Zhila Amir Zadeh has won a global award for innovation at the Mission Innovation Net Zero Industries Awards, held at the UN Climate Conference in Brazil.
Amir Zadeh, a Product Development Manager at MCi Carbon, was named Female Innovator of the Year for Australia in recognition of her success in driving breakthroughs in industrial decarbonisation.
For three consecutive years, MCi Carbon has seen women leaders honoured at the Mission Innovation Net Zero Industries Awards.
Amir Zadeh follows in the footsteps of Principal Process Engineer Annie Cote and MCi Carbon co-founder Sophia Hamblin Wang, who received the same award at COP28 (Dubai) and COP29 (Baku) respectively.
“This recognition reflects not only my personal journey but also the incredible teamwork, creativity, and dedication of everyone at MCi Carbon,” Amir Zadeh said after being named winner at COP30.
“Together, we’re turning bold ideas into real climate solutions and paving the way for sustainable industry transformation. I’m truly proud to represent our collective effort toward a net zero future.”
MCi Carbon co-founder Sophia Hamblin Wang is currently in Brazil to attend COP30. MCi Carbon is an Australian-based company transforming captured CO₂ into useful materials.
The company has over 50 staff located in the Hunter and Mid North Coast who work at their Newcastle facilities.
At COP30, the company announced its industrial CO₂-to-materials demonstration plant, called Myrtle, is now open in Newcastle. The plant transforms CO₂ and mineral residues into stable carbonates and silicates which can replace higher emissions inputs in products like concrete, plasterboard, paints, and paper.