About Deakins 09

2009 is a critical year for action on climate change. As the global community focuses on negotiating targets and international agreements, the Victorian community will become increasingly concerned with defining appropriate responses to this significant challenge. Businesses and governments face the inescapable reality that climate change requires urgent action, that carbon emissions must be reduced rapidly and that building the low-carbon economy must start now. Incremental improvement in the existing economy will not be sufficient. A sustainable future depends on harnessing the spirit of creativity and innovation to realign our economy; to reinvent systems of production, goods and services; to re-envisage cities and communities and to redefine ideas of sustainable life-styles and prosperity.

The Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab (VEIL) and Melbourne University are delivering the ‘DEAKINS 09: Eco-Innovation Lectures for the Victorian Government. Aligning with the Victorian Government’s “Innovation: Victoria’s Future” policy statement, the 2009 Deakin Lecture program addresses ‘Climate Change’ as one of the key drivers for innovation. Innovation is considered as change that adds value, to the social, economical, political, cultural and environmental conditions, for Victoria.

‘Climate and Innovation: Building the low carbon economy NOW’ aims to inform, provoke and stimulate debate, ideas and conversations about how innovation can transform the economy, society and the environment, in response to climate change. The program brings to Victoria a range of international speakers who as individuals, or as representatives of businesses, organisations or communities, can convey the value of embracing the challenges of climate change as a stimulus for (social and technical) innovation.

Based in Melbourne and regional Victoria the program adopts a new format while still emulating the distinct flavour of previous years’ Alfred Deakin Lectures. A series of events, each centred around a free public lecture (broadcast nationally by ABC), will take place over the months of July to December. They aim to stimulate and enhance conversations about the links between Climate and Innovation and the potential to Build the Low Carbon Economy Now.