Pace of renewable energy shift leaves city planners struggling to keep up

A roadside PV solar farm in Germany with
 338kWp of installed capacity doubles
as a sound barrier.

Renewable energy is driving profound changes in cities. It’s happening much more quickly than was expected even five years ago. Responding to climate change, networks of decision-makers, such as the C40 collective of major cities, have begun adopting strategies to promote the uptake of renewable energy. Yet land use planning has seemingly begun to lag behind.

As an example, few, if any, planning codes in Australia prevent overshadowing of rooftop solar systems (photovoltaic and hot water). Instead, disputes are being decided in the courts.

Effective guidance on the retrofitting and redesign of built environment energy systems must occur across scales, from rooftops to wider electricity grids. We need reliable institutional and policy guidelines to improve investment certainty and limit negative outcomes.

So what is the role of planning? What challenges and actions must planners consider for the renewable energy transition to be effective?

Read the piece on The Conversation - “Pace of renewable energy shift leaves city planners struggling to keep up.”

The grand challenge of feeding 9 billion people.

Sustainable agriculture expert Prof Tim Reeves discusses the profound changes required in agricultural practice, public policy and consumer behavior if we are to feed the Earth’s ever-growing human population - projected to exceed 9 billion in 2050. Business-as-usual won’t pass muster anymore. 

Business as usual will not feed our
burgeoning population.

“A study just being completed by CSIRO scientists, led by Zvi Hochman...showed that since 1990 wheat yield potential in Australia has gone down by 26 per cent as a result of climate change.

“Agriculture already uses 70 per cent of total fresh water withdrawals and that’s an extremely huge challenge for us as we go to produce more food.”

Listen to The University of Melbourne’s Pursuit podcast by Professor Tim Reeves, hosted by Dr Andi Horvath -  “The grand challenge of feeding 9 billion people.”