ICOS Cities Talks: “Climate Positive” Olympic Games: Opportunities for Sustainable Legacies for Brisbane 2032

04 September 2024
ICOS Cities

TIME: 4 SEPTEMBER 2024 AT 9 AM CEST
PRESENTATION: COMING SOON
VIDEO RECORDING: PLAY VIDEO

THE TOPIC: Brisbane, Australia will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032—the first to be contractually obliged to be Climate Positive. This commitment can be achieved through a combination of two levers: emission reduction measures and carbon offsets. This presentation discusses results of a study that evaluates combinations of these levers in terms of sustainable legacies and its social, economic, and ecological dimensions. Through this, the emerging concept of Climate Positive and the legacy planning for Brisbane 2032 are explored. 

THE SPEAKER: Dr Tony Heynen is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia.  He leads the Sustainable Energy program, which educates postgraduate students to be leaders in the transition to clean, innovative global energy solutions.

Tony has two principal areas of research.  Firstly, he and his team examine issues around access to modern, reliable and affordable forms of energy, particularly in remote communities.  Tony also researches strategies to achieve Net Zero emissions targets, including for mega-events such as the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Tony’s participation in the ICOS Cities Talk stems from the research collaboration between the School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland and the Chair of Environmental and Climate Policy, Hochschule für Politik, Technical University Munich, initiated in 2024.

ICOS Cities Talks is a webinar series on greenhouse gas measurement and climate change in urban landscapes. In the series, international experts representing various fields will present a current topic for 30 minutes, followed by a Q&A session and a discussion. Check out all the ICOS Cities talks here!