Usha Iyer-Raniga

Usha Iyer-Raniga is Professor, Sustainable Built Environment at the School of Property and Construction Management, RMIT University. Usha is co-lead of the Circular Built Environment (CBE) working group established under the GlobalABC / One Planet Network’s Materials Hub hosted by UNEP and jointly implemented by UNEP, UNOPS and UN Habitat. The circularity research and engagement under the One Planet Network and GlobalABC responds to SDGs 12, 13, 15, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 17. 

Usha is co-convenor of the World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2026 to be held in Melbourne, 10-12 June 2026. This triennial conference has been brought to Australia and the southern hemisphere for the first time. In May 2025, she moderated the World Circular Economy Forum’s Accelerator in 2025 for the Circular Built Environment working group.  

Usha has been invited as key-note speaker and invited speaker at national and international conferences including COPs 26 – 28, seminars and workshops. She launched her book, Circular practices in buildings and construction to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Usha’s recent key notes include Buildings and Global Climate Forum’s Circular economy in the built environment:  a solution to the triple planetary crises and on Multilateral cooperations towards circular economy in the Asia-Pacific as part of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Philippines, public conference to raise awareness on sustainability initiatives and education in 2025. Usha recently presented a synthesis report on her upcoming book, Building a Circular Future in Australia: Why, What and How? The report, Governing the Transition to a circular economy in Australia was launched by Sustainability Victoria, a Victorian government department. Her recent book launched in early 2026 with, Prof Jacqueline Cramer is titled, Building a Circular Future in Australia: Why, What and How?, by CRC Press. 

 Usha has published over 200 publications. The full breadth of her publications are scientific and technical research publications including authored books, edited books, book chapters, refereed journals, refereed conference papers and reports to international governmental organisations; local, state, and federal governments. She has also produced podcasts for various organisations and participated in media interviews. She has received state, national, and international funding worth over USD $35 million.