Episode #6

The need for policy certainty with Dr Mary Stewart

Mary grew up and studied in South Africa.
When her PhD supervisor got offered a position as Head of Department in Chemical Engineering at Sydney Uni, she was offered a position and also moved out. She came for 18 months and hasn’t moved back!
Mary has been at Energetics – Australia’s largest & oldest energy and climate consultancy – for 12 years. Her role is to assist ASX companies address climate change.

How can Australia meet its climate objectives by 2050? Need to consider the delivery timeline of the Paris Agreement and Australia’s commitment to it. Success will require a 50/50 split of cash investment from industry and government.
The only thing that will release private sector funding is policy certainty. Until there is policy certainty in Australia, private sector money will not flow.
If we want emission reductions by 2030, technology innovation has to have already happened.
Innovations in the building model comes from the private sector – eg ESCS (Energy Saving Certificate Scheme) in NSW & the VEES (Victorian Energy Efficiency Scheme) in VIC.
Policy Certainty is so important. “Engineers have to be aware of the policy environment in which they are developing answers. Because we don’t know now what we are designing for in 2050.” Mary
Need bi-partisan support before the next elections to achieve Policy Certainty.
Policy certainty is more important than excellent policy.

Energetics developed the 1 to 5 system which Sydney Water built a program “Every Drop Counts” around and subsequently won the Stockholm Award.
Mary, through her role at UNFCC, has developed an innovation policy to enable countries to best work out if they want to develop policies to support innovation to meet climate objectives.
When Mary graduated chemical engineering, 13% were female. In 30 years, this statistic has not changed.
Engineering is all about problem solving. Engineers need to develop a complex toolbox on approaches to solving problems.
“An interesting job is one that allows me to be creative about getting to an answer.” Mary
Will need Variance Tolerance engineers in the future.

With thanks to our sponsor, Fuga Veloce – Italian for Fast Escape, we are able to give away a 60-min Joy Ride around Sydney in a Ferrari 360 spider.

How to win??

Within the first 10 episodes, go to iTunes and leave us a review. The best review will WIN. Winner announced in episode 11.

An engineer to admire is Roland Clift – The importance of diversity of thought in solving problems of new and the problems of the future.

Special thanks to our sponsor: www.fugaveloce.com.au

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Our SUPER sponsor. Fuga Veloce – Italian for Fast Escape.
Our competition. Imagine getting driven around Sydney like a movie star in a Ferrari 360 spider. Leave a review in iTunes within the first 10 episodes and you could be a winner! To be announced in Episode 11.
Our drinking game. You can’t have a beer with an engineer without having a drinking game!! Anytime Dom says “ummm” drink up… and we can add “so” from Mel.