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Academic to lead State of Region forum
The challenges faced by businesses that want to do the right thing by the environment will be discussed at a special forum at the annual State of the Region Summit at the University of the Sunshine Coast on Friday 13 November.
Leading the forum on “Environment Trends: Trade-offs; Business and the Environment” is Professor Tim Smith, the Director of USC’s Sustainability Research Centre.
He will be joined on the panel by John Brannock of Brannock and Associates, Bob Cameron of Rockcote, Annie Nolan of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council, and Michael Hopkins of Investa.
Professor Smith said the forum would focus on what is required to help society make the transition towards sustainability, and what hurdles will need to be overcome, especially in the business sector.
“As a society, we haven’t really dealt with any sustainability issues effectively yet,” he said. “In attempting to resolve sustainability issues, the heart of the matter is how we facilitate behavioural change.”
“There is a groundswell of support to facilitate that change with the growth of sustainable industries and environmental and technical services, and we really need to strongly support these innovative businesses.
“They face unique challenges in a whole range of different ways, from government legislation that might be outdated, to historical patterns of behaviour and purchasing patterns.”
Professor Smith led a research team that recently received a prestigious Australian Museum Eureka Prize for its assessment of how well Sydney will be able to adapt to future climate conditions.
He is currently involved in a similar project for South East Queensland, involving the Queensland and Australian Governments, the CSIRO Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship, the University of Queensland and Griffith University.
The St George State of the Region Summit will begin at 8.30am on Friday 13 November. It will bring together decision-makers, researchers and strategists from public and private sectors to discuss major issues facing the Sunshine Coast.
To register, contact 3366 0533 or email <info@stateoftheregion.com.au>.
— Terry Walsh