UNSW School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering presents the 2019 Mitsubishi Development Sustainability Lecture.
This year's lecture will be presented by Nicole Brook, General Manager of Business Development and Technical Services at Glencore Coal Australia.
This lecture will explore how the resources sector is poised to play a pivotal role in the transition to a lower carbon economy.
The lecture will run for about 1.5 hours and includes a Q&A session with Nicole.
5.30pm Doors open
6.00pm Lecture and Q&A
Towards a Lower Carbon Economy – Perspectives From the Coal Face
Fossil fuels have been essential to the original industrial revolution and indeed to the economic prosperity of many countries over the last 200 years. Looking forward, electricity has been described as the “fuel of choice” for economies relying on light industrial, services and digital technology sectors*. In 2017, nearly 65% of world electricity generation was powered by fossil fuels*.
Against a backdrop of an estimated 1.3 billion people living in the world today without access to electricity, the International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2018 New Policies scenario models that world energy demand is set to increase more than 25% over the next 23 years*. Even with the rapid uptake of renewables and accelerated international climate action, fossil fuels continue to make up a very significant part of this energy mix.
This scenario presents one of the most complex challenges of our time – how do we continue to support economic development and meet future energy demands in an affordable, reliable and sustainable way? A key question facing mining leaders is how can we support an orderly transition to a lower carbon economy and what are the technologies and strategies we must develop and employ?
*International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2018
