World-leading experts set to ignite the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit stage.

What does a change strategist who has inspired 500,000 people across five continents; a national net-zero leader with in-depth knowledge of decarbonisation and a founder who combines maggots and biotechnology all have in common?

They are just some of the world -leading speakers and experts taking the stage at the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit on Thursday May 23, at the Mackay Entertainment and Convention centre (MECC). 

This one-day event, the first of its kind for the Greater Whitsunday region, will feature 30 influential speakers who are leading conversations across the decarbonisation movement.

Announcing the impressive line-up of speakers, Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) Chief Executive Officer Ms Kylie Porter said the summit program was curated to feature world class experts who tackle tricky subjects with practical, positive advice.

“Our region is unique globally and these speakers have been selected because of their extensive knowledge base but also their enthusiasm to work with our local businesses to ignite their decarbonisation journey.

 “This is a unique opportunity for our region to not only learn from but engage with these global leaders.”

Ms Porter said the summit is targeting small and medium business owners and operators who are ready to take the next steps on their decarbonisation journey.

“Our region’s businesses will learn a diverse range of solutions and strategies for a low carbon future,” Ms Porter said.

Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) Chief Executive Officer Mr Steven Boxall, CEO said the quality of our keynote speakers is a testament to the importance and urgency of the decarbonisation challenge.

“By bringing together these world-class experts, we aim to foster collaboration and innovation that will propel our industries towards a cleaner, more sustainable future in our region," Mr Boxall said.

The Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit opens at 8.30am with four keynotes throughout the day including change strategist Michael McQueen; ThinkZero founder and Managing director Cle-Anne Gabriel; Vice President of Climate at BHP Graham Winkelman and Founder of Goterra Olympia Yarger:

Michael McQueen, is a multi-award-winning speaker, change strategist, and bestselling author of ten books. With clients including Google, Toyota, and Mastercard, he has helped some of the world's most successful brands navigate uncertainty and stay ahead of the curve.

Michael will share his insights into the shifts toward a decarbonised world and how local change can have a global impact.

Cle-Anne Gabriel is the Founder and Managing Director of ThinkZero. She is a sustainable development specialist, consultant, author, and public speaker, and a national leader in this space in Australia.

Gabriel brings her in-depth knowledge of decarbonisation and net-zero strategies to the table to assist businesses in commencing their net-zero journeys. She will also explore case studies from her own experiences and where businesses have successfully changed to a decarbonised future.

Graham Winkelman, Vice President of Climate at BHP is responsible for BHP's public commitments to decarbonisation across both its operations and broader value chain.

Graham will provide valuable insights into the role of government and long-term policy settings to support the transition to a lower-emissions economy.

Olympia Yarger is the founder of Goterra, where she leads the vision of redefining waste management with biotechnology and eco-friendly infrastructure design.

Olympia will provide a passionate example of building products that allow businesses to meet a growing consumer demand for sustainable service provision and agile infrastructure capability.

The summit will also feature morning and after sessions, panel discussions, followed by breakout streams, where attendees can focus on various aspects of decarbonisation, including people, industry, environment, and opportunity.

The afternoon session will involve more keynotes, a regional panel and roundtable discussions that will provide further inspiration and practical guidance for local businesses looking to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Also featured in the summit program will be some of Australia’s leading decarbonisation experts and leaders from industry and government including QLD Hydro, Clean Energy Council, Main Sequence, Sedgman, Cauldron and the Sustainable Minerals Institute.

The Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit will conclude with networking drinks at 4.30pm.

For more information and tickets visit Decarbonisation Accelerated website.

The Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit is a joint initiative of the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE) and Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3).