The THRIVE Project is incredibly grateful to Dr. Jarra Hicks, Dr. Sadaf Taimur, and Calum Harvey-Scholes for their captivating and inspirational presentations during the November 2024 Thrivability Matters Webinar. This webinar focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy // Science & Technology. With their extensive knowledge, our presenters captivated us by highlighting the significance of Community-owned energy, holistic technology that advances us to sustainability; and an Australian approach to rewire households and communities to clean and affordable electricity.
Here are the highlights from our webinar!
About the November 2024 Speakers
Dr. Jarra Hicks is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Community Power Agency, a not-for-profit organisation supporting communities across Australia in participating in the renewable energy transition.
Dr. Sadaf Taimur is a Sustainability Scientist and the Director of Sustainability & Circularity atGoodwill Industries Ontario Great Lakes, Canada.
Calum is an energy policy research specialist living on Dharawal country. His work has focused on local and community electrification. He is enthusiastic about local policy innovation, planning the transition away from fossil gas and empowering households in the future energy system.
Summary of the November 2024 Webinar
As an organisation, the THRIVE Project endeavours to guide humanity towards a more sustainable future. We had the privilege of hosting these three speakers as guest presenters for our webinar.
Dr. Jarra Hicks – “Community-Owned Renewable Energy”
In a compelling presentation, Dr. Jarra Hicks shared examples of how communities in Australia are getting involved in and owning their own renewable energy. Every project is different and should be tailored to local communities, resources, needs & ambitions. The technology that communities may use are – wind, solar pv, batteries, micro-grids, biomass digesters, small hydro. Sharing more on the motivations, values & benefits that communities draw inspiration from, Dr. Jarra cited- climate change, self-sufficiency, energy reliability/ resilience, energy affordability, local empowerment, regional development, local income streams, etc. to be primary sources of purpose.
With successful case studies from Hepburn Energy and Haystacks Solar Garden, Dr. Jarra spoke on the outcomes of these projects in communities, and the barriers/challenges encountered along the way. She ended her presentation with a reminder about the 4Ds of Community Energy: Decarbonise by using renewable energy or low carbon technologies; Decentralise and localise energy supply; Democratise governance through communityownership and participation; and Demonstrate renewable energy technologies work.
Dr. Sadaf Taimur – “Tech for Tomorrow: A Holistic Approach to Advancing Sustainability”
On a very early morning from Canada, Dr. Sadaf introduced and explained the following elements: (a) Data-driven decision making/strategy; (b) Circular economy solutions; (c) sustainable supply chains; (d) community empowerment & collaboration.
Dr. Sadaf further shared that in Technology Enabling Sustainability, a classification of soft technology, which included methods, processes, and strategies/software that are less about physical tools and more about knowledge. Data collection/monitoring, education, training, and behavioural practices were also part of being “soft”.
Conversely, hard technology refers to tangible, physical tools and infrastructure, like machinery, devices, that directly contribute to sustainable outcomes. Dr. Sadaf stressed the importance of interrelationships among technologies and even stated the use of block-chain technology into the technology of tomorrow.
The harmonious use of technology has benefits for the environment, society, and economy, Dr. Sadaf concluded.
Calum Harvey-Scholes – “Community Electrification – How We Do It”
Calum and Rewiring Australia believes that upgrading to electric appliances saves money and the climate. They achieve this through political advocacy, data driven research and broad community engagement.
By stating that they’ve done the maths, Callum challenged that now we need to pilot rolling out smart electric appliances to every Australian home (and business). Doing so in a cheap (practical) and quick manner, building a national movement to support and implement electrification on the ground, while advocating for policy, finance, and regulatory reform to make electrification accessible for everyone.
The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot is the first step on the journey to electrify everything for everyone. The pilot philosophy adheres to “inventing the future by reframing the debate to abundance.” Using tactical (influencing the 2025 federal election) and strategic (climate movement infrastructure) approaches, the 2515 Community aims to demonstrate the technological, social and economic viability of rapidly transitioning an entire neighbourhood to all-electric, showing that it can be scaled up more quickly and efficiently everywhere.
About The October 2024 Speakers
The Thrivability Matters Webinar for November 2024 showcased insights from Dr. Jarra Hicks, Dr. Sadaf Taimur, and Calum Harvey-Scholes. If you missed the presentations or the live Q&A session, you can view the recording on our YouTube channel or download the PDFs of each of the speakers’ Q&A answers by clicking their names in this paragraph.
If you’re interested in joining us after the November 2024 Thrivability Matters Webinar, there are a variety of ways to stay connected. You can follow us on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Additionally, you could subscribe to our YouTube channel, listen to our podcasts, sign up for our newsletter, stay up to date with our blogs, attend our free webinars, or even join us as a volunteer to make an even bigger difference in the world.
