspices of the Monash Sustainability Institute). We are focused on translating research into action and committed to catalysing substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. In 2013, our focus has been on tracking Australias progress towards a low carbon economy and achieving its emissions reduction targets by 2020.

2013 Highlights In July 2013, ClimateWorks published major research Tracking Australias Progress Towards a Low Carbon Economy, which shows where Australia has made significant progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a low carbon economy.

In May 2013, ClimateWorks released its Industrial Energy Efficiency Data Analysis detailing how Australian companies are implementing projects that will save 4.8% of their energy use, the equivalent of nearly a quarter of all national residential energy use and worth $1.2 billion in annual savings.

In March 2013, ClimateWorks and the Carbon Market Institute produced a comprehensive guide and tool enabling companies to manage the costs, risks and uncertainty associated with the carbon price and to examine the impact of their carbon emissions on their operations.

In October 2013, ClimateWorks began a new public engagement program to clearly and simply state the business case for Environmental Upgrade Agreements to small and medium sized building owners and tenants to help them to finance energy and environmental upgrades to their buildings.

In December 2013, the Australian Energy Market Commission formally approved a rule change to the National Electricity Rules to facilitate simpler, more inexpensive connections to the national electricity grid. It will take effect from 1 July 2014. ClimateWorks, the Property Council and Seed Advisory spearheaded the reforms in the first successful customer-led rule change proposal.

ClimateWorks Australia

ClimateWorks research provided a crucial benchmark for Australia, highlighting areas of the most effective activity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and analysing the factors during that success. This is the first time national data across economic sectors have been collected in a comparable way, and as such, it is a foundation for tracking Australias progress.

Olive Yates, CEO, Clean Energy Finance Council

ClimateWorks Australias study into Australias progress towards a low carbon economy is a national first.


Core TeamProfessor Dave Griggs, CEO Anna Skarbek, Executive Director Meg Argyriou, Head of Engagement Amandine Denis, Head of Research Samantha Tannahill, Executive Assistant Rob Kelly, Business Analyst Wei Sue, Business Analyst Emma Lucia, Business Analyst Eli Court, Engagement Project Manager Scott Ferraro, Engagement Project Manager Shane Gladigau, Engagement Project Officer Brigid OBrien, Head of Information Systems Rafi Mohamed Feroze, Senior Analyst Programmer Sebastian Barney, Business Analyst Steven Mann, Web Developer

BoardProfessor John Thwaites, Chairman, Monash University David Shelmerdine, Deputy Chairman, Gold Standard Foundation, The Myer Family Howard Bamsey AM, United States Studies Centre, Sydney University Professor Edwina Cornish, Provost, Monash University Sam Mostyn, Board Member of multiple business and community organisations Professor Robert Hill AC, US Studies Centre, Sydney University Heather Ridout AO, Board, Reserve Bank of Australia William Spraggett, Bell Potter Securities Ltd Jon Myer, The Foundation for Young Australians, The Myer Foundation

Business AssociatesCarbon Market Institute Melbourne Water Property Council of Australia Seed Advisory Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia Various industrial companies

Government PartnersDepartment of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism City of Melbourne Sustainable Melbourne Fund Climate Change Authority NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Victorian Department of State Development and Business Sustainable Development Solutions Network Monash e-Research Centre

Organisational PartnersThe Myer Foundation, Funder and Co-Founder Monash University, Funder and Co-Founder

Key Initiatives

Tracking Australias Progress Towards a Low Carbon Economy

ClimateWorks major research report is the first whole-of-economy report charting Australias progress in reducing emissions. It covers the key sectors of power, industry, buildings, land-use and waste, as well as a special report on factors affecting energy efficiency activity among 47 large industrial companies who account for 70% of Australias industrial energy use. The research found that if recent trends were sustained, Australia would achieve over 40% of the minimum 5% national emissions reduction target by 2020 through domestic abatement alone. A series of reports providing key findings were released including a National Progress Report; Power; Industry; Buildings; Land-Use and Waste; and a Special Report focusing on 47 large industrial companies.

Industrial Energy Efficiency Data AnalysisClimateWorks used company data from energy assessments to examine energy saving opportunities and associated costs and benefits, and analysed why some opportunities are not being taken up. The analysis revealed that companies accounting for half of Australias total energy consumption are implementing projects that will save 4.8% of their energy use, the equivalent of $1.2 billion a year. The report investigated the energy efficiency opportunities available in 587 medium to large companies from the mining, manufacturing and transport sectors. The research showed that energy savings could be more than doubled through projects that have been identified, but not yet implemented. This would achieve energy savings of up to 11% in the three big sectors, reducing company energy costs by $3.2 billion a year.

The Carbon Decision Making and Risk Management ToolClimateWorks Carbon Decision Making and Risk Management Tool is a comprehensive guide and tool that enables companies to manage the costs, risks and uncertainty associated with the carbon price. Developed in

partnership with the Carbon Market Institute, the global law firm Baker & McKenzie, Climate Mundial and Seed Advisory, the initiative provides companies with the information they need to meet compliance obligations and manage their financial exposure. ClimateWorks developed the tool to allow companies to compare the value of different options to reduce their carbon liability and to assess the performance of these under different scenarios such as changing energy or carbon prices.

