Striving for a sustainable university

Environment

How can we make our university more environmentally sustainable?

That's the question being posed by a new, ongoing initiative at the University of Adelaide, called Sustainable Adelaide.

The initiative aims to learn more about the University's "resources footprint" and provide best-practice solutions for becoming more sustainable.

"Environmental sustainability is a big issue for all organisations in Australia, and the University of Adelaide is no different," said the University's new Environmental Projects Officer, Mathew Jeffrey.

"Universities are extremely complex organisations. Our University is a good example of that - it has multiple campuses, each with their own unique feel and purpose, and a wide range of other properties, buildings and research activities.

"The University is also one of the biggest employers in the State, and we have more than 20,000 students. By its very nature, that makes the University a significant consumer of resources."

Sustainable Adelaide is being run from the University's Division of Services & Resources, but involves expertise from across the University, including academic staff with national and international environmental credentials.

"The initiative acknowledges that the University has a responsibility to minimise its resource footprint and to play a key role in safeguarding the future of South Australia's resources," Mr Jeffrey said.

"To that end, it is essential that we adopt sustainable practices throughout the organisation.

"But before we do that, we need to gain a better understanding of what our resources footprint really is, and we need to engage with staff and students right across the University so that we can work together to achieve these aims," he said.

Groups of staff and students are currently being surveyed to provide a better understanding of their awareness of environmental issues, and also what they expect from an environmentally responsible university.

External consultants Sinclair Knight Mertz have been engaged to assist in the development of an international standard Environmental Management System for the University, while a leading independent organisation, Carbon Planet, has been engaged to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions audit for the University.

"There are many challenges faced by a university in reducing its resources footprint, and they mainly relate to three key areas: energy, water and waste," Mr Jeffrey said.

"We're already working with a number of groups across the University to identify more sustainable processes - such as the Sustainable Library initiative - and we welcome any interest from others within the University who might want to take up the sustainability challenge.

"We are beginning to engage with staff and students on the work being conducted and seeking their feedback. Ideally, we would like as many staff and students as possible to be involved in the Sustainable Adelaide program, to drive the change needed across the University."

In the lead-up to World Environment Day on Friday 5 June, the new Sustainable Adelaide website is providing information on "Twelve Ways to Unite to Combat Climate Change". Check the news and events section of Sustainable Adelaide's website for more detail.

For more information visit: www.adelaide.edu.au/sustainableadelaide

Story by David Ellis