From electric garbage trucks in Germany to emissions reduction strategies at the Port of Rotterdam, City of Newcastle's Adam Clarke is gearing up for a busy few months as he investigates how cutting-edge low-carbon technologies from around the planet can benefit Hunter communities.
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The council's sustainability manager is among 112 Australians who have been awarded a 2020 Churchill fellowship.
The focus of his eight week study tour, which will visit Singapore, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, France and Spain, is to investigate cities and organisations that are deploying innovative projects, policies and commercially-available technologies to help decarbonise the planet.
"The project will help with the climate action plan that the City of Newcastle is developing at the moment; implementing actions to reduce transport emissions is a key focus of that," Mr Clarke said.
"The aim is to take learnings from where projects have been well implemented overseas and see how we can take that on board here."
"There's also some broader views that I'm looking at regarding how you can collaborate at a city scale. Just seeing how collaborations have occurred in other cities and how we can use that to reduce emissions across Newcastle and not just within our organisation."
Mr Clarke has been managing and analysing energy and resource use across the council's operations since 2012.
He played an integral role in managing the council's shift to 100 per cent renewable electricity supply and the development and of the five megawatt solar farm at the Summerhill waste centre.
Constructed on a former landfill site after securing a $6.5 million loan from Australia's Clean Energy Finance Corporation in 2018, the solar farm is the city's single largest investment in a renewable project. It follows eight other solar installations at Waratah Works Depot, Newcastle Art Gallery, City Hall, Wallsend and New Lambton libraries, No.1 and No.2 sports grounds and Newcastle Museum.
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Mr Clarke has also been involved in projects such as the expansion of the city's fibre and wi-fi network, street lighting upgrades, rooftop solar and battery storage, electric vehicle transition and charging infrastructure, energy efficiency, and demand response.
This year's Churchill fellows have been given an extended time period to undertake their project due to the COVID travel restrictions.
The council's new climate action plan will outline specific goals and priorities for the next five years, paving the way to further positive environmental impacts.
, including new clean energy initiatives, resource efficiency, emissions reductions in supply chains and more sustainable transport.
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
