UNSW Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering is excited to announce the 2023 Mitsubishi Lecture Alumni and Industry event.
Join Managing Director and CEO of Tellus Holdings, Nate Smith, as he considers the hard questions around what "sustainability" means in the realm of green technology, and discusses options to solve problems concerning hazardous materials.
The Complexity of “Sustainability” in the New Green Economy: Using Hazardous Waste and Recycling as a Case Study
Prepare to be amazed by a startling fact: Australia tops the list as the country generating the most hazardous waste per capita worldwide. But what might astonish you even more is that transitioning to a green economy will further amplify our nation's output of hazardous waste.
Let's delve into the reasons behind this phenomenon. Almost every green technology, whether it's solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric power, electric batteries, or the remediation of older fossil fuel technologies, poses significant challenges in managing their waste streams in a sustainable and safe manner. To make the world a better place, we must tackle this issue. However, existing sustainability, ESG, and waste hierarchy frameworks often fail to consider the holistic environmental impact of solutions or new processes, making it challenging to define end-to-end sustainability. The complexity amplifies when we introduce waste products or remediation requirements into the equation.
In this captivating presentation, we will explore the tough questions surrounding the meaning of "sustainability" in the realm of green technology and decommissioning, specifically when hazardous waste and recycling enter the picture. We will also touch upon various options to address pressing challenges related to hazardous materials like radioactive waste and PFAS. Keep an eye out for a reference to Tellus' groundbreaking geological repository, Australia's first licensed disposal facility for low-level radioactive material. Get ready to expand your horizons and be inspired!
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5.30pm Registration opens
6.00pm Keynote lecture and Q&A
7.10pm Networking reception. Drinks and canapes included.
8.15pm Event finishes
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The Lecture acknowledges the support of Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd for mining education. Mitsubishi Development is supporting minerals tertiary education at UNSW through a range of initiatives that include undergraduate scholarships and an annual public lecture on a topical aspect of mining sustainability and support for educational infrastructure in the School.
Nate is a global leader with a consistent record of success in a broad range of industries – including logistics, warehousing and distribution, technology, financial services, mining, infrastructure and waste management. He has deep experience in driving B2B sales, managing a wide range of capital raisings and achieving complex government approvals, having closed deals in 60+ countries, with values up to US$16.6 billion. Nate has additionally led the launch of multiple start-ups and also served as a senior executive at, or advisor for, some of the largest companies in the world.
Prior to joining Tellus, Nate was Vice President and lawyer for UPS in Atlanta (USA), where he supported various areas of a multi-billion dollar business, including key B2B sales relationships, global M&A, UPS’s venture capital fund, procurement, compliance and UPS’s Emerging Markets business unit. He also helped launch Ware2Go, a technology and logistics venture backed by BCG Digital Ventures. Before UPS, Nate worked for the global law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell and Latham & Watkins (in Sydney, London and the U.S.), focusing on corporate matters, particularly capital markets, governance and securities. He also worked as a business strategy consultant for IBM.
Nate holds a Juris Doctor with High Honours from Emory Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs with Distinction from the University of Virginia. He is qualified to practise law in New South Wales, California and Washington D.C. and is a former adjunct professor on international legal transactions at Emory Law School.
