Contextualising decarbonisation
Griffith University’s acclaimed webinar series, Aviation Reimagined – Contextualising Decarbonisation, explores the critical but often overlooked dimensions of aviation’s transition to a low-carbon future.
Covering economics, regulation, environmental science, and social impacts, the series brings together national and international experts. It is presented in partnership with Griffith’s Climate Ready Initiative, Griffith Institute for Tourism, and Griffith Aviation, featuring insights and ideas from national and international leaders in the field.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to advancing clean energy, sustainable communities, climate action, and global partnerships through research, education, and collaboration.
Aviation reimagined webinar series 2024
2024 presenters
Aviation reimagined webinar series 2023
2023 presenters
Aviation reimagined webinar series 2022
Session 1
Aviation net zero - policy leadership
Wednesday 21 September 2022
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea, this webinar explored the drivers for decarbonising aviation and the policy developments and advancements underway globally, to assist the sector in decarbonising.
- Making aviation net zero a success | Hermant Mistry
- Clean aviation: Leveraging disruptive technologies to power greener flights | Alex Krein
- Decarbonising Australia’s aviation sector: The roadmap to net zero by 2050 | Emma Wilson
Session 2
Sustainable aviation fuels
Thursday 29 September 2022
Facilitated by Professor Tim Ryley and Michael Burke, this webinar explored the latest sustainable aviation fuel developments that could help accelerate the reduction of emissions in the aviation sector.
- Progress and challenges of technologies for the production of SAF | Dr Susan van Dyk
- Role of sustainable aviation fuels in achieving net zero aviation by 2050 | Sami Jauhlanen
- Partnering for sustainable aviation | Heidi Hauf
Session 3
Aircraft and airlines of tomorrow
Thursday 6 October 2022
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea, this webinar explored aircraft and airline advancements toward net zero emissions.
- On the road to zero emission aviation | Glenn Llewellyn
- Flight NZO – Air New Zealand’s journey to net zero carbon emissions | Jason Snelgrove
- Delivering emission-free commercial flights to regional Australia by 2026 | Alan Milne
Session 4
Transforming our airports
Thursday 13 October 2022
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Keith Tonkin, this webinar explored airport innovation and advancements towards zero net emissions.
- Airports as facilitators in the journey to net zero | Jennifer Desharnais
- Aviation: To grow or not to grow| Denise Pronk
- Embedding a sustainable transition towards future low-emission aviation | Claire Waghorn
Session 5
Advanced air mobility
Thursday 20 October 2022
Facilitated by Professor Tim Ryley and Michael Kane, this webinar explored the rapidly emerging space of eVTOLs and veliports/vertiports, and the implications for decarbonising travel.
- Acceleration of the global Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem through Eve Air Mobility | Robert Weaver
- Disassembling the infrastructure complexities of Advanced Air Mobility| Yun-Yuan Tay
- Providing a clear path to commercialisation of Australia’s advanced air mobility industry | Sara Hales
Session 6
Changing times and future perspectives
Thursday 27 October 2022
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored changes and disrupters in the aviation system that could assist the sector to decarbonise.
- How electric aviation will transform cities and regions: Understanding future demand drivers | Dr Michael Kane
- Opening up the world for those who want to see – sustainability | Jamison Warren
- The path to decarbonisation and urban air mobility | Aaron Shaw
2022 presenters
Aviation reimagined webinar series 2021
Session 1
Aviation net zero
Thursday 2 September 2021
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored aviation’s pathways to net zero, highlighting urgent emission reduction measures and future opportunities for sustainable growth.
- Reducing emissions from flying – why stronger measures are needed | Andrew Murphy
- Aviation’s climate for growth: Tomorrow’s net zero carbon future | Ken Conway
Session 2
Aviation policy leadership
Thursday 9 September 2021
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored international aviation transitions, highlighting Sweden’s crisis leadership, the UK Jet Zero Council, and Sounds Air’s pioneering electric aircraft.
- Leading an industry through transition and crisis – the Swedish story | Fredrik Kämpfe
- UK Jet Zero Council | Dr Michelle Carter
- Sounds Air electric aircraft | Rhyan Wardman
Session 3
Aviation technology developments
Thursday 16 September 2021
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored government, technology, and infrastructure innovations driving advanced air mobility, electrification, and the emergence of smart, sustainable airports.
