Offshore wind held immense potential for driving Australia’s energy transition, provided the siting of infrastructure and its integration into the energy system were handled correctly.
In this webinar, IUCN Vice President Peter Cochrane set the stage by highlighting the importance of balancing renewable energy development with biodiversity conservation and community well-being. He emphasised IUCN’s commitment to nature-positive solutions in the deployment of offshore wind and reflected on Australia’s role in reaching climate and biodiversity goals.
Following this, Professor Sven Teske from the Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS) presented a comprehensive analysis of Australia’s offshore wind potential, its possible future contribution to power generation, and favourable locations for offshore wind farms from both technical and economic perspectives. He explored how spatial optimisation could guide the development of offshore wind in ways that are efficient, fair, and aligned with climate and biodiversity goals. Focusing on Australia’s coastal regions, particularly those with existing or retiring coal infrastructure, Professor Teske outlined the strategic benefits of collocating offshore wind near established grid assets. He also shared insights into how good planning could reduce costs, accelerate deployment, and support regional communities.
This session aligned closely with the vision behind GINGR, a platform designed to help measure progress toward a Nature- and People-Positive energy system. Together, technological innovation and performance metrics supported the deployment of offshore wind projects that were not only technically sound but also contributed positively to biodiversity and local communities.
Speakers
- Peter Cochrane – Peter has over twenty years of senior executive leadership experience across public and private sectors with a strong focus on environment and sustainability. Currently Vice President of the IUCN Council (elected from Oceania) and an Adjunct Fellow at the Australian National University, Peter also chairs the Steering Committee of the National Environmental Science Program’s Marine Biodiversity Hub. He is a Director of Ecotourism Australia and Tangaroa Blue Foundation and has played pivotal roles in developing Nature-Positive approaches in conservation and renewable energy.
- Dr. Sven Teske – Dr. Teske is a Professor and Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, leading research on energy decarbonisation pathways to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. With over 30 years of experience in renewable energy policy and grid integration, Dr. Teske has authored more than 50 major reports and several books, including two volumes of Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals. His work has contributed to national energy plans worldwide and has been showcased at numerous UN Climate Conferences.