The Business Case for Environmental Upgrade Agreements (EUAs) ProgramClimateWorks has launched a new public engagement program to clearly and simply state the business case for Environmental Upgrade Agreements to small and medium sized building owners and tenants. The program will help owners and tenants learn how to finance energy and environmental upgrades to their buildings. Developed with the Sustainable Melbourne Fund, working with industry and government, the program shows building owners and tenants how to access funds for energy efficiency improvements. It outlines how under EUAs, building owners can secure finance for energy efficiency upgrades from finance providers. These loans are then repaid through a local council special charge on the land, similar to the current council rates system. In 2014, the program will be rolled out in New South Wales, South Australia and within the City of Melbourne. Resources are also being developed to apply to businesses throughout the country.

Australian Energy Market Commission Rule ChangeThe Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) approved changes to the National Electricity Rules to make it simpler and less expensive for embedded generators (co and tri-generation, solar PV, micro wind and others) to connect to the national electricity grid. The rule change will take effect from 1 July 2014. ClimateWorks Australia, Seed Advisory and the Property Council of Australia initiated the rule change process through a formal submission to the AEMC. It is the first successful customer led proposal to amend the NER aimed at reducing connection barriers for embedded energy systems.

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Australias Indigenous communities hold a vast treasure-trove of wisdom and knowledge about the Australian landscape and environment. They are the oldest living civilisation on this planet, says Professor David Griggs in the short film Nhawul Bultjubul MaTo See with Both Eyes. They have an oral history which goes back many thousands of years. They have an intrinsic knowledge of how natural systems work.

Thats why MSI is working in partnership with Victorias Yorta Yorta community and other Indigenous communities to assist them to respond to climate change and have a stronger say in the policies and management decisions that affect their traditional lands. The program is also improving our understanding of traditional livelihoods, values, practices and needs, as well as the common benefits and risks associated with national responses to climate change.

Indigenous Communities and Climate Change

2013 Highlights A short film about our Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Workshop has been viewed over 1000 times and acquired for screening by SBSs NITV.

A demonstration version of a GIS system combining conventional information on the Barmah-Millewa and Yorta Yorta interviews was presented at the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) Conference.

The Swiss Academies of Sciences rated the Yorta Yorta project amongst the best six submissions for its Award for Transdisciplinary Research, and included our project publication in the list of the most important transdisciplinary publications in 2013.

The Yorta Yorta have shared their experiences with an international audience as part of a World Bank adaptation study tour. The study tour involved participants from Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Samoa and Vietnam.

MSI researchers have helped Victoria's Yorta Yorta community map and capture their deep knowledge of country.


Core TeamProfessor Dave Griggs, Program Leader Dr Tahl Kestin, Program Coordinator Lee Joachim, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Yorta Yorta Project Co-Leader Professor Amanda Lynch, Brown University, USA, Yorta Yorta Project Co-Leader

Key AssociatesDr Pan Wang, GIS Programmer, MSI Dr Carolina Adler, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Project Team Sonia Cooper, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Project Team Zac Bischoff-Mattson, Brown University, USA, Project Team Chris Heider, Watershed Professionals Network, USA, Project Team Ed Salminen, Watershed Professionals Network, USA, Project Team Dr Xuan Zhu, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Project Team Professor Kate Auty, Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria, Project Advisor

Organisational PartnersYorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Partner Brown University, USA, Partner Victorian Centre for Climate Change Adaptation Research (VCCCAR), Funder National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), Funder Watershed Professionals Network, Partner

Key InitiativesMSIs work with Indigenous communities has been a valuable experience for both the communities were working with and MSI researchers.

Learning from Indigenous knowledgeWe are exploring how the deep knowledge of country of the Yorta Yorta people on the Murray River could be used to strengthen their participation and influence in regional natural resource management processes affecting the Barmah-Millewa Forest. To this end we undertook a community mapping process to collect Yorta Yorta knowledge and combine it in a Geographical Information System (GIS) framework with conventional environmental and other data. This framework is the basis for producing integrated maps and analyses to support decision making in the region. In 2013, the team completed final project reports to VCCCAR and NCCARF; developed an online demo of the GIS system and transferred the full system to the Yorta Yorta. In addition, the team has been developing proposals for the next phase of work, which will include creating decision-making products and visualisations from the GIS system and GIS training for the Yorta Yorta.

We acknowledge the immense freedom, respect and dignity MSI have shown to our Yorta Yorta peoples in relation to our project under our Intellectual Property Protocols. It is not often, if at all, an Australian research institute will assist in data collection without even seeing or hearing the data. Our work with MSI continues to benefit the Yorta Yorta Nation in so many ways.

Lee Joachim, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation

Nhawul Bultjubul MaTo See With Both EyesFilmmaker Michael ODwyer and the Yorta Yorta worked together to create a short documentary film on the National Workshop on Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Change Adaptation that we held in late 2012. The film, featuring national and international Indigenous leaders, as well as scientists, has generated a lot of interest and been viewed over 1000 times on You Tube. SBSs National Indigenous Television (NITV) has acquired the rights to screen the short film.

Community-based ecosystem approaches to climate change adaptationIn December 2013, The Yorta Yorta met with international delegates from six countries to share Indigenous knowledge and ecosystem approaches to land management as part of a World Bank-sponsored study tour hosted by MSI. The tour involved participants from Zambia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Samoa and Vietnam. See page 23 for more details on this initiative.

Aerial imagery of the Barmah Lakes (source: NSW Land and Property Information) with a small sample of the locations included in the Yorta Yorta Community mapping process. (Photos: Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation)

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The Monash Water for Liveability Centre is working to transform cities and their communities in ways that will help them live in harmony with natural water environments. The work of the centre (formerly the Centre for Water Sensitive Cities) is playing an important role in transforming Australian cities to become resilient to current and future challenges.

