Beyond Zero Emissions is an Australian climate change solutions think-tank, working with academics and in particular the University of Melbourne-based Melbourne Energy Institute. Driven by an understanding of climate change as an urgent threat to the wellbeing of both human societies and the broader Earth system, it releases detailed information on proposed policy packages and technological plans, to help enable informed debate on climate change mitigation. The goal of these reports and plans is to demonstrate that a move to a net zero emission economy in Australia is achievable and affordable in a relatively rapid timeframe.
Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan
The organization gained attention with its report, the Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan, which describes a way to "decarbonise" the stationery energy generation sector in Australia in 10 years, achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from this sector. The report calculated the cost of the plan at an average of $8 per person per week, for 10 years.[verification needed] The plan does not include any proposed use of nuclear power plants in Australia.
This report won the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Banksia award for Australian Environmental research. The development of the report included major use of a project wiki (MediaWiki site).
Subsequent Plans
As of early 2014, the organisation is now working on or has already completed subsequent technical reports addressing debarbonisation of other major sectors of Australia's economy such as relating to land-use (for forestry, agriculture, etc), buildings, and transport.
Notes and references
See also
- Zero emissions
- Renewable energy
- Solar thermal energy
- Open Source Sustainable Transport Informatics Platform (BZE is one of the research partners in this project, using their Zero Carbon Australia Transport Plan as a test-case for the tools' development).
External links
- Wikipedia:Beyond Zero Emissions
- Wikipedia:Fossil fuel phase out
- Wikipedia:Mark Z. Jacobson (professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, who does similar work).
- Official site