Towards collective action for a safer climate

We know that the coming years are crucial for taking rapid collective action if we want to minimise the damage caused by our own actions. It feels important to me personally to bring my skills and experience to the table professionally, having spent the better part of 15 years exploring various angles on 'how change happens'.

So when I stepped out of my previous role with Conservation Volunteers Australia at the beginning of the year, I was happy to be able to spend some time working with the good people of TACSI supporting the design of local learning labs for regeneration, but that was always temporary in nature.

I'm delighted to say I've now joined the team at Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) at Monash University, which is coordinating an exciting portfolio of activities focused on research, education and commercialisation of the Net Zero 2030 transition underway across the 4 university campuses (totalling about 55,000 people) and beyond. Some of my network may already know Darren Sharp & Rob Raven, who are my immediate higher-ups - delighted to be working with them both as they have a huge amount of knowledge and experience.

Not only is there mandate and means at Monash University, the access to exceptional talented people, available infrastructure, and partnerships is really quite phenomenal. I don't take this privilege lightly, and I'm excited to be supporting the team's work to ensure not only that the University transition is effective, but that we deliver on the commitment to share widely so that transitions around Australia and indeed the world, are empowered and sped up thanks to this opportunity.

In addition to that side of my role, there is a complementary second half - working with the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) exploring the development of a Living Labs ecosystem which will further contribute to the priorities of Monash University. There is genuine ambition to explore what a Living Lab might look like with a broad scope and remit - so I will be bringing my experience, networks and insights about the broader 'Lab' landscape around the world - and adding it to the mix of the already stellar team behind this initiative.

All of that said, initially the role is contract-based through to early 2023, so we will see where things go in the new year. For now, I'm delighted to be able to apply myself in a context where I feel like we can work at the nexus of the best of Academia and the best of Professional services, toward a vital area of social, technical and environmental change.

Onwards.