December 07, 2022
Blue-green technology wave of future
A Māori earth system science expert says he has high hopes for an international cleantech conference starting in Tāmaki Makaurau today.
The Blue & Green Technology Conference is jointly sponsored by the University of Auckland’s Uniservices commercialisation arm and the US State Department.
Māori Studies senior lecturer and keynote speaker Dan Hikuroa says it focuses on new and emerging technology solutions for global water and nature challenges.
He says the US government involvement shows the future significance of blue-green technology.
“It’s looking back to nature’s solutions – nature-based solutions – but also looking to bring technology to work with the taiao, with Papatūānuku me ona uri, to try and reach some really innovative solutions for the climate challenge we face, with some of the sustainability challenges we face,” he says.
The conference will include an optional field trip on Friday to view Tuarōpaki Trust’s Te Pai Sustainability Centre at its Mokai Geothermal Plant near Taupo and Geo40’s operation extracting lithium and other minerals from geothermal brine.