On Tuesday 20 July Climateworks Australia hosted a UN Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue, putting the spotlight on sustainable food and land use systems, and the role Australia can play in supporting climate outcomes.

Our expert panel explored the role Australia can play in the transition. Guests included Dr Ellen Litchfield, Farmers for Climate Action; Megan Flynn, Pollination; Anna Skarbek, Climateworks Australia, with a special message from Paul Polman, co-chair of the global Food and Land Use Coalition, co-founder and chair of IMAGINE and chair of the International Chamber of Commerce. The panel was joined by host John Thwaites, chair of Climateworks Australia and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, and co-chair of the Leadership Council – UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

This online UN Food Systems Summit Independent Dialogue will contribute to the ambitious vision and objectives to be set out at the Summit in September. It comes alongside other significant international events, including the Biodiversity COP15 in October and COP26 in November. You can read the Climateworks submission here. The event was produced by Written & Recorded.

You can watch the full episode below.

PANEL

Dr Ellen Litchfield
Farmers for Climate Action

Ellen Litchfield is a pastoralist, Nuffield Scholar and veterinarian. She runs Wilpoorinna Station, a cattle and sheep station, with her family and has recently started working for Farmers for Climate Action.  

Dr Litchfield has a Masters of Sustainable Agriculture, her dissertation focused on the effects of climate change on livestock production in the rangelands. In 2019 she studied this topic across the globe with her Nuffield Scholarship. She is supported by both grassroots and academic knowledge. 

Megan Flynn
Partner at Pollination

Megan has been at the forefront of corporate sustainability strategy, climate law and carbon markets, for over 15 years. She advises ASX100 companies, governments and international financial services institutions on climate transformation, best practice governance and investment strategies.

Megan formerly led sustainability at the Qantas Group, growing its commercial carbon offset program to be the largest of any airline in the world and negotiating on behalf of the aviation industry under its United Nations governing body. Prior, she was an Associate in the Global Environmental Markets team at Baker McKenzie. She a Non-executive Director of Carbon Markets Institute and Melbourne University’s Sustainable Society Institute.

Anna Skarbek
CEO at Climateworks Australia

Anna Skarbek is the CEO of Climateworks Australia, working to develop the low carbon economy. A former banker and green policy adviser, Anna has led Climateworks since its creation in 2009, analysing emissions reduction opportunities and partnering with business and government to unblock barriers to their implementation.

Anna was a founding director of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation from 2012-2017, and is a director of Impact Investment Group, the Green Building Council of Australia and of the Centre for New Energy Technologies. She is a member of the Blueprint Institute’s strategic advisory council and the Grattan Institute’s energy program reference panel, and is the 2020 Mission Innovation Champion for Australia.

HOST

Professor John Thwaites AM
Chairman at Climateworks Australia

John Thwaites is a Professorial Fellow, Monash University, and Chair of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and Climateworks Australia.

John is Chair of Melbourne Water and a Director of Fair Trade Australia New Zealand. He is also Chair of the National Sustainable Development Council. He is a Co-Chair of the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (“SDSN”). John was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1999 until his retirement in 2007. During this period he held various Ministerial portfolios including Health, Planning, Environment, Water and was Victoria’s first Minister for Climate Change. In these portfolios he was responsible for major reforms in social policy, health, environment and water.

With a special message from Paul Polman, co-chair of the global Food and Land Use Coalition, co-founder and chair of IMAGINE and chair of the International Chamber of Commerce.