Were building Australias capacity to advance sustainable urban water practices through: Research excellence Engagement with planning, development and water management professionals

Supporting the development of government policies

Monash Water for Liveability Centre

2013 Highlights Researchers at the Centre delivered around half of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities first year research program.

We reached an agreement with Southeast University to establish the Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre within the Monash-Southeast University Joint Research Institute in Suzhou, China.

We announced the establishment of a joint centre on Creating Water Sensitive Cities in Israel, that will be an active partnership with the Jewish National Fund of Australia, the Israeli water industry, three leading Israeli Universities and Monash University.

Our 2013 report for the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) A spatial vulnerability analysis of urban populations during extreme heat events in Australian capital cities written by the Centres urban climate group was the single most downloaded report of several hundred reports on the NCCARF website.

Monash Water for Liveability is working to support the transition to water sensitive cities.


Core TeamProfessor Rob Skinner, Director Professor Rebekah Brown, Associate Director Professor Ana Deletic, Associate Director Professor Nigel Tapper, Associate Director Jennifer Edwards, Executive Assistant

Key AssociatesProfessor John Thwaites, MSI, Chair of Project Management Committee Professor Tony Wong, CEO, Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities Ross Allen, CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, Project Leader Associate Professor Phill Johnstone, CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, Project Leader Tess Flottmann, CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, Research Officer Jeroen Rijke, Delft University of Technology and Monash University Professor Derk Loorbach, Dutch Research Institute for Transitions Jane-Louise Lampard, Griffith University Professor Chris Cocklin, James Cook University Professor Tim Fletcher, The University of Melbourne Dr Mike Stewardson, The University of Melbourne Dr Geoff Vietz, The University of Melbourne Associate Professor Chris Walsh, The University of Melbourne Professor Beate Escher, University of Queensland Dr Wolfgang Guernjak, University of Queensland Dr Janet Tang, University of Queensland

Faculty of Art, Design and ArchitectureProfessor Shane Murray Associate Professor Diego Ramirez Associate Professor Jon Shinkfield

School of Biological Science, Faculty of Science Professor Jenny Davis, Research Collaborator Dr Ross Thompson, Senior Lecturer

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Dr David McCarthy, Senior Lecturer Dr Belinda Hatt, Lecturer Chunhui Lu, Lecturer Associate Professor Peter Breen, Lecturer Dr Cintia Dotto, Research Fellow Dr Rebekah Henry, Research Fellow Christian Urich, Research Fellow Dr Yaron Zinger, Research Fellow Peter Kolotelo, Research Assistant Christelle Schang, Research Assistant Richard Williamson, Research and Technical Assistant Louisa John-Krol, Administrative Officer and Personal Assistant

Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics Dr Dinusha Dharmaratna, Lecturer Professor Lata Gangadharan, Project Leader Dr Anke Leroux, Senior Lecturer Dr Paul Raschky, Lecturer

Department of Geography and Environmental Science Professor Jason Beringer, Project Leader Dr Annette Bos, Research Fellow Dr Andrew Coutts, Research Fellow Dr Meredith Dobbie, Research Fellow Jennifer Edwards, Executive Assistant Dr Megan Farrelly, Research Fellow Dr Briony Ferguson, Research Fellow Dr Ffalar de Haan, Research Fellow Dr Margaret Loughan, Research Fellow

School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science Dr Lorenzo de la Fuente, Research Fellow Professor Christian Jakob, Project Leader Dr Bhupendra Raut, Research Fellow Professor Michael Reeder, Research Collaborator

Organisational PartnersCooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Funding and Collaboration Australian Research Council, Funding Office of Living Victoria, Funding and Collaboration LICB Investments, Funding Dutch Research Institute for Transitions, Erasmus, University Rotterdam, Research Partner Jewish National Fund of Australia, Funding Partner UNESCO-IHE, The Netherlands, Research Partner

Key InitiativesThe Monash Water for Liveability Centre may have changed names, but its excellence in research continues in 2013.

Exploring pathways towards water system resilienceResearchers are developing modelling tools that can support strategists and planners to understand the implications of possible water infrastructure adaptations. This work will enable robust and resilient water management solutions to be developed by testing many different scenarios of climate, population growth, city development and societal change patterns.

Enabling policy and practice transitions to water sensitive citiesThe Urban Water Transitions and Governance Program is supporting cities to transition towards water sensitive policy and practice. By undertaking fundamental and applied social research on topics such as transition dynamics, institutional change, strategic planning, landscape perceptions, innovation and learning, researchers are examining and providing guidance on how water management can be improved in different urban contexts.

Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre in ChinaAgreement has been reached between Monash University and Southeast University (SEU) to establish the Water Sensitive Cities Research Centre within the Joint Research Institute in Suzhou, China. The Centre will undertake research and foster collaboration with industry and government partners in China in a manner that will transform the way water is managed in the planning and design of the urban form to achieve more sustainable, resilient and liveable cities. Five PhD candidates, jointly supervised by SEU and Monash Water for Liveability scholars, will commence at the Centre in 2014 with the plan to have a total of 20 PhD candidates enrolled each year after the third year of operation.

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Identification of the climate benefits of water sensitive urban design Using a combination of measurement, modelling and remote sensing, the urban climate group is actively assessing the positive climate impacts of green infrastructure, irrigation and water sensitive urban design. As the work matures researchers are focusing more on building and assessing a range of models capable of determining the degree of cooling provided by different urban design, at a range of spatial scales from the micro (household) to the meso (citywide) scale.

