Decarbonizing Australia’s biggest university

03 Jun 2021

Tractebel’s 360° City Scan paves the way for Monash University’s Net Zero by 2030 initiative

Monash, Australia’s biggest university located in Melbourne, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ENGIE to co-develop scalable zero-carbon solutions that accelerate the implementation of Monash’s Net Zero Initiative, winner of the 2018 United Nations ‘Momentum for Change’ Award.

Tractebel’s 360° City Scan pinpoints areas for sustainable urban transformation

Our Urban experts were mandated by ENGIE to perform their in-house developed 360° City Scan at the Clayton Campus and the Monash Technology Precinct. The output provided key insights on how well evolved the precinct is for efficiency, inclusiveness, attractivity, productiveness, resilience, and connectivity.  

The results will help to guide the development and prioritisation of integrated solutions across both the campus and precinct to activate a thriving community. 

A blueprint for liveable, sustainable cities

The collaboration to be developed under the MoU will be used as a blueprint to expanding Net Zero solutions to large cities and major precincts worldwide. Led by Professor Rob Raven from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, the program will combine research, education and translation activities. The Monash Technology Precinct, with the Clayton Campus at its heart, will serve as a testbed for accelerating the transition to net zero across key sectors including, energy, mobility and buildings.

Professor Ken Sloan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Governance), said the opportunities being explored would be an important step towards implementing the university’s Net Zero Initiative. “It will harness multidisciplinary expertise to tackle the critical global challenge of reducing carbon emissions before the irreversible impacts of climate change are felt by the world’s ecosystems, societies and economies,” said Professor Sloan.

Augustin Honorat, Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE Australia & New Zealand, praised Monash University for their early adoption of a net zero emissions target as well as capturing knowledge for future innovations. “ENGIE is excited to sign the MoU and looks forward to working with Monash to help achieve their net zero target by 2030 and to accelerate, together, the global transition to net zero emissions,” Mr. Honorat said. “We’re looking forward to bringing ENGIE’s global expertise to projects undertaken as part of the MoU and to any future collaboration with Monash to demonstrate our solutions in a local context.” 

The Monash University MoU represents the second large-scale deployment of Tractebel’s 360° City Scan in Australia. The first was the Greater Springfield project, where the tool served to define ambitions and to project various scenarios for the city’s goal to become an exemplary net-zero emissions city by 2038.

“Working within the academic realm presented a novel and welcome challenge that brought us new knowledge and new perspectives. We are delighted that our 360° City Scan has been instrumental in setting the stage for this ground-breaking project that will serve as a blueprint for sustainable campuses, precincts and cities on a global scale.”
 - Dr. Jolanta Zarzycka, Project Lead and Urban Business Developer, Tractebel in Belgium
 

 

   

 

Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Related news

Doel

Supporting the Belgian nuclear operator in managing radioactive waste safely

Jointly with the Belgian nuclear operator, ENGIE Electrabel, Tractebel has completed the filling of the first High Integrity Container (HIC) as part of the project...

Find out more
23 Apr 2025
AdobeStock_410620092

Our 2024 neutralization plan

At Tractebel, our goal is to reduce our absolute emissions by more than 5% annually. 

Find out more
21 Apr 2025
RAT-rover-by-night

Advancing nuclear-fueled thermoelectric generator technologies for space exploration

The EU-funded STARTREC project aims to develop advanced thermoelectric generators for space exploration and other applications, such as industrial and domestic use. As a...

Find out more
17 Apr 2025
vsm6_almost_there_2_small

Fusion energy: leveraging our nuclear expertise for ITER

For 11 years, our nuclear experts have contributed to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a groundbreaking energy project involving 35 countries...

Find out more
06 Mar 2025