Mapping and quantification of CRCs’ work on decarbonisation

Australia’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) play an important role in developing innovative solutions for industry. They enable and promote domestic and international collaboration between industry, researchers, and government, and their international networks and industry-focused approach accelerate progress on some of society's most complex challenges. The CRC Program also provides long-term investment, with up to 10 years of funding available, enabling the CRCs to evolve their strategy and response to changing national and industry priorities over time.

CRCs – and many entities that began as CRCs – are helping propel Australia towards a sustainable, prosperous, and decarbonised future, where Australia realises its emissions goals. Decarbonisation is a highly complex global issue with a wide array of policy, market, and social considerations at play. CRCs’ national and international collaborations and innovative solutions will be key to reducing GHG emissions and mitigating the impact of climate change, while enabling economic opportunities through their cooperative ventures.

This work focuses on the research and development (R&D) being conducted by 12 CRCs and one post CRC (collectively referred to as the 13 CRCs in this report)2 in support of Australia’s efforts to decarbonise its economy. It presents a snapshot of the benefit delivered by the CRC Program (focused on decarbonisation efforts and impacts) and explores the opportunities for Government to better leverage the CRCs and CRC model to realise Australia’s emissions targets.