Net zero agriculture, plastic waste CRCs get the nod

Two Cooperative Research Centre bids, for the CRC for Zero Net Emissions from Agriculture and the Solving Plastic Waste CRC, have been awarded $87 million and $40 million in federal funding.

In a statement on Tuesday, federal industry minister Ed Husic announced the funding through Round 24 of the CRC program. The program has been running since 1990 and supports medium to long-term, industry-led research collaborations with commercial goals.

The Zero Net Emissions CRC (ZNE-Ag CRC) is being backed by $214 million in cash and in-kind funding from its partner organisation, and will “deliver standardised, trusted guidelines, metrics, and benchmarking tools to monitor on-farm emissions” to help “accelerate Australian agriculture’s transition to net zero and beyond by 2050.”

The Solving Plastic Waste CRC has a pledged commitment of $101 million in cash and in-kind support from its partners, and aims to “accelerate Australia’s progress towards its targets of eliminating plastic pollution, establishing a circular and climate neutral economy for plastics, and growing a competitive, sustainable advanced manufacturing sector.”

The latter has industry partners including Licella, Advanced Circular Polymers, and Amcor.

Both new CRCs will have ten-year terms.

Husic said, “There are very few challenges more crucial than achieving net zero emissions and tackling plastic pollution.

“We need to mobilise Australian industry to play its role in the transition to net zero now. But we also need to think about the next big steps, which is why it is important to get Australian science and industry working together on this.”

Husic also announced that applications for Round 25 of the CRC Program will open from January next year and close on March 5.

Main picture: Cleanaway recycling facility at Eastern Creek, NSW (credit NSW government)

Further reading

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