PwC Australia launches 130-strong new business to help Australia with its $500bn transition to a clean energy economy

PwC Australia has formed a new dedicated Energy Transition business, establishing a hub of 132 experts to help facilitate Australia’s successful transition to a decarbonised economy by 2050. 

The unveiling of Energy Transition comes as new modelling by PwC Australia reveals that businesses will spend $3.7bn on advisory services supporting their transition to a clean economy by 2030. 

The Energy Transition team will sit within PwC’s Financial Advisory business and is a multidisciplinary team of existing and new partners, and employees from PwC’s deals, infrastructure, consulting and assurance businesses - each a specialist in energy transition and/or Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) matters. 

The group will be building on a very strong base of existing client work, including work with Sun Cable on its Australia-Asia PowerLink.

“For our nation to reach net zero by 2050, we must cut through the inertia and take accelerated action,” said Pete Calleja, Managing Partner of PwC’s Financial Advisory Business. 

“PwC is doubling down on its support for clients transitioning to a decarbonised economy, bringing critical mass to the challenge.”

Energy Transition will be led by Varya Davidson, who was recently PwC’s Energy, Utilities and Resources Consulting leader.  Under Davidson’s leadership, the business is expected to grow from 132 people to 230 by FY25. Taking effect from today (July 1), the group will initially comprise 25 partners and 19 directors and is the largest collective formed to date by any Australian advisory firm working on Australia’s energy transition.

“It’s a privilege to be charged with leading PwC Australia’s Energy Transition capabilities and services, tackling all of the complexities and ambiguity of climate change and related social challenges in collaboration with our clients. This is pioneering work, and bringing our cross-functional capabilities together into one focused business will benefit our clients greatly,” Davidson said. 

“There will be increased professional development opportunities for our talented people who’ll be able to step left and right, widening and deepening their knowledge of energy transition and ESG. Our people will be able to take advantage of an agile career path in arguably the biggest challenge our country, and the globe, has to tackle,” added Calleja. 

A rigorous recruitment drive is currently underway to continue the business’ growth. Key appointments have already been made, including Leigh Staines, the former GM, Global Process Activation and GM, Strategy and Operations at Rio Tinto, and Danny Bessell, former Managing Director, Head of Utilities, Transport and Infrastructure at Rothschild Australia. 

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