Dr. Sajjad Mofarah Collaborates at the U21 Workshop on Inclusive Energy Transitions and Sustainable Development Goals

From 8-12 July 2024, the U21 Early Career Researcher Workshop was held at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, bringing together 50 scientists from 29 universities across the globe. Dr. Sajjad Mofarah from the NEMCAT group was one of the four representatives who were selected from UNSW Sydney and awarded the opportunity to attend the U21 workshop.

The workshop focused on an essential aspect of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Inclusive Energy Transitions. This aligned with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), aiming to ensure equitable access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy for everyone worldwide.

The primary aims of the workshop were to enhance international networking and improve the development of interdisciplinary collaborative research among young researchers. More broadly, it sought to champion diverse and inclusive leadership across all programs and activities, ensure equitable representation from across the network in governance and stakeholder groups, and promote policies and practices within the U21 Secretariat that develop equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at all levels of organizational decision-making.

Throughout the week-long workshop, various topics were discussed, including challenges and progress in Net-Zero Australia by 2050 programs, domestic and exported energy sources, Australia’s market capacity for direct use and clean fuel production, current national and international policies on energy transition, transportation of H₂ energy vs NH₃, energy demand and supply chain in Australia, clean energy pioneering countries, Australia in global supply chain and critical metals leadership, innovation, knowledge exchange, and research commercialization. Further, there were several insightful discussions on the climate emergency, the transition to net-zero, decarbonization, and, importantly, the roles of individuals, communities, and nation-states in the future success of new energy policies and innovations.

The event featured fantastic talks from Deborah Terry, Vice-Chancellor and President of UQ, and Brett Lovegrove, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) at UQ, contributing to the dynamic and enriching experience for all attendees.