News
10 May 2023
One in four Australian households are finding it hard to pay their gas and electricity bills. As winter looms, energy price rises will make it even harder. Cold homes and disconnections resulting from energy poverty threaten people’s health and wellbeing.
News
23 August 2022
This year the Centre for Urban Research, Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platforms and Social Change Enabling Capability Platform are presenting a number of events as part of Social Sciences Week. With online and in-person events, these sessions look at how social sciences help us make sense of an uncertain future. How to live in a […]
Blog
29 October 2021
Right now there is very little discussion about this equity issue in our clean energy climate transition.
Past Projects
2019–2022
In an economic hegemony underwritten by the burning of fossil fuels – the fossil fuel regime – meeting the challenge of climate change will alter patterns of production and consumption and have far-reaching consequences for workers.
Past Events
2 December 2019, 5:00PM-6:30PM
Rhythm thinking, climate change and low carbon transition
News
10 October 2019
What can playing apocalyptic games teach us about climate change or energy security? Urban resilience expert Dr Anthony Richardson explores how games can tackle future challenges at the global gaming festival PAX in Melbourne.
Blog
04 October 2019
With rising energy bills the new normal, we need to focus on improving Victoria’s housing stock to help householders adapt. New research in Moreland is exploring the barriers and opportunities householders face in improving their homes.
Media
21 March 2019
Could the future of energy lie in the sharing economy? Research shows energy sharing platforms may be key to supporting our transition to new tech and cleaner power, while delivering for consumers.
Blog
31 January 2019
A new OECD report has warned that Australia risks falling short of its 2030 emissions target unless it implements “a major effort to move to a low-carbon model”.
Blog
14 November 2017
The trifecta of rising electricity prices, soaring temperatures and concerns over possible blackouts risks increasing heat-related deaths and illness this summer, as households struggle to afford to run cooling appliances.
Media
13 November 2017
Rising electricity prices and vague public messaging put vulnerable households at greater danger from extreme heat, new research from RMIT University shows.
News
18 August 2017
A review of electricity pricing policy by RMIT academics has found little consideration of the health and financial risks to vulnerable groups during heatwaves or hot weather.
Blog
14 August 2017
“Smart” home control devices promise to do many things, including helping households reduce their energy bills. However, our research published today suggests that these devices are not the “easy” answer to energy management.
News
14 August 2017
A new RMIT study finds that ‘smart home’ devices may not be as bright as we thought.
Media
14 August 2017
A new study by RMIT University has found smart home control devices may actually increase energy use rather than cutting it, with households using them more for lifestyle benefits than to save power.
News
11 August 2017
A new report by the Victorian Council of Social Service and the RMIT Centre for Urban Research shows the struggles and sacrifices Australians on low-incomes are making to stay connected to power.
Blog
21 July 2017
Despite the creation of a new Energy Security Board to try to hold regulators and policy makers to account, the ability of the present structure to deliver is uncertain.
Blog
21 July 2017
Household energy use is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions. International policy is firmly moving towards technology-rich, low- and near-zero-energy homes.
News
23 May 2017
The smart home is no exception in its ambition for easier living achieved through digital and connected consumerism. At the crux of this idea is the enrolment of internet-enabled devices and appliances in the creation of an even more convenient lifestyle.
Blog
03 April 2017
This is the first article in our series Making Cities Work. It considers the problems of providing critical infrastructure and how we might produce the innovations and reforms needed to meet 21st-century needs and challenges.
Blog
20 March 2017
If you’ve been watching the news in recent days, you’ll know we have an energy crisis, partly due to a gas crisis, which in turn has triggered a political crisis.