Heat, thermal comfort and human health relationships for Australian citiesIn this initiative, the urban climate group is assessing the relationship between urban heat and human health for Australian urban environments and developing novel approaches to mapping human heat vulnerability in Australian cities. The group is also assessing the role of water sensitive urban design and green infrastructure in human thermal comfort, particularly under extreme conditions.This will eventually enable us to assess the direct health and thermal comfort benefits of water sensitive urban design.

A key direction of the City of Melbourne is to explore the potential of green infrastructure to cool the city, decrease flooding and provide fit for purpose water for the urban forest. Our partnership with Professor Nigel Tapper and his team has been integral in advancing our knowledge around the role of trees and green infrastructure in influencing the microclimate of our public realm and identifying key aspects of our climate adaptation program.

Ian Shears, Manager Urban Landscapes, City of Melbourne

Green and blue infrastructure for liveable cities We are now developing vertical water biofiltration technologies. This includes green walls for treatment of greywater that also can actively contribute to mitigation of urban heat issues as well as deliver aesthetically pleasing urban environments. This is a logical extension of our on-going work on stormwater water sensitive urban design technologies.

Environmental and Public Health Microbiology Lab (EPHM LAB) The EPHM Lab has a specific focus on health related urban water microbiology. There are four main projects: (1) understanding the physical pathways pathogens follow in urban stormwater treatment systems; (2) pathogenic risks of using urban stormwater for growing vegetables; (3) development of novel antimicrobial filtration media; and (4) pathogens in the Yarra River Estuary. The laboratory is a recent addition to our existing urban water laboratories (the water biofiltration greenhouse and the hydraulic lab), which are located within Department of Civil Engineering on Monashs Clayton Campus.

The Urban Climate group in Monash Water for Liveability is undertaking groundbreaking research on the relationship between water sensitive urban design (WSUD), green infrastructure and human thermal comfort and health. This image shows a DJI 800 Evo Hexacopter equipped with a thermal camera and an example of a daytime thermal image collected above Errol St Park, Melbourne in March 2014.


Funded by Australian Aid, this program brings together the multidisciplinary research expertise of Monash University with international teams to link research and policy relevant on climate change adaptation and mitigation in south and south-east Asia. The program is assisting efforts to reduce poverty in the region through sustainable development of natural resources.

Natural Resources Management in Asia in Response to Climate Change

2013 Highlights A Centre for Knowledge Management was established in Vietnam as a result of our work on knowledge sector development in the country. Funded by Australian Aid, this project focused on developing policies and action in response to climate change in Vietnam.

MSIs interdisciplinary work on health challenges in Myanmar was welcomed and lauded by stakeholders in the country, including the Ministry of Health, the University of Public Health and several non-government agencies active in maternal health and HIV/AIDs.

In partnership with Indias Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), MSI co-hosted a meeting in New Dehli to address the emerging water crisis in India.

MSI joined forces with the Monash University English Language Centre (MUELC) to provide English language training in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The ten-week program with the University of Palangka Raya addressed issues of deforestation and forest degradation in Kalimantan, culminating in improved English language capacity and a successful application for three Australia Aid funded scholars to study their PhDs at Monash University.

The Sustainability Institute of Monash University coordinated a south-south knowledge sharing focused on practical and innovative solutions on enhancing resilience to climate change using ecosystem and community-based approaches. The MSI team brought in a range of organizations (government, private sector and NGOs) from Victoria and South Australia into the week long knowledge sharing event involving six countries... The practical but diverse inputs were the major factor for the success of this knowledge sharing. This illustrates MSIs ability and networking capacity to deal with the multi-sectoral issues of climate resilient development.

Dr Habiba Gitay, Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank

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Core Team Dr Paul McShane, Chief Researcher Simon Rowntree, Project Coordinator Dr Terry Chan, Research Fellow Dr Tina Kalivas, Research Fellow Dr Max Richter, Research Fellow Dr Jeremy Aarons, Research Fellow Dr Fabrizio DAprile, Research Fellow

Key AssociatesDr Craig Thorburn, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Faculty of Arts, Monash University Professor Nigel Tapper, School of Geography and Environmental Science, Faculty of Arts, Monash University Professor Frada Burnstein, School of Information Technology, Monash University Dr Henry Linger, School of Information Technology, Monash University Professor Marika Vicziany, Monash Asia Institute Professor Gordon Whyte, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Dr Paulo Santos, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Professor Rob Skinner, Monash Water for Liveability Professor Lisa Cameron, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Dr Ha Phan, Faculty of Education, Monash University Dr Katy Cornwell, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University Dr Yacinta Kurniasih, School of Language, Cultures and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, Monash University Matthew Piscioneri, Arts Academic Language and Learning Unit, Faculty of Arts, Monash University

Organisational PartnersAustralian Aid, Funder National Council on Climate Change Indonesia, Collaborator University of Palangka Raya, Indonesia, Collaborator Institute of Development Studies Koltkata, Collaborator University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Collaborator Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam, Collaborator International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Partner Water and Power Development Authority Pakistan, Collaborator Tribhuvan University, Nepal, Collaborator Lahore University of Management Studies Pakistan, Collaborator Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam, Collaborator Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam, Collaborator Hanoi National University of Education, Vietnam, Collaborator Climate Change Institute, Australian National University, Partner The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India, Collaborator Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB), India, Collaborator Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD), India, Collaborator Centre for Global Change, Bangladesh, Collaborator National Environment Commission, Bhutan, Collaborator Department of Geography, University of Otago, Collaborator University of Public Health, Myanmar, Collaborator

Key InitiativesMSIs extensive work on natural resource management in south and south-east Asia grew in 2013, with projects now running in Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

Developing regional collaboration in response to climate changeThis two-year program, involving countries that rely on the Hindu Kush Himalayan Rivers, commenced in 2013. Water resource management and research agencies from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan are participating in the program. The program is supported by Australian Aid, Monash University and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Researchers are working to link research and policy to enable collaborative approaches to international river management. In 2013, MSI held workshops in Kathmandu (Nepal) and Thimphu (Bhutan) to bring together counterparts to examine improved governance arrangements in response to climate change impacts on three major river systems: the Indus, Teesta, and Koshi.

