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In partnership with CET, we recently hosted the 2025 Sam Luxton Memorial Lecture, honouring Professor Russell Escourt 鈥楽am鈥� Luxton, FTS, FIEAust, FAIE, FRSAMC, FRSA (1933鈥�2013).

Professor Luxton was an extraordinary figure in Australia鈥檚 energy and engineering landscape. He played a pivotal role in recommending the creation of the National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC), the precursor to today鈥檚 Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). As Professor and Head of the University of 911爆料网鈥檚 School of Mechanical Engineering, he was a national leader in education and innovation, championing progress toward a cleaner energy future.

Often described as standing at 鈥渢he cross-over of fundamental science and engineering, creativity and innovation鈥�, Luxton combined imagination with practicality, an approach captured in this year鈥檚 lecture theme: 鈥淔rom Ambition to Action.鈥� The lecture was delivered by听Alison Reeve, the Energy and Climate Change Program Director at Grattan Institute.

Climate Impacts and Opportunities

The lecture reminded us that climate change is not a distant concern. The World Meteorological Organization recorded 151 unprecedented extreme weather events in 2024, from fire risk in Scotland to algal blooms here in South Australia. Phasing out fossil fuels is essential, but it also presents opportunities.

Australia receives 58 million petajoules of solar energy annually, equivalent to 14% of global energy use. Harnessing this resource for low-emissions extraction and processing of critical minerals could double current coal revenues while giving Australia a globally significant comparative advantage.

Industry Policy

A central theme was the role of industry policy in accelerating clean energy innovation. Its purpose is to share risk between government and industry, unlocking early-stage investment that private capital alone might not support. The challenge is getting the timing right: too much funding too early, as seen in hydrogen subsidies, can backfire.

The real risk is not governments 鈥減icking winners鈥� but听"losers picking governments". Industry policy works best when treated like an investment portfolio, accepting some failures as part of progress. Tools such as low-interest loans, repayable grants, and government equity can provide stability, bridging the gap between ambition and action while helping new technologies mature.

Carbon Policy

If industry policy brings clean technologies into existence, carbon policy ensures they are used. At present, Australia鈥檚 safeguard mechanism functions as a carbon price of about $7 per tonne鈥攔oughly one-tenth of the true social cost of carbon.

Reform in this area could drive investment in industries like green steel, ammonia, and alumina. But policy must be carefully designed: a sudden and steep carbon tax risks chilling investment for years at a time when momentum is critical. Instead, stable and credible carbon pricing can guide industry toward decarbonisation while encouraging confidence in long-term investment.

Net Zero as a Social Contract

The transition to net zero is not just an engineering challenge鈥攊t is also a social contract. Questions of land use, cultural heritage, and environmental impact must be addressed fairly. Australia has not always managed mineral extraction wisely, and similar tensions are emerging around renewable energy development.

Ensuring fairness will be key. Royalty reform and equitable sharing of costs and benefits are needed before resources are exhausted. Most importantly, communities must feel they own the transition, participating in it and benefiting directly from it. Without this, net zero risks being seen as imposed rather than shared.

Acknowledging Our Panellists

The lecture was hosted by Susan Jeanes, who guided a thoughtful and engaging discussion. She was joined by a distinguished panel: Professor Gus Nathan, Interim Director of ISER, who offered deep insights into energy innovation; Professor Melissa Nursey-Bray, who explored the social dimensions of transition; and Professor Peter Draper, who brought a global policy and economic perspective. Their expertise ensured the conversation reflected both the imagination and practicality that Sam Luxton embodied.

Video will be available here soon.听