Queensland Decarbonisation Hub Research Showcase
The Queensland Decarbonisation Hub welcomed around 50 participants to UQ St Lucia on 2 July for the 2026 Research Showcase, bringing together researchers, government and industry to discuss research with practical implications for Queensland's decarbonisation transition.
The showcase was opened by Dr Elizabeth Fellows, Acting Assistant Under Treasurer, Industry Strategy and Climate, Queensland Treasury, who spoke about the importance of bringing together government, industry, community and researchers to discuss the complex challenges of Queensland's decarbonisation transition. She emphasised the role these discussions play in helping research inform policy and practice. Dr Liz Young, Research Director of the Queensland Decarbonisation Hub, highlighted the role of the Hub's Advisory Committee in shaping the research program. Through the Committee's broad representation from government, industry and the community, the Hub is able to incorporate a range of perspectives when selecting research projects and identifying areas of policy relevance.
Across four themed sessions, researchers presented in pairs, with each presentation followed by facilitated discussion led by session chairs Dr Sarah McInnes, Professor Felicity Deane, Chris Norman and Andrew Chamberlain. Rather than a traditional seminar format, the format encouraged discussion, with the facilitators drawing on their experience across behavioural science, environmental law, natural resource management and the agricultural sector to connect individual research projects with broader policy questions and implementation challenges. The format generated lively discussion, with strong engagement from participants and strong engagement throughout the day.
The program covered research on regional decarbonisation, renewable energy workforce planning, net-zero microgrids, biodiversity, peatland carbon sequestration, on-farm carbon measurement, low-carbon construction materials and agricultural biochar. Presentations were delivered by Dr Jeremy De Valck, Professor John Rolfe, Adland Pradana (presenting on behalf of Professor Fuwen Yang and the research team), Distinguished Professor Lin Schwarzkopf, Dr Gareth Chalmers (presenting on behalf of Professor Catherine Yule and the research team), Dr Naoya Takeda, Dr Mehdi Serati and Professor Mohan Jacob.
The event built on a series of preparation workshops delivered by the Hub in the lead-up to the showcase. Working with researchers, the Hub's Steering Committee, Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson and Dr Fellows, these sessions explored how to communicate their research to audiences beyond academia while maintaining academic rigour. The workshops encouraged researchers to draw out the policy implications of their work and consider how their findings could contribute to decision-making across government, industry and the community.
The discussions throughout the day demonstrated the benefits of bringing researchers, policy-makers and practitioners together to examine research, test ideas and consider their implications for Queensland's decarbonisation transition.
