Going green at Melbourne Knowledge Week

A unique partnership between botanists and accountants is taking carbon accounting to the next level.

Environmentalists, economists and accountants took a trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria on Friday 6 May to discover how botanists are working with accountants to track and report on carbon uptake in the garden's unique urban ecosystem.

botanic gardens

As part of Melbourne Knowledge Week Prof Naomi Soderstrom, Assoc Prof Brad Potter from FBE and Prof Ian Woodrow from the School of Biosciences, took guests on a walk and talk of the gardens to learn about the research initiative that will help businesses go green.

Prof Woodrow and his team are analysing the carbon uptake in the gardens and Prof Soderstrom and Assoc Prof Potter are investigating how best to translate data for business stakeholders. The research will have significant sustainability implications for individuals, organisations and, in particular, councils and governments committed to being carbon neutral by 2020.

Botanic gardens

The crowd took the opportunity to pose some insightful questions and the conversation spilt over into afternoon tea at Jardin Tan.

This event is part of Melbourne Knowledge Week, 2 - 8 May, 2016, proudly presented by the City of Melbourne.