Webinar: Net Zero institute at the University of Sydney - Policy and governance in the Critical Mineral Sector

Join the Social and Environment Society for their Webinar: Net Zero institute at the University of Sydney - Policy and governance in the Critical Mineral Sector.

About this event

As the last instalment of the Net Zero Institute series, this webinar examines how smart policy and governance can secure the future of critical minerals.

With global demand for battery metals and rare earths surging (the IEA projects a 3.5× increase by 2030), effective regulatory frameworks are essential to ensure Australia’s resource sovereignty and sustainable development. Australia’s new Critical Minerals Strategy (2023–2030) explicitly calls for strong environmental, social and governance standards to develop these resources with minimal footprint.

Experts will discuss how policy innovations and robust governance, from national strategies to community engagement, to how to drive investment, ensure social license, and align the critical minerals sector with Australia’s net-zero and economic goals.

Join the society for the final session of a four-part series on the critical minerals value chain (following Tailings Management, Processing and Exploration).

Join to find out more!

Speaker/s

Penelope Crossley

Professor at The University of Sydney Law School
BEc(SocSci) (Hons) LLB (Hons) (Sydney) GradDipLegalPrac (College of Law) PhD (Sydney)

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Professor Penelope Crossley is an international expert in the complex legal issues associated with the energy transition, including renewable energy and energy storage law, and electricity market governance. She is known for her sustained engagement with industry and government stakeholders, and for developing recommendations that have been directly adopted into law, international policy documents, and consumer guides.
In addition to her academic role, Penelope holds important clean energy industry leadership roles, serving as the Chair of the Product Listing Review Panel (2016 - present) and the Chair of the New Energy Technology Consumer Code Monitoring and Compliance Panel (2023 - present).

Previously, Penelope worked as an international project finance lawyer, and global in-house counsel for BP Alternative Energy. This commercial and practical legal experience informs her current research, ensuring that she focuses on real-world problems and identifies innovative commercial solutions that can be easily translated and applied.

Jillian Durso

Engagement, Policy and Corporate affairs Professional

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Jillian is an engagement, policy and corporate affairs professional with almost 20 years of experience of bringing diverse stakeholders together to build shared understanding and achieve common goals.

In her current role, Jillian leads work to connect people, organisations, governments and communities with research to help them navigate the challenges of transformations in mining economies, including those associated with the Net Zero transition.

She has a deep understanding of the minerals industry, having worked at sites as well as corporate office and, before joining CRC TiME, as social policy lead at the Minerals Council of Australia.

Jillian has qualifications in communications, governance and public policy and sustainability and is an Australian Rural Leadership Program graduate.