- A whole-of-government approach to enabling advanced air mobility | Hugh Ross
- Electrifying aviation: Energy storage, battery and hydrogen developments| Dr Ruth Knibbe
- Smart airports ready for sustainable aviation | Paul Perera
Session 4
Aircraft of tomorrow
Thursday 23 September 2021
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored pioneering breakthroughs in electric and hydrogen aircraft design, highlighting the path toward scalable, zero-emission regional and commercial aviation.
- Heart Aerospace and the world’s first 19-seat all-electric regional airliner| Dr Lauren Burns
- World’s first liquid hydrogen fuel cell aircraft| Liam Megill
- Making aviation sustainable: A 100-seat zero-emission jet by 2030 | Val Miftakhov
Session 5
Transforming our airports
Thursday 30 September 2021
Facilitated by Dr Emma Whittlesea and Professor Tim Ryley, this webinar explored net zero strategies across Asia-Pacific and Europe, and how sustainable investments shape the future of airports.
- On the road to net zero: Insights from Asia-Pacific and Europe| Marina Bylinsky
- Sustainable investments and innovations as licence to operate for airports | Raechel Paris
2021 presenters
Aviation reimagined webinar series 2020
Session 1
Exploring technologies and timeframes
- Setting the scene, scale of the challenge and an overview of different fuels and options for decarbonising the aviation sector | Professor Paul Peeters
- Exploring the opportunities for synthetic e-Fuels in aircraft | Dr Carola Kantz
- Hydrogen fuel cell aircraft as part of a carbon-free future | Daniel Juschus
- The aerospace electrification revolution: to connect communities by enabling every person in the world to fly | Michele D’Ercole
Session 2
Exploring industry possibilities and practicalities
- Exploring electrification of short-haul flights in regional Queensland | Dr Michael Kane
- Electric aviation technology and commercial opportunities now and in the future | Joshua Portlock
- Exploring airline and destination opportunities | Professor Susanne Becken
- Financing aviation decarbonisation initiatives | Julia Hinwood
Session 3
Exploring airport and airline opportunities
- Opportunities and challenges for aviation training and skills | Professor Talal Yusaf
- Decarbonising airports - a practical exploration of the opportunities and challenges | Nick Fewster
- Something has changed in the air | Paul Perera
- Examining the economic and social considerations of decarbonising aviation | Professor Tim Ryley
2020 presenters
Webinar facilitators
Dr Emma Whittlesea
Dr Emma Whittlesea was previously the Program Director for Griffith’s Climate Ready Initiative and is now the Head of Partnerships at Stralis Aircraft. She has over 25 years’ experience working with communities and public, private, and not-for-profit sectors within the UK, Europe, and Australia to advance sustainability. Her professional focus is to enable climate action through effective partnerships and collaborative projects, with a particular interest in the advancement of zero emission travel.
Professor Susanne Becken
Susanne Becken is a Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University in Australia and the Principal Science Investment Advisor (Visitor) in the Department of Conservation, New Zealand. She has published over 120 articles on sustainable tourism, climate change and tourism resource use, and contributes to a wide range of national and international sustainable tourism initiatives, including through her role with Travalyst, Air New Zealand, EarthCheck Research Institute, and the New Zealand Tourism Data Leadership Group.
Professor Tim Ryley
Tim Ryley is Professor of Aviation, within the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Griffith University. With over twenty-five years of transport research experience, his current research includes environmental issues associated with aviation, such as the relationship between aviation and climate change. Tim’s research is typically inter-disciplinary and industry-linked; he has developed research and consultancy collaborations with many aviation industry stakeholders, including airport, airlines and Government bodies.
Dr Bojana Spasojevic
Dr Bojana Spasojevic is an interdisciplinary tourism and air transport management researcher. Her research uses stakeholder engagement theory as a problem-solving framework. Apart from her main research areas – stakeholder engagement and air route development, Spasojevic's research expertise includes passenger/tourist behaviour, travel confidence and air travel emission.
View all presenters
Browse an alphabetic list of Aviation Reimagined Webinar presenter profiles across five years.