In 2013, MSIs Professor Dave Griggs, Dr Paul McShane and Dr Max Richter joined the Vice-Chancellor and other Monash University academics in the largest international delegation to Indonesia in the Universitys history.


What sustainable development opportunities exist that can help us both reduce poverty and conserve peat-land in Indonesia? MSI is working with the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership, Kalimantan Forests and Climate Change (KFCP), and the University of Palangka-Raya on a program to identify sustainable economic development opportunities that will help reduce poverty and conserve ecosystems. Under the KFCP, Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) schemes are being trialled in the local district, Katingen. In 2013, we worked with local district officials and staff from the University of Palangka Raya to develop evidence-based approaches to examine alternative livelihoods linked to the REDD scheme trials.

Helping Indonesia develop research capacity for sustainable developmentMSI is working with prominent Indonesian universities in a research skills development program. Researchers are helping to develop Indonesias knowledge sector as part of a strategy to mobilise Indonesias natural capital of nearly 250 million people, develop its economy sustainably, and reduce rates of poverty across the archipelago. The universities involved include the University of Indonesia, University of Gadjah Mada, the Institute of Technology of Bandung, the Institute Pertanian Bogor, the University of Palangka Raya, and Tanjungpura University. The 10-week program involves most of Monash Universitys faculties and is improving research performance in those universitiesincluding publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation of research results to end users. The program has yielded three Australian Aid scholars who have joined Monash to study for their PhDs in areas aligned to sustainable resource development.

Extending successful community-based forest management in response to climate changeWith the support of Australian Aid, we coordinated a series of workshops to address community-based forest management. The workshops brought together researchers and policy makers from Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Vietnam to improve the link between research and effective policy. It followed a workshop in Kolkata, India, which identified shared issues among participating countries. The project draws on many disciplines, including law, economics, political science, sociology, anthropology and geography. Key outcomes in 2013 included policy recommendations to incorporate community-based forest management and a framework for research addressing identified gaps in knowledge. This work has now focused on developing spatial planning initiatives that promote economic development through sustainable forestry but reduce environmental and community health impacts through reducing forest degradation and anthropogenic fires.

Knowledge management in response to climate changeMSI researchers are working with Vietnams National Target Program on Climate Change, through the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, and their Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. We are addressing barriers and opportunities for sharing information and looking at ways of adapting to climate change and allocating water resources. In 2013, MSI held workshops in Hanoi to bring together relevant stakeholders to develop knowledge management frameworks that can enable collaboration among agencies responsible for climate change policy development and implementation.

Strategic engagement with IndonesiaMSI is playing a key role in Monashs revitalised strategic engagement with Indonesia. Dr Paul McShane, Dr Max Richter and Professor Dave Griggs participated in the largest international delegation to Indonesia in Monashs history (led by the Vice Chancellor). Sustainability is a key component of the new initiatives developed through MSI and Monashs networks in Indonesia. This complements established initiatives and activities led by MSI over the past five years.

World Bank delegates visit MonashMSI hosted a week-long visit from representatives of six countries in late 2013Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Samoa, Vietnam and Zambia. The visit was supported by the Climate Investment Funds Pilot Program for Climate Resilience and the World Bank. Participants came to Monash to learn about practical and innovative adaptation solutions used in Australia and the six participating countries, to address the shared challenges of climate change. Senior Environment Specialist with the World Bank, Dr Habiba Gitay, said Monash provided the group with the opportunity to learn by example. The attraction of coming to Monash was to tap into how local communities have taken a leadership role in integrating technical

and indigenous knowledge to adapt to the multiple impacts of climate change in Australia, Dr Gitay said. MSIs Dr Paul McShane, who developed the program for the World Bank visit, said MSIs work was especially relevant to the needs of the group. Our work in engaging experts from most of the Universitys faculties examines the link between knowledge and policy to develop realistic solutions to climate change, Dr McShane said. We were pleased to extend our capability and our integrated approach to the World Bank.

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Researchers on this program are examining the relationship between social and environmental sustainability and working to develop policy solutions to the challenges Australia faces in both areas.

Researchers are looking at how climate change and other environmental issues connect with social policy, and how they impact people experiencing social exclusion and other disadvantages. Researchers are seeking to better understand how to improve the well-being of socially excluded people who will be the most adversely impacted by climate change and other environmental impacts such as pollution and biodiversity loss.

Social and Environmental Sustainability

2013 Highlights MSI researchers presented their work on social exclusion and mobility at an international conference held at Oxford University in 2013.

Two book chapters were commissioned on transport and social inclusion, and sustainability and transport in international books published by Edward Elgar and Springer.

New research was published, linking transport and the psychological measurement of wellbeing.

MSI researchers are examining ways to improve the well-being of socially excluded people who will be most affected by climate change.


