The THRIVE project is incredibly grateful to Dr. Nicole Garofano, Dwakadas Suresh, and Satish Moses for their captivating and inspirational presentations during the September 2024 Thrivability Matters Webinar. This webinar focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. With their extensive knowledge, our presenters captivated us by highlighting the significance and value of circular-cities, eco-friendly housing lifestyle, and a transdisciplinary approach to developing solutions to pressing environmental challenges amidst infrastructural urban development.
Here are the highlights from our webinar!
About The September 2024 Speakers
Dr. Nicole Garofano is the Head of Circular Economy Development for Planet Ark. In her role, Dr. Nicole leads the strategy implementation for the Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub), the national reference platform for circular economy knowledge and collaboration in Australia.
With 20 years of experience, Dr. Nicole has worked in environmental education and action, focusing on waste management and, more recently, circular economy.
She holds a PhD focused on the plastic food and beverage packaging value chain, identifying innovations to improve chain activities and outcomes. She is an associate of the Australian Institute of Packaging.
Dwarkadas Suresh, popularly known as Solar Suresh, holds a postgraduate degree in management from IIM Ahmedabad and an engineering degree from IIT Madras. He has extensive corporate experience, including roles as CEO and General Manager in the textiles, real estate, and NBFC sectors. Additionally, he founded SAKS Ancillaries, which manufactures wiring harnesses for Japanese two-wheelers, and COMPUTER ACCESS, pioneering last-mile telecommunications connectivity in India.
Guided by a vision of “Living Architecture,” Sathish Moses focuses on finding solutions to real-time environmental challenges by working closely with nature. Over the past 16 years, his experience spans a wide range of projects, from micro to macro scales, emphasising the circularity of materials and resource recovery. Sathish has worked on the development of biocomposites and explored how design and spatial applications in real-world environments can drive environmentally-led socio-economic development within communities.
Summary Of The September 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. Nicole Garofano – Circularity Cities: Contributing to SDG 11
In a compelling presentation, Dr. Nicole Garofano emphasised the importance of transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, where waste is virtually eliminated and resources are continually transformed. Highlighting nature’s model of zero waste, she outlined three key principles: designing out waste, keeping materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Dr. Garofano also discussed innovative business models and the 10 Rs of circularity, along with insights into supportive federal and state policies. For a deeper dive into these transformative concepts, visit our website to watch the full presentation.
Dwarkadas Suresh – Eco Home: A Blueprint For Sustainable Living
In his presentation, ‘Eco Home: A Blueprint for Sustainable Living’, Dwarkadas Suresh, highlighted practical strategies for mitigating climate change through personal action. He showcased his eco-friendly home, featuring rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and a domestic biogas plant. Suresh emphasised that while governments are making strides in sustainability, individual efforts are crucial. He focused on the importance of execution and problem-solving to achieve results. By sharing his successful implementation of these technologies, he demonstrated that sustainable living is achievable and encourages others to adopt similar practices.
Satish Moses – A Transdisciplinary Approach To Resilient Marine Ecosystems & Building Breathable Communities Through Circularity
The presentation emphasised the importance of a transdisciplinary approach, a model that connects multiple stakeholders to develop comprehensive solutions for the pressing environmental challenges facing the world today. This approach was illustrated through two case studies:
1) Developing Marine Resilience and Biodiversity: A model focused on enhancing marine ecosystems’ resilience and promoting biodiversity conservation.
2) Building Breathable and Sustainable Communities: A framework for creating communities that prioritise sustainability and environmental health.
Moving Forward From September 2024
The Thrivability Matters Webinar for September 2024 showcased insights from Dr. Nicole Garofano, Dwarkadas Suresh and Satish Moses. If you missed the presentations or the live Q&A session, you could view the recording on our YouTube channel or download the PDFs from each of the speakers.
If you’re interested in joining us after the September 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.
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