Acknowledgement of Country

As some of the oldest living cultures in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long lived on and taken care of this country. Their languages, cultures, and histories are deeply connected to these lands and waters. Through all the dispossession and destruction caused by colonisation, still ongoing today, First Nations peoples’ sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, and always will be, First Nations land.

Beyond Zero Emissions is committed to reconciliation. As we work to support clean, renewable energy opportunities in communities all across Australia, we also seek to connect with the knowledge and experiences of those who have been here long before us. We support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, humbly accepting the invitation to walk with First Nations people towards a better future. Recognising the relationship between the clean energy movement and land use, we acknowledge our responsibility to uphold land rights and protect the histories and cultures of First Nations communities. We seek to incorporate this into our research and releases more and more as we continue to deepen the focus on reconciliation in our processes. To help guide this progress, we formed the First Nations Working Group in 2020. The working group aims to make reconciliation a priority across our work, guiding change from the inside out, and spurring us on towards closer collaboration and partnership with First Nations communities and organisations.

Beyond Zero Emissions pays respect to the elders past and present of all First Nations peoples across Australia. We particularly acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters on which our offices sit: the Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri people in Naarm (Melbourne), and the Awabakal, Worimi, and Wonnarua peoples in Newcastle. Our staff who live and work outside of these communities pay their respects to their local Traditional Owners.