Core TeamDr Janet Stanley, Program Leader Professor John Stanley, Researcher Dr Diana Vella-Brodrick, Researcher

Key AssociatesADC Forum National Institute of Economic and Industry Research

Organisational PartnersBusVic, Funder Connect U, Partner Warrnambool Bus Lines, Funder Deakin University, Partner The establishment of ConnectU is a new innovative approach in

the transport field. The collaboration between MSI and Warrnambool Bus Lines has been important in getting this project operational and successful.

Sam Lucas, Director, Transit South West

MSI researchers are exploring the infrastructure needed to create a city where everything can be reached in 20-minutes without a car.

Key InitiativesMSI researchers are working to understand how to increase the well-being of our most vulnerable people and reduce their exposure to climate change.

The 20-Minute CityMSIs researchers are exploring how larger urban areas can move to local nodes where most services and needs can be reached in 20 minutes through non-car travel. Researchers are examining the infrastructure needed to achieve this, and the likely impact on people, the environment and local economies.

ConnectU: Helping people get aroundOur researchers are supporting ConnectU, a social enterprise that provides travel options to people who have trouble accessing transport in Warrnambool and the surrounding area. The organisation now has an office and vehicles, and two staff supported by volunteers. MSIs researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of ConnectU, in partnership with Deakin University.

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The Monash Soil Carbon program is a multidisciplinary program that pulls together Monashs considerable soil research expertise under the stewardship of the Monash Sustainability Institute. The program brings together researchers from MSI, the School of Biological Sciences, the School of Chemistry, the Department of Civil Engineering, the Centre for Green Chemistry, and the School of Geography and Environmental Science.

Our joint aim is to address the sustainability and climate change challenges of soil health, soil productivity and carbon storage in Australia. The programs researchers are particularly interested in investigating sustainable solutions to improve soil quality. The program aims to increase our understanding of soil carbon processes and function to improve land management strategies and better inform public policy.

Soil Carbon Program

2013 Highlights We conducted a soil field day with Victorian farmers, co-sponsored by the Bass Landcare Group.

We initiated compost trials and ongoing monitoring of field trial sites in the Colac region in Victoria.

Our researchers produced a meta-analysis of research into the plant-growth effects of humic substances, which was accepted for publication in Advances in Agronomy.

We completed and continued trials on biochar in native plant establishment and carbon sequestration.

We engaged with several new industries, looking at organic fertilizer blends that utilise waste organics from food industries and domestic sources.


Core TeamAssociate Professor Tony Patti, Program Leader, School of Chemistry Dr Tim Cavagnaro, Program Leader, School of Biological Sciences Dr Vanessa Wong, Program Leader, School of Geography and Environmental Science Professor Roy Jackson, Emeritus Professor, School of Chemistry Dr Will Gates, Senior Research Officer, Department of Civil Engineering Dr Jessica Drake, Research Fellow, School of Chemistry Dr Mick Rose, Research Fellow, School of Chemistry Dr Jie-Lian Beh, Research Fellow, School of Chemistry Dr Priscilla Johnson, Research Assistant, School of Chemistry Dr Philip Wallis, Program Liaison, Monash Sustainability Institute

Organisational PartnersBrown Coal Innovation Australia, Funder CSIRO, Delivery Partner Greening Australia, Delivery Partner Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Victoria, Delivery Partner Department of Agriculture, Funder Fuels and Technology Institute, Curtin University, Delivery Partner Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Energy, Funder and Collaborator Feeco Australia, Delivery Partner

At the base of a lot of the big issues we must deal with climate change, food security, environmental quality, biodiversity are processes that occur in the soil. We have to deal with the question of providing enough food for the worlds population, and of sequestering carbon in soil. Working with the Monash Sustainability Institute has really helped us ramp up our efforts to meet these research challenges.

Dr Tim Cavagnaro, School of Biological Sciences

Key InitiativesThe Monash Soil Carbon Program pulls together Monashs considerable soil research expertise in these key initiatives.

A green option for improving soil carbon, soil fertility and agricultural productivityThis project is spearheading research on the use of coal-derived additives for improving soil carbon through increases in soil fertility and agricultural productivity.

The contribution of biochar in increasing soil carbon in native woody bioenergy crops and on-farm vegetationReplanting of native vegetation on farms is being widely undertaken across Australia. This project has two primary aims. The first is to demonstrate the potential of biochar and biochar/compost blends to increase soil carbon in native woody bioenergy crops. The second aim is to determine if biochar improves soil conditions for native plant establishment and growth, particularly of degraded soils.

Researchers are studying the potential of biochar to increase soil carbon and improve soil conditions.

Options for the utilisation of biochar by-products from bio-oil production for agricultureMonash is a partner in the new Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Energy, led by Curtin University, Western Australia. Our current project involves an investigation of carbon by-products from bio-oil production from wood. These have potential as possible soil amendments and possibly fall into the category of a biochar.

Action on the grounddairy compostThis national project extends the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) and Greenhouse Gas Emission methodology to dairy compost. Evidence suggests that composting dairy waste reduces methane emissions on farms. It also suggests that using compost as an alternative to mineral fertiliser should increase carbon sequestration and reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Farmers are already composting their waste and reusing it on site. This project aims to determine if composting reduces methane and nitrous oxide emissions, while simultaneously increasing carbon in soils and maintaining pasture productivity.

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MSIs Sustainable Development Program aims to provide input to influence the national and international discussion on practical solutions to global sustainability challenges.

