Conference

Climate Smart Engineering

8.00 am — 7.00 pm AEST, 22 August 2024
81 North Quay, Brisbane, QLD 4000
W Brisbane
Taking charge of the energy transition

This is your opportunity to collaborate with, learn from and become one of the real-world problem solvers who’ll take us to net zero. 

Our upcoming Climate Smart Engineering Conference 2024 (CSE24) brings together some of the profession’s best and brightest thought leaders and stakeholders to navigate one of the most critical challenges in tackling climate change: the clean energy transition. 

To build a net zero future, we have to get this part right – so this event is a must-attend for engineers of every discipline and sector, including the energy, infrastructure, design, construction, transport, defence, education and government sectors. You'll find a program designed to inspire innovative solutions, accelerate progress and achieve the energy transition we all need.

What you can expect from CSE24

  • Hear from experts about the latest thinking, technology and advancements that can increase the impact of projects and strategic plans.
  • Get immersed in an interactive plenary program of industry leaders discussing and debating current challenges and solutions.
  • Explore the most pressing key topics, share knowledge and connect with a network of professionals who share a vision for a clean energy world.
     

Ready to play your part in the energy transition?

Register now

A message from CEO Romilly Madew AO FTSE HonFIEAust EngExec
Climate Smart Engineering 2024
Romilly Madew AO

Welcome to Engineers Australia’s Climate Smart Engineering Conference, CSE24.

This year, in August we will be bringing you an engaging, one-day program focused on our most significant climate challenge – the clean energy transition. 

The shift to renewable and cleaner energy alternatives requires innovative engineering solutions that balance reliability, affordability and sustainability. 

Our flagship annual conference is your opportunity to hear from a wide range of experts in climate smart engineering, learn from successful technical solutions and strategies and connect with your peers. 

CSE24 brings you the latest insights and engineering innovations – examining everything from the role of digital technology and AI to the challenges of decarbonising transport and upskilling in renewable energy. 

Navigating regulatory and policy frameworks and taking a system-of-systems approach to planning our future energy systems will also be key themes. 

Now in its fourth year, CSE24 is dedicated to addressing climate change from the engineering perspective.

With engineers and industry poised to play a major role in Australia’s clean energy transition, this is your opportunity to network, connect and collaborate to build a better and more sustainable world.

We can’t wait to see you at CSE24. 

Contact us

If you have any questions about CSE24, email us at [email protected]

Registration

Don't miss out on early bird pricing. Register now to take advantage of these discounted prices before early bird registration closes at 11.59 pm AEST on Friday 5 July.

Members can claim up to seven CPD hours for attending CSE24.

Register now

Need help convincing your manager before you can join us at CSE24? Put forward your best case with this editable email template.

 Full conference
Early bird prices 
Member$750
Non-member$950
Student$350
Standard registration prices 
Member$900
Non-member$1100
Student$350
Late or on-site prices 
Member$1100
Non-member$1300
Student$350

Group discounts

We offer a discount on the full registration rate for groups. Register online or for more information, contact [email protected]

AttendeesDiscount
5–910%
10–1915%
20 or more20%

Inclusions

Full registration includes:

  • In-person participation at CSE24.  
  • Access to all plenary sessions within the program.
  • Access to the networking reception.
  • Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.

If you have any questions about registration, email [email protected]

 

Not a member yet?

If you've been thinking about becoming an Engineers Australia member, join today and save on your conference registration rate. 

  • All registration fees are quoted in and will be charged in Australian dollars.
  • To view the current foreign exchange rates, please visit x-rates.com.
  • Registration fees are inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
  • Sharing of registrations is not permitted, a separate registration is required for each individual.
  • A student is defined as a holder of a student identification card from an accredited engineering institution.
  • A copy of your student identification card must be supplied at the time of registration. Without this copy, the full registration fee will be charged.
Terms and conditions

Listed below are the terms and conditions for this event.

  1. The following refund terms will apply for cancellation of an event registration:
    • Cancellation more than 60 days before the event will incur a AU$50 cancellation fee.
    • Cancellation between 30 and 60 days before will incur a AU$100 cancellation fee.
    • Cancellation within 30 days of the event will not be refunded.
    • Transfer of event registration will be permitted if you notify us with at least five business days’ notice of the event. Any difference in fees will need to be paid if the substitute registrant is not entitled to the same event registration rate. No refunds will be provided for transfers to a lower event fee item.
  2. Engineers Australia reserves the right to alter, amend or cancel any or all of the elements in the event program.
  3. Where a payment has been made, there will be no refund for those who do not attend.
  4. By attending, or registering to attend an event, you agree to Engineers Australia's Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Terms of Access.
Speakers

CSE24 has an exciting line-up of expert speakers. 

More speakers to be announced soon, so stay tuned.

Master of ceremonies

Headshot of Arron Wood AM
Arron Wood AM
Sustainable business expert and former Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Melbourne

Arron Wood is a sustainable business expert and former Deputy Lord Mayor for the City of Melbourne, and is a News Ltd Telstra Micro Business Award winner.

