A pragmatic approach to sustainability

Dr Robin Batterham Chief Scientist Australian Government

International Conference on Sustainability Engineering and Science

The decisions are made by the Australian Government

My role is to advisethe AustralianGovernment onscience issues

Role of the Chief Scientist

Sustainable development

In 1987 the World Commission on Environment and Development, published Our Common Future. The "Brundtland Report", as it is better known, defines sustainable development as:

… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 

Sustainability… a better definition?

“…using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased.” (National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development, 1992)

Three main considerations

What can we do differently?

Community

Economics

Environment

Environment concerns need sound and stable economics for investment

Both require sound and stable communities The rate of change in any direction is limited But what to measure?

Alternative approach to sustainability indicators

Step 1 develop a conceptual framework defining what is being evaluated

Step 2 sub-divide the overall objective into more specific objectives until they are able to be measured

Step 3 identify indicators that focus on operations objectives

Step 4 aggregated indicators that lower levels to form a core set: the reporting convenience

A generic component tree …

Source: Bureau of Rural Sciences, Science for decision makers (2002)

Climate change as an example

“The necessary measures to reduce energy- and industry-related CO2 emissions can be organized in three groups: intensified energy saving, structural changes ….. and geological CO2 storage as a bridging technology.” - German Advisory Council on Global Change 2003

Fossil fuels dominate Renewables dominate

Opportunities for gas and geosequestration

50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050

2000 2100

Cost increases with level of control i.e. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Mitigation cost is a combination of direct abatement, implementation costs and macroeconomic costs

The USA has the greatest cost increase for small emission reductions compared to other developed nations

Climate change trade - offs

EU

USA

Ireland

350

IRELAND

EU

USA

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0-40% -20% 0% 20%

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Mar

gina

l Cos

t of t

C (i

n 19

90 U

S$)

Business-as-usualtechnology gap

Stabilisation technology gap

Source: Battelle, 2003

1300 GT C

480 GT C

Commitment to stabilisationrequires closing two technology gaps

Breakthroughs needed!Estimated Electricity Generation Costs - Inclusive of

Capital Costs

Source: Towards a truly national and efficient energy market (Parer)

Goals that buy time are potentially valuable and may be steps on the path to sustainability.

However more breakthroughs are needed

Delivering breakthroughs

The UK has placed science, skills and innovation at the top of their spending priorities"

  Source: 'Science and innovation: working towards a ten-year investment framework' March 2004 UK Treasury

 Queensland Government drivers of economic

growth in the smart state attributes significant proportion of growth to productivity improvements flowing from innovation

New knowledge generation and its application

Stage of new business development process

3,000 raw ideas

300 ideas submitted125 small projects

9 early stage developments4 major developments

1.7 launches1 success

Source: Stevens and Burley Plotting the rocket of radical innovation, 2003

Old Curiosity driven Block funding 1 partner/sponsor Output focused Inward looking Non-strategic view

New User-driven Focus on generating

income Multiple

partners/investors Outcome focused Outward looking Strategic view

Source: K Woodthorpe, People and innovation Corporate Advisors, The New Generation Institutions

Changed nature of research

No. publications per professor

10 x 2 x3 x

No. visiting researchers (AvH) per professor

Amount of 3rd party funding &

No. EU projects (relative to no. professors) Source: DFG Funding Ranking 2003

Total volume DFG funding approvals (%)50

100

0“Top 20” Remaining 122

56%44%

German funding distribution

Excellence

“Top 20” vs “61 – 80”

A future framework

Environmental/Community factors

Economics/Technology

Drive sustainability

Rate of change tolerated

The Challenge for Research Australia’s excellence and stability are key assets

in the global economy Commercialising IP Securing new ideas through international partnerships Business-university linkages

Essential to look ahead Industry commitment to research training Raising levels of productivity through use of emerging

technologies

Two streams of researchLinear

Research Publication/ Patent

Knowledge diffusionCollaboration Networks Mobility

Both are important…

But what should we focus on?

Conclusions

Technology/economics, environment and community all interact on the path to sustainability

Sustainability demands more innovationChanging nature of science and

technology and of institutions and industry

How to achieve more breakthroughs?