About
The opportunity: a net zero Australia
The transition to net zero is no small task. Processes involved in stationary energy production, fuel use, and passenger transport accounted for 80% of Australia’s accountable emissions in 2020. The challenging transition to reduce emissions from these sources is underway.
However, a national net zero target needs us to address all emission sources, and this last 20% involves hard to abate sectors such as steel and agriculture that make critical economic contributions to Australia’s prosperity and help shape the fabric and vibrancy of regional Australia.
Australia has an opportunity to create new low carbon growth industries and jobs in these areas, but we will need the tools and collaborations to do it. Achieving these net zero goals requires the development of new technologies, as well as demonstration of these technologies at scale to drive wider adoption.
Because some industries (such as agriculture) will continue to emit emissions because of the way they have to work, we require the development and deployment of carbon dioxide removal options including nature-based solutions like afforestation and building soil carbon, as well as engineered solutions like carbon capture and storage. In addition to helping capture emissions, these technologies can also provide benefits such as improved environmental outcomes or new feedstocks for secondary industries.
The transition to net zero will impact on the regions, particularly those reliant on industries in transition, but it will also create economic opportunities. There is an opportunity arising from decarbonisation to create a wide range of new industries and jobs suited to regional areas.
Potential impact
In partnership, we expect to see outcomes such as:
- Australian industries having technology and pathways for low emissions transition
- Negative emissions technology being deployed to enable Australia’s net zero targets
- Sustainable growth opportunities for our regions, communities and businesses.
Proposed focus
The Towards Net Zero Mission is supporting Australia’s regions and focussing on some of our most hard to abate industries by:
- supporting a profitable and sustainable agriculture industry in a low emissions world
- identifying what is required to develop new low emissions steel and iron ore processes
- identifying what is required to develop sustainable aviation fuel to support our aviation sector
- helping regions navigate the transition to net zero through new collaborations, analysis, and support
- expanding Australia’s carbon offset capacity by using and scaling negative emission technologies such as carbon sequestration.
How we work
We work with state and federal government departments and agencies to support policy decisions, and with regional bodies and industry and finance to understand requirements and develop pilot and demonstration facilities and build the joined-up action required for new patterns of collaboration to enable low emissions transition for our hard to abate sectors.
Across CSIRO, we link with the Hydrogen Industry Mission, the Renewable Energy Powerhouse Mission, the Smart Energy Mission, and the CarbonLock Future Science Platform to enable a prosper, equitable and resilient transition to a low emissions economy.
The Towards Net Zero Mission is particularly interested in how to build patterns of collaboration that help accelerate and de-risk the transition to a net zero emission world. If you are interested in working with us, please reach out to the relevant person listed under Work with us.