Future you, future planet: Careers shaping a sustainable tomorrow
This webinar connects the global conversation about climate action with the people, ideas and careers helping turn ambition into practical solutions.
Future you, future planet: Careers shaping a sustainable tomorrow
Join us for a special Shape Your Future webinar exploring how a career in STEM can help tackle climate change and shape a more sustainable tomorrow.
Taking place during COP 31, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, this webinar connects the global conversation about climate action with the people, ideas and careers helping turn ambition into practical solutions. As countries come together to address climate change, discover how your interests and skills could contribute to the future of our planet.
From growing food more sustainably to finding better ways to recover and use valuable resources, climate solutions draw on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, alongside creativity, collaboration and an understanding of people and communities.
What attendees will learn
1. How STEM connects to climate action
Explore how the climate challenges connect with real-world research, technologies and decisions. Discover how STEM professionals help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to a changing climate and use resources more sustainably, and why effective solutions need to work for both people and the planet.
2. The careers shaping a sustainable tomorrow
Hear about our speakers’ career journeys, the pathways that led them to their fields and what their work involves. Explore how interests in chemistry, agriculture, engineering, the environment and problem-solving can lead to meaningful careers, including jobs you may not have even considered.
Discover why communication, creativity and teamwork matter alongside scientific and technical knowledge – and how the skills you develop at school can help you take your next steps.
3. How your future can make a difference
Learn how people with different skills work together to address complex sustainability challenges. Explore why developing a promising idea is only part of the process: solutions also need to be tested, improved and put into practice with communities and industries.
Through our speakers’ experiences and audience Q&A, discover how your own interests could connect with opportunities to solve problems, support communities and contribute to climate solutions.
Why students and educators should attend
Whether you’re a student who cares about the environment, enjoys science and technology, or is still exploring what your future might look like, this webinar offers a chance to discover where STEM could take you.
For educators, it provides a timely connection between classroom learning, climate action and real-world careers, using COP 31 as a starting point for conversations about sustainability and students’ futures.
You’ll hear directly from STEM professionals, <have the opportunity> to ask questions, and gain a clearer understanding of the many ways people can contribute to a more sustainable world.
Most importantly, you’ll see that you don’t need to have your whole career mapped out to start exploring. Curiosity, a willingness to learn and the confidence to ask questions can be the first steps towards a future where your work makes a difference.
Speakers
ATSE Fellow | Professor, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
Professor Matthew Harrison is a leading expert in sustainable agriculture with an outstanding track record of impact. He leads the Carbon Storage Partnership, an initiative developing pathways to progress the Australian livestock sector toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. His people-centred approach, engaging with more than 17,000 farmers and stakeholders across regional Australia, drives technology adoption and practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Harrison works with governments on climate policy, contributing to legislation that has prevented more than 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. His expertise in carbon reductions and removals has shaped the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme and influenced international carbon markets.
Harrison’s far-reaching impact was acknowledged with the 2023 Tasmanian Premier’s STEM Scientist of the Year award.
Harrison works with governments on climate policy, contributing to legislation that has prevented more than 3.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. His expertise in carbon reductions and removals has shaped the Australian Carbon Credit Unit Scheme and influenced international carbon markets.
Harrison’s far-reaching impact was acknowledged with the 2023 Tasmanian Premier’s STEM Scientist of the Year award.
Dr Laura Kuhar
Superstar of STEM
Superstar of STEM
Magnetic liquids, spirulina algae to clean wastewater, invisible mining, battery-electric locomotives, and dissolving or cooking rocks… Laura never knew that her degree in chemical engineering and a career in mining research would span such fascinating topics, allow her to work with such wonderful people, and keep her so thoroughly entertained!
This webinar is the last of the 2026 Shape Your Future series, an educational initiative from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) that connects students with leading experts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through live virtual events.
