Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100533
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$434,727.00
Summary
Paris-compliance: assessing companies and portfolios. The aim of this research project is to turn the tide on misleading corporate climate pledges and systematise the assessment of companies' climate performance by using a science-based approach. A critical strategic priority urgently called for during recent international climate negotiations, the research conducted will be translated into a global platform where corporate Paris Compliance information will be shared openly and transparently. Th ....Paris-compliance: assessing companies and portfolios. The aim of this research project is to turn the tide on misleading corporate climate pledges and systematise the assessment of companies' climate performance by using a science-based approach. A critical strategic priority urgently called for during recent international climate negotiations, the research conducted will be translated into a global platform where corporate Paris Compliance information will be shared openly and transparently. This will bolster businesses’ climate action by outlining meaningful and effective decarbonisation pathways, allowing all stakeholders to make climate-safe decisions, and guiding policy makers to enforce the required changes for any business to become Paris-compliant. Read moreRead less
Zooplankton: the missing link in modelling the ocean carbon cycle. What is arguably the biggest gap in our ability to close the ocean carbon cycle, and thus improve future forecasts of carbon sequestration and fisheries? The answer is our modelling of zooplankton, the most abundant animals on Earth. This project aims to build a next-generation ecosystem model that resolves zooplankton groups, their traits and key processes, generating novel insights into carbon sequestration and fisheries. Expec ....Zooplankton: the missing link in modelling the ocean carbon cycle. What is arguably the biggest gap in our ability to close the ocean carbon cycle, and thus improve future forecasts of carbon sequestration and fisheries? The answer is our modelling of zooplankton, the most abundant animals on Earth. This project aims to build a next-generation ecosystem model that resolves zooplankton groups, their traits and key processes, generating novel insights into carbon sequestration and fisheries. Expected outcomes include new methods for zooplankton modelling, leading to a paradigm shift in how we model carbon cycling. This should provide significant benefits, including vastly improved estimates of carbon sequestration and fisheries production, vital for carbon budgets and food security in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Social implications of market-based policy instruments for carbon and water. This project aims to analyse socio-cultural benefits and risks in the two significant environmental markets of carbon and water across three sites in Australia and Timor-Leste. Research into market-based policies to manage significant environmental issues is yet to fully consider socio-cultural dimensions. This project intends to document local community producers, distant investor and consumer perspectives, and incorpo ....Social implications of market-based policy instruments for carbon and water. This project aims to analyse socio-cultural benefits and risks in the two significant environmental markets of carbon and water across three sites in Australia and Timor-Leste. Research into market-based policies to manage significant environmental issues is yet to fully consider socio-cultural dimensions. This project intends to document local community producers, distant investor and consumer perspectives, and incorporate these perspectives into methods for improving the operation and impact of these expanding markets. By undertaking the first systematic comparison across resources and sites, the project expects to fill a key gap in environmental scholarship and contribute to international strategies to improve social and environmental outcomes in market-based environmental policy.Read moreRead less
Algal direct-air CO2 capture through interfacial enzyme immobilisation . Capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere is challenging due to inherently slow mass transfer kinetics. This project aims to overcome this using an enzyme that can rapidly solubilise CO2 from air into water, to produce algae. By engineering the enzyme immobilisation at the air-water interface, this project will activate and protect the enzymes, increasing their lifespan and reducing costs. By understanding mass transfer an ....Algal direct-air CO2 capture through interfacial enzyme immobilisation . Capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere is challenging due to inherently slow mass transfer kinetics. This project aims to overcome this using an enzyme that can rapidly solubilise CO2 from air into water, to produce algae. By engineering the enzyme immobilisation at the air-water interface, this project will activate and protect the enzymes, increasing their lifespan and reducing costs. By understanding mass transfer and enzyme activity in the interfacial immobilisation media, floating enzyme rafts can be developed for deployment over expansive areas, facilitating large-scale conversion of atmospheric CO2 into algae-derived fuels, feeds and chemicals.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100553
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,218.00
Summary
How does morality influence adaptation to climate change? This project aims to understand how morality influences adaptation to climate change in the Great Barrier Reef region. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the critical area of climate change adaptation, using an interdisciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include empirical insights into the connection between morality and adaptation, international collaborations, theory development, and refined methods to help identify lev ....How does morality influence adaptation to climate change? This project aims to understand how morality influences adaptation to climate change in the Great Barrier Reef region. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the critical area of climate change adaptation, using an interdisciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include empirical insights into the connection between morality and adaptation, international collaborations, theory development, and refined methods to help identify leverage points for incorporating morality into climate change decision-making. This should provide significant benefits, including a basis for policy-making in Australia and globally, that supports effective and just adaptation to climate change in ways that sustain livelihoods and respect local values.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100611
