2024 SA Climate Leaders Awards

Electrolux Electric Furnace - Adelaide

Electrolux Group’s Dudley Park facility is leading the appliance company’s global efforts to reduce emissions with a new electric furnace that reduces energy consumption by 70% compared to its old gas-powered furnace.

Ventia: Driving climate action across hospitals, schools, community facilities and buildings for all South Australians.

Ventia has partnered with the SA Government to reduce waste and emissions through sustainable asset management and facilities across 49 State Government agencies including schools, hospitals and police stations.

iO Energy: Cleaner, cheaper, smarter: Reduced emissions and electricity bills

iO Energy is using “super off-peak” pricing to encourage South Australian electricity customers to shift their energy usage to daytime, when South Australia’s energy mix is primarily from renewable sources.

Sparc Hydrogen: SPARC-H2: Zero-electricity low-cost solar hydrogen reactor

Sparc Hydrogen is developing next generation green hydrogen production technology that’s designed to use no electricity or produce any carbon emissions.

Val-Ai: No home left behind in our transition to net zero

ValAi works with the finance and property sectors using innovative data and tools to support their clients, including mortgage lenders and homeowners to achieve their decarbonisation goals and meet regulatory requirements.

Biodiversity McLaren Vale

Biodiversity McLaren Vale is a collaboration between local community, industry and government to rehabilitate the native landscapes and waterways and increase indigenous biodiversity within the region, helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve climate resilience.

Joanna Wells: Protecting Adelaide’s Vital Tree Canopy

Joanna Well’s Protecting Adelaide’s Vital Tree Canopy community-led campaign raised awareness of the urgent need to protect Adelaide’s big trees and championed law reform to protect them.

SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre: Waste Reduction & Energy Saving Strategy

The SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre has implemented a Waste Reduction & Energy Saving initiative, which has reduced single-use plastics, diverted waste from landfill and reduced carbon emissions.

City of Charles Sturt: Transformative climate action and risk management initiatives

The City of Charles Sturt has strengthened its climate action through initiatives including developing a climate change risk assessment, tools to assess its asset vulnerability, designing climate-resilient playgrounds and reducing council emissions by 56%.

City of Mitcham Community Renewables Program: Local government taking the lead in accelerating the uptake of renewables to reduce emissions

The City of Mitcham developed a program that provides no up-front cost solar panels and batteries, easing cost of living pressures and reducing carbon emissions.

District Council of Tumby Bay Coastal Adaptation Strategy: Engaging community and experts to develop sustainable solutions for coastal hazards and environmental challenges

The District Council of Tumby Bay developed a Coastal Adaptation Strategy to support the long-term management of its coastal environment, prioritising community and stakeholder engagement as it works to identify risks and mitigation measures.

Alice Jones: Sowing hope: Restoring seagrasses for carbon capture and climate change resilience

Dr Alice Jones is an ecologist leading research projects that investigate carbon storage and other benefits achieved through the restoration of seagrass.

Waite Arboretum: Future Trees Climate and Biosecurity Vulnerability Benchmarking Study

The Future Trees Benchmarking Study has combined data from 20 councils to build the world’s largest single city tree database that can be used to identify vulnerabilities in the urban forest and opportunities to increase resilience of green spaces.

Flinders University: Developing sustainable concrete to address the environmental impact of producing conventional building materials and waste-to-landfill volumes

Flinders University is leading international research into creating more sustainable concrete, which could significantly reduce waste and emissions from the construction industry.