Danielle Meddemmen
5 July 2021: The PÕ¾ÊÓƵ has proudly launched an institution-wide sustainability initiative today, as it moves towards being a more environmentally conscious organisation.
The University has joined the program – an international engagement initiative for sustainability – which calls for University staff to take environmentally conscious steps in the workplace.
Campus Estate’s Safety and Environment Specialist Sarah Carroll has championed the initiative, which she hopes will educate the wider University community.
“Green Impact will provide information, calls for action and infographics to teach staff about waste and recycling on campus, while also encouraging participation in other sustainability actions in the form of a competition,” she said.
“It will promote initiatives like team biodiversity walks across campus and inter-team competitions to reduce printing and increase recycling.”
The University is one of 15 across Australia participating in the global program, with the winning team from each institution competing in the Australasian competition.
The initiative will be met with an annual awards ceremony presented by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, with a range of prizes to be won.
Ms Carroll said the initiative would allow the University to spread awareness of its already-running sustainability initiatives, as well as encourage new ones.
“We will look to ramp up initiatives like our organic waste program, while advocating for programs our staff are already running in the sustainability space,” she said.
“Green Impact gives us the opportunity to link those sustainability movements on campus – like the Climate Change Adaptation Network and the Faculty of Science and Technology’s water testing and management – and to promote and build on them.”
With the support of the ACT Government, the team at Campus Estate has been working, to launch the initiative since August last year.
The launch will include a website overhaul – for both internal and external platforms – to integrate the initiative and the ambitions and targets for the University.
“With the announcement of Canberra as the most sustainable city in the world, it’s a great opportunity to get our staff to implement the things they do at home here at work, and rolling it out on campus,” Ms Carroll said.
The rollout of the program will begin with staff this year, with hopes to include students in the future.
To learn more about Sarah Carroll and the other sustainability work she has championed at the University, read our UnCover on her.