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CSIRO has pledged to help the nation’s “hardest-to-abate” industries to slash their emissions, via a large-scale scientific and collaborative research initiative into new carbon abatement solutions

CSIRO said on Tuesday it would kick off its new “Towards Net Zero Mission” with a $90 million investment, and work with industry, government and communities to halve the emissions in difficult-to-abate sectors like steel and agriculture by 2035.

Announcing the Mission, CSIRO chief Larry Marshall said the decarbonisation of Australia’s industrial sectors was not just about using new technology to solve a problem, but deliberately turning that problem into new economic growth by building national capability and reimagining how we live and work.

The large-scale scientific and collaborative research initiative is committed to areas of sustainable ag, sustainable fuels, and negative emission technologies:

• Supporting a profitable and sustainable agriculture industry in a low emissions world
• Identifying what is required to develop new low emissions steel and iron ore processes
• Identifying what is required to develop sustainable aviation fuel to support our aviation sector
• Helping regions navigate the transition to net zero through new collaborations, analysis, and support
  
• Expanding Australia’s carbon offset capacity by using and scaling negative emission technologies such as carbon sequestration

In this initiative, is BHP, Boeing, Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC), Climate-Kic, ClimateWorks, Incitec Pivot, PMG Australia, and Meat & Livestock Australia.

CSIRO Chief, Larry Marshall, had this to say: “Our hard to abate industries like resources and agriculture are critical Australian advantages and are deeply embedded into the fabric of our regions – regions that our country is built on."

“So, our Mission must be co-developed not just with those in the hard to abate industries, but also in partnership with their communities to understand the impacts and opportunities arising from new science-enabled technologies and ways of doing business.

“The transformation of these hard to abate industries and regions is critical to our nation’s future prosperity, and Australian science will ensure no one gets left behind in this enormous transition. Every Australian is part of the journey to net zero.”