Sustainability takes root on campus
Published on 07 June, 2011
CQUniversity recently established an Environmental Sustainability Committee and has joined the national body, Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS)...
As well as promoting sustainability in universities, ACTS sponsors the annual ‘Green Gown Awards' for best practice in environmental sustainability. [ http://www.acts.asn.au/ ]
The University Environmental Sustainability Committee has a range of representatives from across the main areas of the University. The committee aims to foster discussion and action about sustainability issues in all aspects of our operation including: curriculum, resource use, waste management, recycling and purchasing policies.
Major organisations including universities are increasingly being required to undertake sustainability audits (then set targets to seek efficiencies of use).
CQUniversity will this year undertake an electricity and water audit as required by the State Government. Electricity usage audits of selected individual buildings are also planned as part of a research project by Dr Amanullah Maung Than Oo from the Power Engineering Research Group at CQUniversity.
The recently updated State Procurement Policy requires the University to integrate the practice of sustainability into the procurement of goods, services and construction. Anne Holman from Finance Services is reviewing our procurement policies and briefed the ESC at its recent meeting.
Chair of the Environmental Sustainability committee Dr Bob Newby said that while there were sometimes up-front costs in implementing sustainability practices, there were often considerable longer-term savings. Dr Newby said simple things like printing on both sides of paper, using a lower density of toner and switching off equipment when not in use (and perhaps not printing unless necessary) could make a considerable difference when aggregated across the entire organisation.
The United Nations sponsors World Environment Day on June 5 each year as part of its mandate to promote sustainability. The theme this year is 'Forests: Nature at your service'.
To mark CQUniversity's commitment to sustainable practices, and its membership of ACTS, a tree was planted on the Rockhampton Campus on World Environment Day by the Acting Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Alastair Dawson. The tree is the Australian Beauty Leaf tree, Calophyllum inophyllum, which is a species being evaluated as a source of biodiesel by Associate Professor Nanjappa Ashwath's research group in the Centre for Plant and Water Science.
Further information on the Environmental Sustainability Committee is available from b.newby@cqu.edu.au .
