WE CAN MEET THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY OUR CHANGING CLIMATE, WRITES

Doctor Alan Finkel is the nation’s leading figure in our response to the climate change challenge. He was Australia’s chief scientist for five years until the end of last year. He was then appointed special adviser to the Australian government on low-emissions technology.

This new role means Dr Finkel will lead the government’s efforts to help develop and commercialise new low-emissions technologies that could revolutionise how Australia reduces its carbon dioxide emissions.

Prior to this Dr Finkel was chair of the expert advisory panel for the CSIRO Report on Climate and Disaster Resilience and also led the National Hydrogen Strategy, the “Finkel Review” into the National Electricity Market and National Research Infrastructure Roadmap.

A neuroscientist, engineer and entrepreneur, Dr Finkel is resolutely focused on a positive approach to tackling climate change by embracing new and better technologies to replace old and obsolete ones.

He is also determined to establish practical and pragmatic solutions to reducing CO2 emissions rather than just setting targets without a clear pathway to reaching them.

Earlier this year he published the hugely influential Getting to Zero: Australia’s Energy Transition, a Quarterly Essay which has become the de facto policy position of the Australian Workers Union, the nation’s leading natural resource industries union.

There is no one more expert, more influential or more well-balanced to answer questions on climate change and our national response.