Our sustainability commitment
Actively embedding sustainability into all disciplines, operations and activities of the University community.
The University’s sustainability framework defines our commitment to sustainability. The Sustainability Charter, Plan and annual reporting articulate our strategic priorities to integrate sustainability across all University activities: research, teaching, engagement, governance and operations.
The framework
The commitments of the Charter and targets of the Plan are deliberately ambitious and represent a strengthened commitment to lead and act on sustainability challenges. The University acknowledges the serious threats posed by a changing climate and the need to act urgently in redesigning the way we live, work and study. In implementing the priorities of the Plan, the University is developing its campuses as models of sustainable and resilient communities.
The Sustainability Plan 2017–2020 is the result of extensive consultation with students, staff, and the broader community.
Developing our new plan
The University is reaffirming the ambitious commitments of our Sustainability Charter through the development of a new Sustainability Plan to 2025.
The first phase of Plan development was a 14-week period of consultation with our student, staff and alumni communities. The second phase of Plan development is now well underway and will progress into the second half of 2021.
Phase two involves the co-design of the Plan and engages senior University staff from portfolios responsible for Plan delivery, in collaboration with experts and other stakeholders from across the University.
The existing Sustainability Plan 2017–2020 will rollover through 2021. We expect to launch the new Sustainability Plan during Semester 1 2022. To learn more about the Plan's development including the outcomes of the community consultation phase, visit Shape our future.
Reporting
The University reports publicly each year on its progress towards the targets and priority actions of the Sustainability Plan.
The fifth annual Sustainability Report (2019) was released in July 2020 and covers activities across research, teaching and learning, engagement, operations and governance, illustrating the breadth and depth of work through case studies drawn from across the University.
2019 marks a year of significant progress in the delivery of strategic priorities for sustainability, with a wide range of activities. Read the report listed below to find out more.
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Reports
Sustainability Reports
- Sustainability Report 2019
- Sustainability Report 2018
- Sustainability Report 2017
- Sustainability Report 2016
- Sustainability Report 2015
Environmental Impact Management
- Biodiversity Management Plan: the University’s approach to valuing and maintaining on-campus biodiversity by integrating its management into the three major aspects of operations, research and learning and teaching.
- Greenhouse Gas Inventory: summarising total greenhouse gas emissions with a breakdown by contributing activity.
- Green Star Communities: the first and only University to achieve a 6-Star Green Communities rating.
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Investments
- Sustainable Investment Framework released
- Sustainable Investment Framework - Process for Development: the University’s approach to developing a Sustainable Investment Framework in line with the priority actions detailed in the Sustainability Plan 2017 – 2020.
- Investments Forum: in March 2016, a forum to debate the most effective approach a university can take to support the limiting of global warming to 2 degrees.
Sustainability Survey
The biennial Sustainability Survey asks staff and students across all campuses about their behaviours and views towards sustainability at the University. We ask the University community to evaluate how well we embed sustainability practices, how they think our initiatives are performing, and what they identify as key concerns.
The 2020 Sustainability Survey closed on Friday 19 June 2020. To view the findings, download the 2020 Sustainability Survey Report and Executive Summary.
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Older Survey Reports
The University uses the findings of the Sustainability Survey to determine future initiatives and improve sustainability on campus. Check out the survey findings of previous years by downloading the following reports.