Letter from the editor: In some ways it’s no surprise the masterclass series has been as successful as they have been. It’s the Rumsfeld principle: you don’t you don’t know what you don’t know.
These deep-dive insights from the best experts in the industry on how to retrofit and degasify our buildings and precincts (tomorrow, Wednesday 1 pm) is right on cue. The appetite for the “how to” of the net zero transition could not be stronger.
In the briefings we’ve held with panellists, and the sessions themselves it’s clear so many people want to learn, more and more. It’s also clear how disaggregated is the wisdom and how urgently we need discussion and collective knowledge.
But in all the briefings and the sessions themselves, there’s a palpable sense that those who are immersed in this business find it hard to keep a lid on the optimism and upside they can see before them – both from a net zero transition sense and a business opportunity sense.
Take tomorrow’s (Wednesdays) masterclass #4 Precincts, close to you. There’s a hypothetical question that one of the presenters mentioned, quoting a provocation from Kylea Tink, one of the teals who stormed home in the last federal election winning the seat of North Sydney: why don’t we make the entire North Sydney a renewable energy precinct?
What a completely tantalising and exciting idea! The next serious question is, what’s stopping us? Precincts is where the magic of fast carbon emissions reduction is at its best.
There will be case studies from a major player in the space with Philip Graham of CleanPeak Energy lifting the hood (some of the way) on the major investments his company has made and why – at Central Park and Barangaroo in Sydney and the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide.
Terry Leckie of Altogether Group will talk about embedded networks for energy, water and data over the 550 community precincts his team manages –and talk about what he’s learnt.
There’s Virginia Jones who’s tackling the tough job of getting people off gas, when there’s an emotional connection to that blue flame – and denial (or ignorance) of the toxic fumes it’s unleashing into our kitchens and the planet.
And there’ll be Jonathan Prendergast who we invited to co-moderate because we are well aware of the old Rumsfeld principle.
Check in at 1 pm sharp for two hours of gas blitzkrieg – with loads of opportunity for questions and discussion.