How can materials science offer a greener future for our planet? - Annual Report 2019

28 May, 2020

Climate change is undeniable. The IPCC 2018 report made this clear. Humanity is on notice to keep global warming below 1.5°C to prevent a climate change catastrophe.

To achieve these targets, we will need new materials and the renewable technologies based on these materials, including solar, batteries and new types of computing. With this clearly in our sights, we focussed our annual regional showcase on ‘NZ Innovation for Sustainability’.

Our researchers again traveled to the regions - Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Queenstown, Wanaka, Tauranga and Gore - speaking with science societies, schools and business groups. These researchers were Principal Investigators, Associate Professor Carla Meledandri, Professor Shane Telfer, Dr Natalie Plank, Associate Professor Nicola Gaston, and Associate Investigators, Dr Matt Cowan, Dr Marcus Jones, Dr Laura Domigan, Dr Ben Mallett, Dr Anna Garden and Dr Saurabh Bose.

We took our ‘NZ Innovation for Sustainability’ showcase to the main centres as well, speaking to Rotary clubs across Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch. These were led by Principal Investigators, Associate Professor Geoff Willmott and Professor Keith Gordon, Associate Investigators, Dr Nate Davis, Dr Viji Sarojini, Dr Guy Dubuis and Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Rodrigo Martinez Gazoni.