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,664.00
Summary
Building community resilience to coastal climate hazards in Australia. More frequent and intense climate hazards are devastating Australian communities and are projected to worsen as climate changes. This project aims to develop and communicate urgently needed strategies to assist coastal communities to prepare for and respond to climate hazards. The relationship between local-scale connection and capacity to prepare and respond will be investigated using mixed methods research in at-risk commun ....Building community resilience to coastal climate hazards in Australia. More frequent and intense climate hazards are devastating Australian communities and are projected to worsen as climate changes. This project aims to develop and communicate urgently needed strategies to assist coastal communities to prepare for and respond to climate hazards. The relationship between local-scale connection and capacity to prepare and respond will be investigated using mixed methods research in at-risk communities. The research will deliver practical guidance to policy makers and managers that will optimise investments in building community resilience, advance the discipline of human geography, and benefit over 20 million Australians living in coastal areas by creating new knowledge on neighbourhood adaptive capacity.Read moreRead less
Utilising novel Pongamia trees to decarbonise Australia’s beef value-chain. Progress towards a carbon neutral beef industry typically focusses on nutritional strategies, overlooking potential innovations in farming system configuration. This project aims to develop a framework for the integration of Pongamia into beef production systems, so that not only emissions reductions are maximised, but also to support carbon capture and farm system resilience. This project seeks to determine the impact o ....Utilising novel Pongamia trees to decarbonise Australia’s beef value-chain. Progress towards a carbon neutral beef industry typically focusses on nutritional strategies, overlooking potential innovations in farming system configuration. This project aims to develop a framework for the integration of Pongamia into beef production systems, so that not only emissions reductions are maximised, but also to support carbon capture and farm system resilience. This project seeks to determine the impact of Pongamia meal on cattle production efficiency, meat quality and methane emissions. Through quantification of carbon sequestration potential in tree plantations, whole-farm modelling will elucidate production scenarios capable of achieving the reductions needed for a carbon neutral Australian beef industry.Read moreRead less
HoliCOW - A holobiont strategy to uncover the core microbiome in cows. Human population growth is driving a rise in cattle production for food, which necessitates sustainable practices that simultaneously optimise animal nutrition while reducing methane emissions, a critical greenhouse gas. This project aims to unravel and exploit biological connections across the cow holobiont, which pertains to the feed cows eat, their bodily function and the microbes in their rumen. This project will leverage ....HoliCOW - A holobiont strategy to uncover the core microbiome in cows. Human population growth is driving a rise in cattle production for food, which necessitates sustainable practices that simultaneously optimise animal nutrition while reducing methane emissions, a critical greenhouse gas. This project aims to unravel and exploit biological connections across the cow holobiont, which pertains to the feed cows eat, their bodily function and the microbes in their rumen. This project will leverage multi-layered molecular data derived from the cow holobiont to identify, characterise and ultimately control the core rumen microbiome that causes methane production in animals. The outcome will be new knowledge to facilitate microbiome-based interventions that benefit animal production and reduce its carbon footprint.Read moreRead less
Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste. This project aims to develop an innovative biotechnology to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) available in waste gases into liquid chemicals. This will create strong economic drivers for carbon-intensive industries to implement CO2 capture and utilisation, by significantly increasing the value of otherwise wasted CO2. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project will substantially advance the scientific knowledge in this excit ....Production of valuable chemicals from gaseous waste. This project aims to develop an innovative biotechnology to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) available in waste gases into liquid chemicals. This will create strong economic drivers for carbon-intensive industries to implement CO2 capture and utilisation, by significantly increasing the value of otherwise wasted CO2. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this project will substantially advance the scientific knowledge in this exciting and underexploited area of biological carbon recycling. The outcomes of this project will enable the establishment of a new CO2-based biotechnology sector creating high-value chemical products from waste gases, while also support achieving national target of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101129
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$438,479.00
Summary
Assessing the risks of extracting metals for the global energy transition. This project aims to produce the first of its kind online atlas that systematically documents the social, environmental and economic impacts in mining locations around the world. Analysing impacts at the source of metal supply chains is crucial to comprehend the implications of transitioning to metal-intensive low-carbon energy technologies. The project would deliver insights on available pathways to achieve a ‘just’ ener ....Assessing the risks of extracting metals for the global energy transition. This project aims to produce the first of its kind online atlas that systematically documents the social, environmental and economic impacts in mining locations around the world. Analysing impacts at the source of metal supply chains is crucial to comprehend the implications of transitioning to metal-intensive low-carbon energy technologies. The project would deliver insights on available pathways to achieve a ‘just’ energy transition, meaning a transition that successfully tackles climate change without placing unacceptable burden on mining communities and environments. The goal of the research is to generate evidence-based recommendations so that future metal supply can be both reliable and responsible.Read moreRead less