Climate change is no longer a threat; it’s a baseline consideration in many engineering decisions. From transport systems and energy grids to buildings and water infrastructure, engineers are being asked to deliver projects that can stand up to a changing climate.
That’s the challenge at the heart of the Engineers Australia Climate Smart Engineering Conference 2025 (CSE25), which heads to Adelaide for the first time on 27–28 August at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The two-day event will bring together experts across engineering disciplines to share expertise, insights and practical tools for delivering climate-smart solutions.
This year’s theme “Resilience Engineered: Solutions for Our Climate Reality” reflects how the profession is evolving. Engineering is no longer just about responding to climate risks, it plays a central role in shaping outcomes. Rather than focusing on worst-case scenarios, the conference is designed as a hands-on working session for professionals already tackling climate complexity in their daily work.
More than 60 speakers from across government, academia and industry will explore what’s being done now – and what needs to change. Keynote speaker Professor Mark Howden, Director of the ANU’s Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions and a major contributor to the IPCC, will speak on the state of climate science and how it’s being applied to infrastructure and policy.
Other keynote speakers include Professor Cheryl Desha from Natural Hazards Research Australia, who will challenge conventional risk models and advocate for more flexible, future-proof design approaches. Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher will explore how generational change, digital innovation, and evolving skill demands are transforming the engineering landscape – and why building climate capability across the profession is more urgent than ever.
Beyond Zero Emissions CEO Heidi Lee, AEMC Commissioner Rainer Korte, Dr Gabrielle Kuiper, Dr Ian Oppermann and Lautec CEO Satya Tanner will explore the key challenges to achieving resilience in Australia’s renewable energy transition – from infrastructure and market design to community resilience and technological innovation.
Engineers Australia’s Chief Engineer Katherine Richards AM CSC HonFIEAust CPEng EngExec will lead a plenary address and actively participate in panel discussions throughout the two days. Katherine is excited to be involved in this year’s CSE conference; ‘this is a great conference for the profession to get behind and to seek and champion solutions for our climate reality.’
The technical program spans key themes including resilience and risk, energy transition, circular economy, decarbonisation, water, transport infrastructure and nature-based solutions. Sessions are developed with direct input from Engineers Australia’s colleges, technical societies and leaders across research, industry and government. Contributors include CSIRO, Aurecon, GHD, Arcadis, Ricardo, the Australian Space Agency and multiple leading universities – all focused-on engineering solutions that are already in motion.
CSE25 offers more than a standard conference experience. It creates a space for meaningful conversations among professionals facing similar challenges. The focus is on real-world insights and shared problem-solving, not just formal presentations or surface-level networking.
Registrations are now open, and the full program is live. For more information, visit engineersaustralia.org.au/cse