Monash University, through MSI, has been appointed as the Australia/Pacific Regional Centre of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The SDSN was established under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General in August 2012 and is led by Professor Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia University. It is a global network that aims to mobilise scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector to solve the sustainable development challenge locally, nationally, and globally.

Together, the Regional Centre and the MSI Sustainable Development Program are creating a national and regional dialogue on sustainable development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN is in the process of developing SDGs that will replace the Millennium Development Goals in 2016 and promote an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet. This program is providing Australian and regional leadership in the development of the SDGs and solutions for implementing them. Sir Bob Watson, one of the worlds leading scientific experts on sustainability, has joined MSI to chair this program.

MSI staff are also playing key roles internationally. Sir Bob Watson is the vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and was until recently the UK representative on the UN Open Working Group, tasked with development of the SDGs. MSI Chair, Professor John Thwaites has been appointed to the Leadership Council of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. And MSI Director, Professor Dave Griggs (along with an international team of scientists) published a paper in the journal Nature that proposes a set of SDGs that integrate developmental and environmental considerations.

Sustainable Development

2013 Highlights We held two highly successful workshops on the implications of the Sustainable Development Goals for Australia (in Melbourne) and the south-east Asia/Australia region (in Kuala Lumpur), with over 80 senior leaders from government, business, civil society and academia attending each.

Professor Dave Griggs led a much cited article in Nature on the Sustainable Development Goals and presented it at an Expert Group meeting at the UN in New York.

Seventy Monash staff attended a joint MSI and Faculty of Arts forum on how to ramp up Monash research on Sustainable Development.

Professor Dave Griggs became an advisor to the Japanese POST 2015: Project on sustainability transformation beyond 2015.

By invitation, Professor Dave Griggs gave a keynote presentation at the Global Environmental Action Conference in Tokyo, which included an audience with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan.


Core TeamSir Bob Watson, Sustainable Development Goals Initiative Chair Professor Dave Griggs, Program Leader Professor John Thwaites, Program Leader Dr Tahl Kestin, Project Manager

Key AssociatesRosemary Bissett, National Australia Bank Sacha Courville, National Australia Bank Professor Emeritus Dato Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia Academician Dato Ir (Dr) Yee Cheong Lee, International STI Centre for South-South Cooperation, Malaysia Dr Shiv Someshwar, Director Climate Policy, Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA Professor Wing Thye Woo, Executive Director, Penang Institute, Malaysia Professor Sisira Jayasuriya, Department of Economics, Monash University Professor Michael Ward, MSI and Department of Economics, Monash University Professor Gamini Herath, Department of Economics, Monash University, Malaysia Professor Jacqui True, Faculty of Arts, Monash University Kim McGrath, Consultant, MSI Simon Rowntree, MSI Professor Will Steffen, Australian National University Dr Mark Stafford-Smith, CSIRO Siamak Sam Loni, Monash student and SDSN Youth Executive Director

Organisational PartnersHarold Mitchell Foundation, Funder and Partner National Australia Bank, Funder and Partner Australia Aid, Funder and Partner Department of Environment, Australian Government, Funder and Partner City of Melbourne, Funder and Partner Yarra Valley Water, Funder and Partner United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Partner Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), Partner Office of the Science Adviser to the Prime Minister, Malaysia, Partner Centre for Development Economics, Monash University, Partner Arts Research Office (ARO), Monash University, Partner Global Engagement, Monash University, Partner

Key InitiativesMSIs exciting Sustainable Development Program is leading an international dialogue on improving human wellbeing without destroying the planets life-support systems.

SDSN Regional Centre for the Australia/Pacific SecretariatAs the Regional Centre, MSI has developed a website (ap-unsdsn.org) for regional network news, and worked with SDSN members in the region to develop stronger regional ties. An SDSN Youth Initiative is currently under development. The Secretariat has also been working across Monash University to identify and build on sustainable development research strengths.

What Sustainable Development Goals should Australia aim for? This workshop, held on 13-14 May 2013 in Melbourne, brought together over 80 senior leaders from across the community to develop a vision of a sustainable Australia and how Australia could play a leadership role in the SDG negotiations. A series of short papers on the sustainable development challenges facing Australia, and potential goals and targets, is being prepared as follow up.

We are honoured to work with Monash University as a major partner and leader to accelerate practical problem solving for sustainable development

Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Monash has been chosen as the regional research hub for the UN's Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

A new paradigm for sustainable development. (Diagram from: Griggs et al (2013), Nature, 495: 305-307)

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Sustainable Development Goals for the South-East Asia/Australia regionpriorities and solutionsThis regional workshop, held in conjunction with the SDSN Malaysia Chapter in Kuala Lumpur on 7-8 November 2013, brought together over 100 key stakeholders from across the region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Australia to explore key sustainable development priorities for the region and how these could be captured in the SDGs.

MSI would like to gratefully acknowledge the kind support of the Harold Mitchell Foundation in 2013.

Monash University launched the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) for Australia and the Pacific in May 2013 to bring together universities and research centers from the region to promote practical problem solving for sustainable development. Monash has also been deeply involved in the Malaysia and SE Asia SDSNs that were launched in the second half of 2013. The first regional SDSN event held in Malaysia in November 2013 was a great success. Researchers from Monash are also making an important contribution to the Deep Decarbonization Pathway Project, which will prepare national strategies for deep decarbonization in the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. We are very grateful for Monash leadership on sustainable development in the region and look forward to working closely with the university during 2014 to advance practical solutions for sustainable development in the region and beyond. Together with other members of the SDSN we will also support governments in negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals by September 2015.

