Reliable, affordable, clean energy will underpin decarbonisation of the global economy. That’s why at the COP26 international climate conference in Glasgow there is a strong focus on accelerating the move away from emissions-intensive energy sources. Or, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says, ‘consigning coal to history’. 

In this special Grattan Institute Webinar in partnership with the UK Government,  experts will map the path to global clean energy, and unpack the challenges and opportunities for Australia.

The first panel in this two-part event will identify the changes needed to Australia’s energy grid to phase-out unabated coal-fired power – and what those changes will mean for regulators, producers, and consumers. The second panel will examine how the changes to global energy markets will affect Australia’s energy exports – and the opportunities for Australia that those changes will bring.

Grattan Institute is now offering both paid and free tickets for our events. You can purchase a ticket if you would like to support our ongoing independent public policy research.

Event partners

Panel


Dr Kerry Schott AO

Speaker – Panel 1

Kerry Schott is the former Chair of the Energy Security Board and a Director of NBN.  She is also a member of the Direct Assets Committee for Aware Super. Kerry was Managing Director and CEO of Sydney Water from 2006 to 2011. Before that Kerry spent 15 years as an investment banker, including as Managing Director of Deutsche Bank and Executive Vice President of Bankers Trust Australia.  During this time she specialised in privatisation, restructuring, and infrastructure provision.  Prior to becoming an investment banker Kerry was a public servant and an academic and since retiring from Sydney Water she has been an adviser to governments and a chair and director of several public-sector owned companies. 

Tennant Reed

Speaker – Panel 1

Tennant Reed manages Climate, Energy, and Environment Policy at the Australian Industry Group.  Since 2008 he has been deeply involved in Australian climate and energy issues, advising Ai Group’s Leaders’ Group on Energy and Climate Policy, coordinating joint research and advocacy with wider energy stakeholders, facilitating the Australian Climate Roundtable, and developing reports on energy prices, natural gas supply, and business energy use.  He has also advised Ai Group on a range of issues related to manufacturing and innovation.  Previously he was an adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, working on fiscal policy, stimulus, and infrastructure. 

James Ha

Speaker – Panel 1

James Ha is an Associate at Grattan Institute. In the Energy and Climate Change Program, he developed an economic model of the National Electricity Market, published on the feasibility of achieving net-zero emissions in the electricity sector, and analysed green manufacturing opportunities for Australia, particularly using hydrogen to produce low-emissions steel. In the Transport and Cities Program, he helped produce two reports on congestion charging, and one on the remarkable capacity of Australian cities to adapt to high levels of population growth.

Sanaya Khisty

Speaker – Panel 2

Sanaya Khisty is the Chief Strategy Officer at Beyond Zero Emissions, where she leads strategy, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. She oversees the organisation’s work with state and federal governments and its industry engagement in the regions. She has a decade of experience in policy, federal politics and private sector consulting to governments. Sanaya is on the Board of Climate for Change and a mentor for Altiorem.

Alison Reeve

Facilitator

Alison Reeve is Deputy Director of the Energy and Climate Change Program at Grattan Institute. She has two decades of experience in climate change, clean energy policy, and technology, in the private, public, academic, and not-for-profit sectors. Alison was previously the General Manager of Project Delivery at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. She led development of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy in 2019, as well as Commonwealth policy for offshore wind, energy innovation, energy efficiency, and structural adjustment.

Chris McGrath

Speaker – Panel 2

Chris McGrath is co-founder and chief executive of 5B, a clean technology innovator headquartered in Sydney, that has grown from 30 people to over 150 in the last year, while also expanding its operations to the United States, Latin America and India. He leads a team of dynamic and passionate individuals on a mission to accelerate the deployment of gigawatt-scale solar using its award-winning prefabricated solar technology, 5B Maverick. Since its launch in 2017, 5B has completed 52 projects, with over 32 MWp capacity. Today, it is successfully selling and delivering to the biggest utility scale players globally, including being the preferred solar technology provider to Sun Cable’s pioneering 20GW Australia-Asia PowerLink project in northern Australia. Chris is an avid explorer of the natural world. He is a tech diver, a rock climber, and enjoys nothing more than a good adventure with great friends.

Tony Wood AM

Facilitator

Tony Wood is the Director the Energy and Climate Change Program at Grattan Institute. Before that he worked at Origin. From 2009 to 2014 he was also Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut climate change review. In January 2018, Tony was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly in the areas of energy policy, climate change and sustainability. In October 2019, Tony was elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.