New Brisbane research centre to support Australia's net-zero future

Assistant Minister for Education, Anthony Chisholm, launched the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide (GETCO2) today which aims to support Australia’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050 through finding new ways of converting carbon dioxide into energy resources.

Led by The University of Queensland and based at the university’s St Lucia campus, researchers at the GETCO2 Centre will undertake their ground-breaking research under the direction of ARC Future Fellow Professor Xiwang Zhang. 

“GETCO2 will position Australia as a global leader in carbon dioxide transformation and generate long-term economic, social, and environmental benefits nationally and internationally,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said. 

“This new research centre will contribute to developing a circular carbon economy, which will reshape Australia’s energy and resource export industries. By 2030, we expect the carbon dioxide utilisation industry to reach a value of up to USD$1 trillion.”

GETCO2 is one of 11 research centres funded in 2023 as part of a $384.9 million government investment under the ARC’s Centres of Excellence scheme. The GETCO2 Centre was awarded $35 million over 6 years. 

ARC Centres of Excellence play an integral role in promoting national and international collaboration and research partnerships between key stakeholders in research and innovation.

The Albanese Government is also investing more than $1 billion in 2024–25 through the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program to support Australia’s best researchers to explore, discover and deliver solutions that benefit the nation. 

“Each dollar invested through the ARC’s National Competitive Grants Program generates over three dollars in economic output. This is why our government sees projects, similar to GETCO2, as being a crucial part of our plan to boost commercial returns from Australian research and innovation.”

For more information about the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide, visit the GETCO2 website. 

To find out more information about the ARC Centres of Excellence and National Competitive Grants Program, visit the ARC website.