At the pulse of what makes Melbourne an incredible city, Arron is Chair of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute and currently serves on the South East Water Board, and previously Chaired the Melbourne Ecocity World Summit Advisory Board and was a member of the Fisherman’s Bend Ministerial Advisory Committee.

In 2020 Arron was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to local government, to the environment and to the community of Melbourne.

Speakers

Headshot of Dr Stephen Craig
Dr Stephen Craig
Smart Energy Mission Lead, CSIRO

Dr Stephen Craig is the Mission Lead for the Smart Energy Mission at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency.

Stephen has more than 25 years of experience in applied research, strategy development and commercial innovation in systems engineering, digital technologies, and communications. Prior to joining CSIRO, Stephen led the national centre of excellence for Digital Engineering at Boeing Defence Australia, and he was Head of Strategy and Business Development at a spatial data analytics start-up.

Stephen received his PhD in climate system modelling from Stockholm University. He spent many years in Sweden in leadership roles in mobile communication systems research, development and optimisation at Ericsson before returning to Australia in 2015.

Headshot of Dr Bruce Mountain
Dr Bruce Mountain
Director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University

Bruce Mountain is the Director of the Victoria Energy Policy Centre at Victoria University. For three decades he has been active as a consultant and researcher in strategy, policy and economics focused on the electricity industry. He has lived and worked in South Africa, England and Australia and undertaken consultancies in several other countries. 

He has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in electrical engineering and is professionally qualified in electrical engineering and accountancy. His PhD was on the political economy of electricity network regulation in Australia.

Headshot of Dr Daniel Roberts
Dr Daniel Roberts
Research Program Director, CSIRO

Daniel leads CSIRO's Energy Technologies Research Program, a multidisciplinary portfolio of research, development, and demonstration activities in areas related to hydrogen, solar, energy storage, CO2 capture and use, bioenergy, and supporting modelling and engagement work. 

Daniel has worked in a range of different roles in CSIRO – most recently as the lead of the Hydrogen Energy Systems Future Science Platform. Prior to the FSP role, Daniel led the High Efficiency Thermal and Electrochemical Technologies research group within CSIRO Energy. He continues to play a senior role in CSIRO’s research activities in the area of gasification for hydrogen production, as well as thermochemical pathways for bioenergy production from biomass and waste.

Daniel has more than 25 years' experience in the study of the fundamentals of gasification and combustion and their application to industrial scale systems. He has a background in environmental chemistry (Macquarie University) and chemical engineering (the University of Newcastle). During his postdoctoral studies with the CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development Daniel spent six months as a visiting researcher with the Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry in Japan, as part of the team providing the R&D support to the development of Japan's first IGCC power generation demonstration plant.

Headshot of Kate Summers FIEAust CPEng NER
Kate Summers FIEAust CPEng NER
Principal Consultant – Power Systems, Ekistica

Kate is an experienced power systems and control engineer with extensive electrical experience, market and regulatory knowledge. Her broad engineering knowledge has been gained over 29 years of engineering practice covering a wide range of practical field experience, power system analysis, transmission planning, operational control, regulatory compliance and project connection negotiation. She has worked on all aspects of renewable energy projects and is passionate and dedicated to bringing about an orderly transition to a low carbon future.

In 2020 Kate was jointly awarded National Professional Electrical Engineer of the Year for her work identifying the root cause of the deterioration in system frequency.

Kate’s recent focus is on the bulk integration of multiple large generation projects within new high voltage transmission networks for the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. Kate has been working on the challenges of how to tune and assess the stability of Inverter Based Resources (IBR) adopting frequency domain analysis and traditional control techniques suited for inverter technology. This work requires collaborative problem solving between the network developer and the generators. The use of advanced control engineering techniques will provide evidence that may enable connections to proceed when issues arise in complex time domain network models.

Headshot of Merryn York HonFIEAust CPEng NER
Merryn York HonFIEAust CPEng NER
Executive General Manager System Design, Australian Energy Market Operator

Merryn York is responsible for leading System Design at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), driving the collaborative and industry-wide efforts in meeting the engineering challenges of a net-zero energy system.

Joining AEMO in March 2022, Merryn brings deep industry experience in generator connections, transmission planning, regulatory investment and the delivery of major transmission projects.

Previously, Merryn served as a Commissioner at the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) where she engaged widely across the industry. Prior to joining the AEMC, she served as Chief Executive of Powerlink Queensland from 2011–2019.

Merryn has a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical Engineering, a Master of Engineering Science, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Law from The University of Queensland. She is also an honorary Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, a Registered Professional Engineer and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Raj Aseervatham FIEAust CPEng
Dr Raj Aseervatham FIEAust CPEng
National President and Board Chair

Raj Aseervatham BE(Hons, Civil) MBA PhD(Eng) FIEAust CPEng GAICD joined the Engineers Australia Board in 2019 and is in his second term as a director. He is the National President and Chair of the Board. He has rotated through as a member and chair of various board committees at Engineers Australia during his tenures. He has been a member of Engineers Australia since 1986 – intermittently while based in Australia – and was admitted as a Fellow in 2012.

