Keynotes announced for Sustainability Summit 2025

By Clémence Carayol

The first keynote, ‘Does inequality drive worse outcomes in sustainability, or does sustainability exacerbate inequality?’, will explore the complex, reciprocal relationship between social equity and environmental responsibility.

At its core lies the pressing question: Do widening social and economic divides fuel unsustainable outcomes, through greater vulnerability to climate change, disproportionate exposure to pollution, or restricted access to resources? Or do well-intentioned sustainability measures themselves sometimes worsen inequality, by imposing costs on renters while rewarding property owners, or by pricing out vulnerable groups?

Nowhere is this tension more visible than in the housing sector, the defining social issue of our time. Speakers Rob Stokes and Tone Wheeler, both at the forefront of initiatives tackling housing and equity, will bring lived experience and practical insights to this debate.

Their discussion will challenge policymakers, designers, and industry leaders to rethink how sustainability can progress without leaving people behind.

The second keynote, ‘Lessons of resilience – climatic, social, and cultural learnings from Country and First Nations’, will offer a deeply different lens on sustainability.

Ka Wai Yeung, Co-Founder of Kaunitz Yeung Architecture, will share lessons drawn from her work with more than 40 Indigenous communities across Australia and the Pacific.

Yeung’s address will highlight how resilience is not merely about surviving environmental challenges, but also about drawing strength from cultural continuity, stewardship, and community-led design.

With her practice internationally recognised for its social impact, she will demonstrate how First Nations knowledge and co-design approaches can shape equitable, sustainable environments that honour heritage while preparing for future climatic and social challenges.

Together, these keynotes frame sustainability not only as an environmental concern but as a deeply social one. By confronting inequality and embracing cultural wisdom, the Summit aims to inspire solutions that are as inclusive as they are innovative.

Don’t miss out on the Sustainability Summit 2025 and secure your tickets now.

Image: Ka Wai Yeung, Robb Stokes and Tone Wheeler / supplied