Guido Schmidt-Traub, Executive Director, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network

The science of Sustainable Development GoalsThe stable functioning of the Earth system is a prerequisite for a thriving global society. This research by Professor Dave Griggs and global collaborators is developing a science-based framework for sustainable development goals and targets that integrates environment and development. The initial work has been published in Nature and has been presented widely at the UN and other forums.

The Honourable Dato Dr James Dawos Mamit, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia, opening the Regional Workshop on Sustainable Development Goals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with workshop Co-Chairs Prof Zakri Abdul Hamid and Sir Bob Watson.


MSIs Sustainability Economics Program, launched in 2012, is conducting high-impact research and engagement on economics of the environment, natural resources and sustainability. Our researchers are working on: Consumer engagement in the energy market. Adaptive economic management of water resources (with the help of major grants from the Australian Research Council and the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities).

Recovering value from discarded household electronics.

A major new partnership was also forged in 2013 with the launch of Monashs Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES). The team from the CDES bring with them a wealth of expertise in economicsfrom environmental regulation, to resources management in developing countries, to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Sustainability Economics

2013 Highlights We launched the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability (CDES) as a new partnership with the former Monash Centre for Development Economics.

Work commenced on economics of recycled household electronics, funded by the CSIRO Wealth from Waste Flagship Cluster.

Dr Danny Brent joined the program to work on various grants on water economics.

Work commenced on two Low Income Energy Efficiency Program projects.

Dr Gill Owen was appointed to the Consumer Challenge Panel, Australian Energy Regulator, Expert Reference Panel for the Commonwealths Energy White Paper.

MSI's Sustainability Economics program forged a major new partnership with the Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability in 2013.

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Core TeamProfessor Michael Ward, Lead Researcher Dr Gill Owen, Lead Researcher Dr Daniel Brent, Research Fellow

Key AssociatesProfessor Lata Gangadharan, Department of Economics, Monash University Professor Sisira Jayasuriya, Department of Economics, Monash University Professor Jeffrey LaFrance, Department of Economics, Monash University Dr Anke Leroux, Department of Economics, Monash University Dr Paul Raschky, Department of Economics, Monash University

Organisational PartnersAustralian Research Council, Funder Centre for Development Economics, Partner CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, Funder CSIRO FlagshipWealth from Waste, Funder Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability, Partner Department of Economics, Monash University, Partner AGL Energy, Funder Department of Industry, Commonwealth Government, Funder Brotherhood of St Laurence, Partner Goulburn Valley Community Energy, Partner

Key Initiatives

How effective are economic levers when managing Australias urban water?

This ARC Discovery Project, led by Professor Michael Ward, is analysing the effectiveness and distributional consequences of using economic leverssuch as price-based demand managementfor urban water. In 2013, Dr Danny Brent joined the project as a postdoctoral research fellow. He has been helping design a pilot set of field experiments on water consumption.

How willing are people to pay for stormwater management?This three-year project, funded by the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities and led by Professor Lata Gangadharan, commenced in 2012. Researchers on the project are working to identify consumer willingness to pay for stormwater management, in order to quantify the contribution urban water amenities make to property values and to determine the optimal portfolio of urban water supply sources.

The Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability, is very pleased to be an MSI partner. In fact, we attach such importance to sustainability that we recently expanded our name to include the word. MSI staff played a key role in launching this expansion, and we look forward to as productive a future relationship as weve already had in 2013.

Lisa Cameron, Director, Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability

MSI researchers are studying ways to recover value from electronic waste such as mobile phones.

Recovering value from household wasteIn this project, researchers will be looking at economically effective strategies for recovering value from the household waste stream, such as old mobile phones and other electronics. This project is funded by a grant from the CSIROs Wealth and Waste Flagship Cluster. In 2013, work commenced on a baseline household survey.

Low income energy efficiency programOur researchers are working on these two BehaviourWorks Australia projects to evaluate the impact of different interventions (measures and advice) on household energy use. We will also be looking at designing subsidies to low income households to encourage the uptake of energy efficient devices, which will maximise impact per dollar of assistance. In the latter part of 2013 the two projects were in the set-up phase as we developed the monitoring and evaluation frameworks.


The Sustainable Places program brings together expertise from across Monash and externally to better understand the challenges facing modern citiesparticularly those presented by climate change. Were working to envisage what a future climate adapted city would look like, how to meet the needs of disadvantaged people and other social sustainability issues.

Sustainable Places

2013 Highlights Dr Janet Stanley was invited to contribute to the Victorian Governments Metropolitan Planning Strategy.

A major report was launched on what a climate-adapted settlement would look like in 2030. The report was a case study of Inverloch and Sandy Point for the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.

MSI's Sustainable Places program contributed to the New Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy.

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Core Team Dr Janet Stanley, Program Leader Professor Dave Griggs, Research and Advice Dr Marion Carey, Researcher Dr Mark Symmons, Researcher Dr Bob Birrell, Researcher Dr Wendy Wright, Researcher Dr Michelle Duffy, Researcher

Key AssociatesHelen Martin, Consultant Dr Ian Manning, Consultant Dr Peter Brain, Consultant Chris Stanley, Consultant Steb Fisher, Consultant Scott Ferraro, Gippsland Climate Change Network Craig Lyon, Local Government Lisa Price, Local Government Ashley Hall, State Government Carole Macmillan, State Government

Organisational PartnersNational Clima

Documents

Monash Sustainability Institute - Annual Activity Report 2013