Climate change is a collective concern impacting all facets of our economy, society and environment. Find out how we’re partnering with industry, government and community to solve these pressing challenges together.
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Reducing COVID-19 transmission without costing the earth
While opening windows reduces COVID-19 spread, it also increases buildings’ energy use – new research has tested more efficient alternatives
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Using more recycled materials to build our cities
University of Melbourne experts have been working with industry to find new uses for large volumes of recycled waste plastics.
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Supporting the transition to clean energy
The Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) has launched a new program for research with industry to reduce emissions and support the clean energy transition.
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Project EDGE wins APEC ESCI Best Practice Award
University of Melbourne-led EDGE project has been awarded the 2022 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Energy Smart Communities Initiative (ESCI) Best Practices Awards Program Smart Grids Gold Award.
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Making the most of 2022 to accelerate climate action: key takeaways
Melbourne Climate Futures brought together climate action leaders to examine where we are in the push to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2030, and how we can go further.
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Improving tram operations through data fusion and machine learning
A project to better estimate passenger loads and predict real-time crowding for Melbourne trams is concluding, with the outcomes to improve the overall efficiency and operation of tram services.
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Creating more sustainable batteries
The Super Anode Project project is working on how to make much more sustainable graphite anodes for lithium-ion batteries, without sacrificing the performance and stability that make these anodes so great.
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$A156.5 million driving a sustainable future for Australia’s irrigation regions
A $50 million Federal Government grant will support a new partnership to achieve a more productive, resilient and sustainable Murray-Darling Basin and beyond.
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The Victorian food and ag-tech sector: What do universities have to offer?
Advances in digital and engineering technologies are increasingly important for maintaining a competitive agriculture industry. Ag-tech promises to reduce input costs, increase product quality, make connections across supply chains, account for environmental services, detect disease and pests more quickly, and much more.
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Using old tyres to make permeable pavements that filter rainwater
Porous Lane, a new company using University of Melbourne technology to develop highly permeable pavements using old tyres is supplying water for the city's parks and gardens, diverting landfill and ensuring less pollution in our waterways.
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From grapevine waste to a sustainable building material
Grapevine prunings are an abundant source of agricultural crop waste that are now being turned into recycled building materials.
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Coming together for the future of water
As we face a changing climate, the shift to thinking of irrigated agriculture as our collective responsibility will be a crucial mindset to adopt for everyone involved.
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Hyperspectral insight provides early warning of threatening crop disease
Subtle shifts in the way light interacts with crops plus changes in plant temperature are just two of the early signs of infection used to detect some of the most threatening plant diseases for Australian agriculture.
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Advanced modelling for network planning under uncertainty
MEI has helped the UK power operator analyse current practices in transmission network planning to help inform planning in the face of uncertainty and technological change.
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Moving South-East Asia towards clean energy
The impact of global warming will be felt particularly in the tropics, which is home to a large fraction of the world’s population. How do we transition to clean sources of energy in the region.
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Melbourne Energy Institute joins the aviation impact accelerator initiative
Australian resources and expertise will enable us to seize this once in a generation, national opportunities offered through the global battery technology revolution.
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Holistic approach to generate new battery industries
Australian resources and expertise will enable us to seize this once in a generation, national opportunities offered through the global battery technology revolution.
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More energy efficient air conditioning? How machine learning can help
Machine learning algorithms combined with big data can optimise commercial air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
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City climate leadership a model for sustainability
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals give us a global blueprint, but our cities have a key role to play in transformative change.
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Protecting Melbourne's green wedges while we still can
The natural areas of Melbourne are under threat at the same time as there’s growing evidence of their importance for humans.
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Rainfall and runoff changes test catchment resilience: Watch an expert panel
Watch panellists explore what new data means for modelling catchment inflows and managing the state’s precious water resources.
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Murray-Darling Basin forces align with a vision of shared prosperity
Hopes are high that the proposed ONE Basin CRC can finally bring the necessary holistic science and history to bear on the sustainable management of resources for the Murray–Darling Basin’s economy, environment and people.
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Facilitating DER market participation from the EDGE of the grid
Distributed Energy Resources including solar and improved battery storage are presenting new opportunities for owners to provide energy and other services to wholesale markets.
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Water resources and bushfire management: Watch an expert panel
As part of a water security series of events, watch an expert panel discuss disaster resilience and the impacts on water resources of 2020’s catastrophic south-eastern Australian bush fires.
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Lexus Australia partners with AIMES for smarter and safer on-road travel
University welcomes Lexus Australia as first AIMES car manufacturing partner to drive C-ITS research forward.
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Fossil forests under Antarctic ice
New fossils are the most diverse yet of forests that grew in Antarctica around 56 million years ago.
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Building climate resilient infrastructure
Experts meet to discuss how we should design, plan, build and manage infrastructure in light of climate change.
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The time is now for Indigenous design equity
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have always been the land managers – that wisdom must be reflected in tackling climate change.
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The Mallee offers fertile ground for innovation
The Mallee Regional Innovation Centre is drawing on this expertise to tackle some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing Victoria’s north west, and beyond.
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Breaking glass and breaking traditions
Glass waste presents an opportunity to replace some of the essential elements of concrete to help create a more sustainable future.
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It’s critical we update flood guidance
With increased rainfall predicted, we need to incorporate guidance on flood risks due to climate change into engineering design practices.
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Monitoring crop growth from the skies above
Aerial hyperspectral imaging and modelling techniques are being developed to help growers better evaluate stress on their crops with the aim of producing higher yields.
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Curving concrete's carbon footprint
In a bid to reduce waste while achieving great design, researchers have developed an adjustable frame for casting curved concrete panels.
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How our cities should respond to the biodiversity extinction crisis
Globally, thousands of governments have declared a climate emergency, but cities have a key role to play in conserving and restoring biodiversity.
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Addressing the global challenge to conserve irrigation water
Rubicon Water’s automated irrigation system saves billions of litres of water each year, helping farmers survive drought and increase crop yields.
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Climate-proofing the urban water supply
Melbourne researchers have joined an international collaboration with Indian institutions to protect diminishing clean water supplies by harnessing new water sources that are currently ineffectively tapped.
First published on 20 May 2022.
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