2024 Conference Speakers
Meet our conference speakers for Circularity 2024; circular economy practitioners, waste and environmental experts, academics, and advocates for sustainability driving the implementation of circular economies in Australia and the Asia Pacific.
MC welcome
Plenary
Welcome to day 1 of Circularity! This year's MC, Maria Atkinson, AM, is internationally recognised for her work in sustainability and for catalysing change on the big issues that matter in society. She has over 15 years of experience on corporate, international institution and government boards and committees.
Welcome to Country
Plenary
Begin the day by paying our respects and acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land.
Welcome to Circularity by Planet Ark
Plenary
Planet Ark's Deputy CEO, Adam Culley, extends a warm welcome to Circularity 2024 and shares the importance of this year's conference theme: Resource Efficient Value Chains. Adam will also be announcing a new initiative designed to advance the circular economy transition.
Headline Keynote Address by Dr Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair of the UNEP International Resources Panel
Plenary
We are privileged to present Dr. Janez Potočnik as our headline keynote speaker. Dr. Potočnik will deliver an inspiring address on the transformative potential of sustainable resource management and the circular economy. Attendees will gain invaluable insights into the global resource landscape and the innovative approaches needed to achieve a sustainable future. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the foremost leaders in environmental policy and resource efficiency.
Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group (CEMAG) Update | National Perspective
Plenary
This conference session presents the Advisory Group's recommendations to the Australian Government. Attendees will gain valuable insights into emerging strategies, collaborative initiatives, and key trends in sustainability. The session will also explore the challenges and opportunities identified by the Advisory Group in its advice to the government.
Interactive Q&A Discussion
Plenary
Join us for an engaging and interactive Q&A session featuring Dr. Janez Potočnik and Prof. John Thwaites. This session offers a unique opportunity for the audience to pose their questions directly to these thought leaders.
Fireside Chat: Core ingredients for good collaboration
Plenary
Collaboration is a critical element of a circular transition. No one company, state or country can transition alone. The only way forward is to join forces to address the complexity of the circular economy. Having published extensively, Dr. John Butcher understands the challenges for strong collaborations but also whats need to sustain them. In this fireside chat, Prof. Veena Sahajwalla will explore Dr. Butcher's top tips for enabling collaboration to reveal opportunities for success.
Enabling Circular Value Chains through Good Design
Plenary
With up to 80% of a product's environmental impact determined in the design phase - the influence of design, and good designers, is obvious. But its not just about environmental impacts, good design can influence social and economic outcomes too. In this session, design professionals will discuss the opportunities for designing through a circularity lens to enable multiple opportunities in efficiencies across product life cycles.
Financing the Circular Economy Transition
Plenary
Discover how innovative financial strategies and investments are driving the transition to a sustainable and circular economic model. Our panel of experts will discuss the role of finance in fostering circular business practices, unlocking new opportunities, and overcoming financial barriers.
Circular Economy Labs – Accelerating Circular Economy Transitions and Behaviour Change
Plenary
This session begins with a keynote presentation from Martin Geissdoerfer, Associate Professor of Circular Economy Transitions at Monash Sustainable Development Institute. The keynote will introduce Monash’s new Circular Economy Labs as a transition broker to accelerate transformative change towards circularity through cutting-edge research and action.
One key aspect in advancing business transitions towards the circular economy is behaviour change. A panel will discuss how shifting organisational practices and associated consumer behaviours can drive the adoption of circular strategies, both from a business and policy perspective. During the session, our expert speakers will explore effective strategies for influencing behaviour within businesses and across industries and share their experience with successful case studies.
Welcome to Day 2 of Circularity
Plenary
Gear up for a full and exciting program for continued learning, collaboration, and impactful discussions to equip us with the tools for actual implementation of the circular economy.
Keynote Address by Matt Kean
Plenary
We're thrilled to kick off day two of Circularity with the Hon. Matt Kean, the newly appointed Chair of the Climate Change Authority and Director of Wollemi Capital. Matt will share insights from his tenure as Treasurer and Energy Minister in NSW, highlighting opportunities for decarbonisation that can support Australia's national greenhouse gas emissions targets. With the transition to a circular economy offering the potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 45%, Matt's experience will set a thought-provoking tone for today's agenda.
Session Transition
Plenary
If you've registered for one of our interactive workshops, please head to the designated workshop rooms for a hands-on learning experience. For those staying in the plenary room, we have a series of engaging and thought-provoking sessions lined up to continue our exploration of key topics
Innovation Pitch Fest
Plenary
We are excited to re-introduce the Innovation Pitch Fest at Circularity 2024. It will provide a showcase opportunity for the trailblazers of innovation, driving the transition to a thriving circular economy in Australia. This is your chance to hear from emerging influential circular initiatives directly from the individuals and companies leading them. Our judges will assess each circular initiative, providing feedback on a number of criteria, including consumer need, innovation, point of difference and go-to market strategy. Later in the day, during the event closing remarks, the winner of this year’s pitch fest will be announced by the judges. The Innovation Pitch Fest line up will feature Andrea Polson (Licella), Hannah Arkell (Packamama), James Petesic (PV Industries), Jean-Francois (Koor), and Tim Lee (Utilitarian).
Product stewardship: The importance of responsibility in achieving a circular economy
Plenary
Product stewardship is a critical tool to enable a transition to a circular economy. It implies responsibility of products and materials across value chains. In this session, our speakers will share examples of current product stewardship case studies and how they are engaging with not just collection but in upstream opportunities for product designers and producers.
Measuring for a circular economy
Plenary
Hear from experts in metrics as they share the latest on national research and action on circularity metrics. This session will cover key indicators, measurement tools, and benchmarks essential for evaluating the impact and efficiency of circular practices.
Adopting circularity to create thriving urban places
Plenary
Designing places with circularity in mind can not only deliver resource efficiency, but importantly address the urgent need for mixed use developments and infrastructure, including housing. Continuing with traditional, linear construction practices risks severe environmental degradation, with buildings currently responsible for up to 40% of global CO2 emissions. In this session, speakers will share their experience of integrating circular principles into design of place-based projects — such as decentralized resource utilisation, neighbourhood-scale efficiencies, spatial sharing models, and innovative land use and planning. The panel will aim to set the stage by highlighting the critical roles stakeholders must play, from policy development to practical implementation and overcoming resistance to change.
Circular Economy in 2034: What are the opportunities?
Plenary
In this session, panellists are asked to cast their thoughts to a 2034 future and share their perspectives on opportunities from a circular economy transition. What are they doing now? How will this change in 10 years? What are the opportunities to capture? What is needed to get there? Whats one thing to get started on? Our experts will use both sector and broad lens views to share what we can start tomorrow!
Unlocking Opportunity: Innovating for a Circular Economy
Plenary
The circular economy presents enormous opportunity to rethink and redesign our relationship with resources. The potential for innovation in the form of collaboration, new business models, and cutting-edge technologies is greater than ever. Join us for a conversation with forward-thinking leaders and innovators across academia, industry and government to explore how we can redesign systems, create more value, and build resilient circular businesses.
Circularity 2024: Closing remarks
Plenary
Concluding this year's Circularity, join Planet Ark's Deputy CEO, Adam Culley, for his closing remarks. An interactive conclusion to Circularity 2024 drawing on the key takeaways, tools for implementation and important insights from the conference. Plus the announcement of the Innovation Pitch Fest winner!