Raj was initially a water, tailings and civil infrastructure engineer on mining developments. Later he focused on the ESG risks and strategies of mining and energy companies’ operational portfolios and capital projects. His executive career includes more than 15 years with three ASX 100 companies (BHP, Rio Tinto and Origin Energy), and more than 15 years in global and boutique consulting and audit/assurance, living and working on most continents of the world.

In addition to his professional non-executive directorships, Raj is a Federal Court accredited mediator and the author of books on business entrepreneurship and ESG leadership.

Headshot of Romilly Madew
Romilly Madew AO FTSE HonFIEAust EngExec
Chief Executive Officer, Engineers Australia

Prior to joining Engineers Australia, Romilly was CEO of Infrastructure Australia overseeing the organisation's critical role in helping governments prioritise projects and reforms that best serve our communities. She served as CEO of the Green Building Council of Australia for 13 years. In acknowledgment of her contribution to Australia’s sustainable building movement, Romily was awarded an Order of Australia in 2019. 

She is currently a Member of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Infrastructure Forum, Member of Placemaking NSW Advisory Committee, Director of Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Independent Chair of the Currawong State Park Advisory Board (NSW), Federal Government appointee on the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group and G20 EMPOWER – Empowerment and Progression of Women's Economic Representation, Member of the National Women in Transport CEO Advisory Group, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Enabling Better Infrastructure Steering Group (UK) and Director of Minerva Network (supporting Australia’s elite sportswomen). 

 

Program

With a packed program, CSE24 will explore the thinking and solutions that can take us through this clean energy transition.

Key themes from the day’s agenda include:

  • Harnessing new and emerging digital and AI technologies
  • Addressing the engineering skill shortage
  • Exploring the issues involved in renewable energy project and landowner approvals
  • Decarbonising heavy industry
  • Taking a system-of-systems design approach
  • Decarbonising the transport sector
  8.30 am
Welcome and keynote
  9.45 am
Morning tea
  10.30 am
Plenary: Digital technology and AI in the energy transformation
  11.20 am
Networking break
  11.40 am
Plenary: Skills transition to clean energy
  12.35 pm
Plenary: Project and landowner approvals in renewable energy
  1.20 pm
Lunch
  2.25 pm
Plenary: Regional industrial transformation: decarbonisation in heavy industry
  3.20 pm
Afternoon tea
  3.50 pm
Plenary: Systems design for the energy transition
  4.25 pm
Plenary: Transformation in the transport sector
  5.30–7.00 pm
Networking reception

Program subject to change. 

Location
Front facade of W Brisbane

The Climate Smart Engineering Conference (CSE24) will be held in Brisbane, Australia at W Brisbane.

W Brisbane
81 North Quay, Brisbane, QLD 4000

Find us

W Brisbane is located along the banks of the iconic Brisbane River. The venue draws on the city’s rich historical heritage and the unique physical environment that surrounds it. Bold, contemporary design meets curved, river-inspired flow to create spaces that feel both inviting and inspiring.

Transport

When attending CSE24 please consider sustainable transport options such as walking or utilising convenient public transport options rather than driving. Visit translink to find out about Brisbane’s public transport options.

Birds eye view of Brisbane CBD and river

Choosing Brisbane

We’re excited to be hosting this year’s event in Queensland, a state with a bold plan for clean energy. Queensland has set ambitious targets through the $62 billion Energy and Jobs Plan to achieve 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032 – and 80 per cent by 2035. The Sunshine State has made a significant investment in renewable energy projects that draw on its unique resources and geographical assets. 

So, where better to host than Brisbane, currently recognised as the country’s most green and biodiverse capital city?

While you're in Brisbane for CSE24, you’ve got a fantastic opportunity to fully explore a city alive with a unique brand of cultural experiences, from performing arts and world-class galleries with exclusive exhibitions to major sporting events. Sample award-winning restaurants, enticing rooftop bars, sensational shopping, stunning new 5-star hotels and exciting urban adventures.

Plan a longer stay and get out of town to explore some of Queensland’s World Heritage rainforests, majestic mountain peaks and the pristine Moreton Bay – filled with one-of-a-kind islands and wildlife, less than an hour from the city.

Learn more

Sponsorship

Sponsor Climate Smart Engineering (CSE24) and take advantage of the unique opportunities to explore new markets and strengthen your brands presence at this national event.  

All sponsorship packages are designed especially for CSE24. Choose one that best matches the marketing strategy of your company.  

Sponsorship packages available include: 

  • Premier partner 
  • Major partner 
  • Networking reception sponsor
  • Coffee cart sponsor
  • Recharging station sponsor
  • Water station sponsor
  • Exclusive dinner sponsor

Benefits of sponsorship include: 

  • position your organisation as a market leader and a driver of change
  • connect with senior decision-makers across government and all industry sectors
  • forge new networks and grow existing connections
  • align your organisation with professional engineers  
  • reach specific Engineers Australia members through a national marketing plan.

For information on sponsorship opportunities or tailored packages, contact:   

Amanda Rodgers

National Manager, Corporate Engagement 
03 9321 1716 
[email protected]

Meg Purdy

Manager, Corporate Engagement 
07 3226 3008 
[email protected]