As Australia tackles rising climate challenges, our engineers are doing what they do best – developing long-term solutions to solve key problems and engineer a climate-resilient future.
Engineers Australia’s flagship event, the Climate Smart Engineering Conference 2025 (CSE25), is heading to Adelaide for the first time this from 27–28 August 2025 – and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time.
With Australia’s climate challenges intensifying, this year’s theme, ‘Resilience engineered: solutions for our climate reality’, cuts to the heart of what engineers do best: solve tough problems with sharp thinking, practical solutions and a long-term view.
Built by engineers, for engineers, CSE25 will spotlight the central role of engineering in creating a climate-resilient Australia. The two-day program is stacked with forward-focused sessions, headline speakers and real-world case studies that tackle the climate transition across industries and sectors.
A key highlight of the plenary program is the opening address by South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Susan Close. As 75 per cent of the state’s electricity is now sourced from renewables, South Australia is the ideal setting for a conference about engineering leadership in sustainability.
Keynote speaker, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions Director, Professor Mark Howden, will speak on the state of climate science and how it’s being applied to infrastructure and policy.
Other keynote speakers include Natural Hazards Research Australia Science and Innovation Director, Professor Cheryl Desha, who will challenge conventional risk models and advocate for more flexible, future-proof design approaches; as well as renowned demographer Simon Kuestenmacher, who will explore how generational change, digital innovation and evolving skill demands are transforming the engineering landscape – and why building climate capability across the profession is more urgent than ever.
There’s is also a newly confirmed addition to the program – Climateworks Centre CEO, Anna Skarbek. In her spotlight, ‘Place, purpose and possibility: engineering resilience through net zero transformation’, Ms Skarbek will lay out a compelling vision for engineers’ role in coordinated, place-based action toward net zero. Drawing on industrial precinct examples from across Australia and Asia, her talk will challenge delegates to think beyond individual projects – toward systems change and region-wide resilience.
The technical program at CSE25 continues to evolve, bringing deep expertise to the big levers of climate-smart engineering. A standout is the extended Thursday session: ‘Forging the future: Australia’s role in green metal exports’. With global demand rising for sustainably produced materials, this session will explore how engineers are shaping green supply chains, advancing low-emissions technologies and influencing policy frameworks to drive sustainable economic growth. Speakers will break down Australia’s potential as a global leader in green metals and provide strategies to help future-proof infrastructure, investment and innovation.
‘Engineering circularity’ is another session not to miss. This panel will examine how engineers are designing systems that reduce waste, regenerate resources and drive circular economies across industries – from material recovery to full lifecycle thinking. It’s a conversation that’s gaining momentum as industries rethink how we build and consume.
Engineers Australia Chief Engineer, Katherine Richards, said Australia is at a turning point.
“CSE25 is where engineers can step forward – not just to respond to climate challenges, but to shape the future we all need. The conversations, the people, the ideas – it’s where leadership happens,” she said.
Beyond the sessions, CSE25 offers important opportunities to network, collaborate and lead. Attendees will connect with peers, pioneers and policymakers who are driving the transition to a net-zero, climate-resilient Australia.
Registrations are closing soon. If you want to be part of engineering’s most critical conversation, now’s the time to secure your spot.
For more information, visit: engineersaustralia.org.au/cse.
