Sustainability Centre takes an approach to applied research and consulting which is interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and participative – see Concepts. We integrate scientific, technical, economic, social, political, policy and ethical aspects of issues.

Sustainability Centre's "Applied Research and Consulting" program is concerned with sustainable development processes in general and specific applications to sustainable energy and urban transport . Topics of particular interest include:

• Development of scenarios and strategies for phasing in sustainable energy systems based on the efficient use of energy and renewable sources of energy.

The original project, conducted in collaboration with Energy Strategies Pty Ltd and the Australia Institute, developed Clean Energy Futures scenarios for Australia. The study obtained a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from stationary energy in 2040 compared with the 2001 level, in an economic growth scenario and with the limitation to small improvements to existing technologies: primarily efficient energy use, biomass energy, wind power, solar hot water, solar pre-heating and cogeneration.
Client: Clean Energy Future group; project manager: WWF Australia.
Report: Saddler H, Diesendorf M and Denniss R (2004), A Clean Energy Future for Australia, WWF Australia, Sydney, March.

In late 2004 and in 2005 a series of 4 studies, on the replacement of proposed coal-fired power stations by clean energy supply/demand-side mixes, has been published by WWF Australia. The studies found that, for Victoria, NSW, Qld and WA, the substitutions woud be cost-effective, provided new policies and strategies are introduced.

In 2007 a study was performed for Greenpeace Australia Pacific on the technologies and measures required to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2020. To be published.

Our reports, Towards [state's] Clean Energy Future, are available on www.wwf.org.au or www.bcse.org.au

• Wind power: economic, environmental and social assessments.

An ongoing desk-top research project is to determine the potential for wind power to substitute for a coal-fired power station in Australian states. This substitution is in terms of both energy and capacity to supply reliable power. In the latter case, large amounts of wind power in an electricity grid require partial back-up with either hydro-electricity or gas turbines to cover lulls in the wind. But for a wind energy penetration into the electricity grid of less than about 20%, the amount of back-up is small, it does not have to be operated frequently and its CO2 emissions do not significantly diminish the large CO2 savings achieved when wind power substitutes for coal.

• Coal power: environmental, health and employment impacts.

A recent project, for the environmental organisation WWF Australia, assessed the environmental impacts of coal-fired power stations in Australia. This includes estimates of the greenhouse gas emissions from each of the main power stations and a critical evaluation of proposals to capture CO2 emitted by coal-fired power stations and to store it underground. The continuing loss of employment in coal-mining and coal-fired electricity generation was also documented. See Diesendorf M (2003), Australia's Polluting Power: Coal-fired electricity and its impact on global warming, WWF Australia, Sydney, www.wwf.org.au/.


• Renewable energy for Third World development

Under the leadership of our Bangladesh Coordinator, Dr Wahidul K. Biswas, we are undertaking a demonstration project on the concept of 'mini-credit' (an extension of the proven concept of microcredit) to disseminate photovoltaics and biogas in villages of less developed countries. The project is being implemented wiith a grant from WISIONS, an initiative of the Wuppertal Institute. (For further information see papers by Biswas et al. under our Publications.)

• Least-cost planning: How businesses, government agencies and other organizations can save money while saving energy, water and other materials.

Least-cost planning (LCP) and its implementation involve the supply of services at minimum total cost, where economic, environmental and health costs are all taken into account. LCP generally involves reducing demand through avoiding waste as well as choosing appropriate supply technologies. The net result is generally both economic savings and environmental protection, a win-win achievement.

• Integrated transport and land-use planning for local and municipal governments and other organisations.

A previous project, carried out jointly with Geoplan for Hornsby Shire Council, was an integrated plan for the car-dependent Sydney suburb of Cherrybrook.

• Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research: How educational, business and government organisations can develop such research programs to address sustainability and other issues that do not fit into disciplinary boxes.

A previous project involved participation in a team assessing the interdisciplinary research institutes and centres at University of Western Sydney. Client was Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research).


• Processes by which governments and businesses and other organisations can implement sustainable development.

Sustainability Centre's Mark Diesendorf has assisted several local governments in developing and carrying out sustainable development processes.