Spotlight on Decarbonisation for Local Councils
Local councils around Australia have an important role to play in decarbonising the construction supply chain. Local councils have multiple levers of change in their arsenal. This MECLA spotlight explores those different levers of change and highlights some local council best practice.
Innovative Building Materials Challenge
On 17 August was the MECLA Innovative Building Materials Challenge. Suppliers of building materials are emerging all over Australia with innovative building products to drive decarbonisation. This competitions featured 7 of them and explored their impact on construction’s emissions reduction journey.
Spotlight on Timber Myth Busting
Timber is a regenerative resource, and demand for timber resources is growing. But barriers to timber uptake in Australia still exist. Here, MECLA explores what these barriers are and dispells some myths around timber. Engineered wood products from plantation softwood forest have an important role to play in decarbonisation.
Spotlight on Western Australia
On 26 June 2023 MECLA travelled to Western Australia to explore the particular challenges and opportunities of decarbonising construction in the WA context. The event featured several industry experts from inside and outside the state, comparing and contrasting the decarbonisation journey.
Spotlight on Mapping Scope 3 Emissions in the Built Environment
Building skills and understanding of what is within a company’s boundary for inclusion, as well as how to support emissions reduction, is vital if we are to achieve our ambitious reduction targets. In this event we look at steps being taken by industry to map scope 3 boundaries.
Annual Update and Report Back
On 14 June 2023 MECLA brought together the community to provide updates accross all of the various activity happening across the working groups. The event featured short presentations from the chairs of all 10 MECLA working groups, covering outputs and outcomes to date, as well as objectives, priority areas and work streams for the next 12-18 months.
Spotlight on Myth Busting
Low embodied carbon materials continue to be clouded by “myths”, which prevent large-scale uptake.
In this spotlight MECLA demonstrates that these barriers are often perceptions rather than real barriers to use in the built environment.
Spotlight on Digital Technologies for Lowering Embodied Carbon
Digital technologies have a crucial role to play in the pathway to net zero. Presentations cover commercial and residential sectors, different ways digital twins can be used, how digital modelling helps inform design decisions, and what tools engineers are using to track the embodied carbon of projects.
Spotlight on Measuring Embodied Carbon
Embodied/Upfront carbon measurement and benchmarking is in a dynamic state, and a critical goal for the sector is to evolve measurement approaches that allow for consistent, comparable, and reliable benchmarking. This spotlight takes a look at the current state of play, the opportunities and challenges for the future of measurement.
Spotlight on regenerative materials
The MECLA Spotlight on regenerative materials features speakers from government and industry exploring how different existing materials can adapt, what emerging biophilic and regenerative materials are entering the market, and the role government can play in accelerating R&D and commercialisation.
Spotlight on helping Queensland decarbonise its construction supply chain
Government representatives and industry partners discuss delivering a Climate Positive Olympics in Brisbane in 2032, the powerful procurement opportunity Queensland has to drive innovative low carbon materials, and how they plan to achieve it.
Spotlight on Embodied Carbon and the Finance Sector
Investors are increasingly looking beyond financial and economic value in assets to understand their ESG credentials, with carbon profiles and scope for decarbonisation as key considerations. This session explores the crucial role finance can play in the transition to a low embodied carbon construction sector by deploying capital.
Spotlight on Policy Levers to Drive Change
On 27 October 2022 MECLA hosted a Spotlight on Policy Levers to Drive Change. The event featured a range of government and industry speakers who discussed the opportunity for policy to drive embodied emission reductions, particularly in infrastructure, and the opportunity for low emission building materials in upcoming transition infrastructure.
Spotlight on Aluminium 2022
Out of the three primary materials that contribute to 70% of a building’s embodied carbon aluminium is the most emissions intensive per ton.
This event focuses on the aluminium and secondary alumium sector, and the challenges and opportunities in decarbonisation.
Spotlight on Aluminium
Aluminium is a critical material for the modern world. Momentum is growing to drive decarbonisation and recycling efforts in this sector.
This Spotlight event features a collection of industry perspectives from across the building and construction sector.
Spotlight on Low Carbon Concrete
On 13 October 2022 MECLA hosted a Spotlight on Low Carbon Concrete, discussing low carbon concrete design and innovation and providing insights into past and present projects, as well as addressing research and innovation available to support the ongoing decarbonisation of the cement and concrete supply chain.
Spotlight on Concrete and Cement
Cement manufacturing accounts for approximately 7% of global emissions.
This MECLA event brought together hundreds of industry experts to discuss the challenges in reducing carbon emissions in concrete and cement.
Spotlight on Timber
In this Spotlight learn about the carbon footprint of Australian timber products.
Hear Caryn Streeter talk about designing with CLT and GLT, and Jeremy Mansfield OAM on maximising the benefits of commercial construction adoption of mass engineering timber.
Spotlight on Pre-Design and Design Strategies for Lowering Embodied Carbon
In this Spotlight learn about pre-design and design strategies for lowering embodied carbon. The event includes speakers from some of Australia’s leading architecture and design firms, a Director from TfNSW and a guest speaker from the UK.
Spotlight on Steel
The iron and steel industry contribute approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Learn how the industry can decarbonise including existing local and international initiatives such as ResponsibleSteel™, the Net Zero Steel Pathway Methodology Project and the worldsteel StepUp™ Program.
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