Bob Carr appointed to new business and climate change role at UTS

Former Foreign Minister and NSW’s longest-serving Premier Bob Carr will help to tackle “the most significant societal challenge of our time” is his new job as an Industry Professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

UTS Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Kate McGrath announced Professor Carr’s appointment, saying it was part of a plan to bring all the university’s “considerable climate change expertise to the policy table”.

The appointment follows the successful completion by Professor Carr of a five-year term leading the Australia-China Relations Institute at UTS as Director and Professor of International Relations.

His new three-year role will be based jointly in the Institute for Sustainable Futures and the UTS Business School, areas where a number of the university’s experts in policy development, government relations and climate change are based.

The university appoints as Industry Professors eminent Australians, professional practitioners and industry leaders with outstanding reputations in areas of key strength.

Professor Carr served as NSW Minister for Planning and Environment between 1984 and 1988. While he was Premier of NSW (1995–2005) his government introduced a greenhouse gas reduction scheme (G-gas), developed in collaboration with the energy sector, listed by the World Bank as the world’s first carbon trading scheme, and new standards in water and energy for new housing (BASIX), in collaboration with the housing sector.

It also implemented controls over broad-acre land clearing that were instrumental in Australia reaching its Kyoto targets, introduced water and energy use and sewerage reforms; and enacted nature conservation policies including 350 new national parks based on reform of forestry and Australia’s first Wilderness Act.

As Premier, Carr received the World Conservation Union International Parks Merit Award for his services to conservation.  He was a member of the International Task Force on Climate Change convened by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and was made a life member of the Wilderness Society in 2003.

“Professor Carr’s deep understanding of the climate change policy landscape, both in Australia and internationally, and his extensive networks in industry, will help translate UTS’s climate change expertise – across discipline areas such as environmental engineering, political sciences, public policy, economics, chemistry, biology, law, journalism, and beyond – into real world impact, improved policy and increased public engagement,” said Professor McGrath.

“In order to effectively tackle the most significant societal challenge of our time, we will need to bridge divides between scientists, industry, government and the public, and Professor Carr’s appointment will aim to bring all of UTS’s considerable climate change expertise to the policy table.”