The much-anticipated 26th UN Conference of the Parties – COP26 – is over, and the response to its agreement is mixed. Some say the path to net zero is inexorable; others feel that much remains to be agreed. In Australia, a dominant theme is that private enterprise and state governments are taking the lead on the path to net zero in the absence of a clear national commitment. There are other notable ‘other than government’ initiatives at international level. What position will Australia and the wider world be in at the end of the decade?

Today, we have two guests to discuss the aftermath of COP26. John O’Brien is Partner, Energy Transition & Decarbonisation, at Deloitte Australia. He works with clients to translate their decarbonisation/energy transition ambitions into practical business plans. John attended COP26 in Glasgow, this year and his latest book, Stories from 2030 has just been published. Dr Linden Ashcroft is a climate scientist, academic and science communicator. She works at the University of Melbourne, where she lectures in climate science and her research focuses on Australia’s past climates. Ashcroft is a regular on broadcast media and was a Science and Technology Australia 2019–20 Superstar of STEM. Today’s interview is hosted by the Royal Institution of Australia Editor-in-Chief Ian Connellan

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After COP26: Lessons learnt