The federal government says it will invest $127 million in research centres to eliminate plastic waste and cut emissions in the agriculture sector.
Among the two new large-scale Cooperative Research Centres (CRC), the Solving Plastic Waste CRC has received $40 million to transform the way plastics are designed, manufactured, used and recycled, and to develop a solution to remove microplastic pollution in soil. The remaining $87 million will go to the CRC for Zero Net Emissions from Agriculture.
The government says these CRCs align with the National Reconstruction Fund’s priority areas, as well as its broader ambitions to achieve net zero by 2050 and tackle plastic waste.
These two CRCs will leverage more than $315 million in cash and in-kind contributions from project partners, and improve industry outcomes across the agriculture, environment, recycling and manufacturing sectors.
The CRCs will involve more than 118 project partners working across Australia, including 50 small to medium enterprises, as well as 21 university partners from 17 universities, and 14 government agencies including Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.
Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic said that Round 25 of the CRC Program will open from 8 January 2024, closing on 5 March 2024.
“The message from the latest Climate Statement is clear, we’re close but we need to pull out all the stops to get over the line on our 2030 climate commitments,” Husic said.
“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.
“There are very few challenges more crucial than achieving net zero emissions and tackling plastic pollution,” he concluded.
Government priorities are always considered as part of the assessment criteria in CRC selection rounds, with CRC applicants from all industry sectors and research disciplines having the opportunity to demonstrate alignment with Government priorities.
Get more information on the round, including the Grant Opportunity Guidelines here.
