sustainable campus group report 2010 - summary
DESCRIPTION
The summary of the 2010 Sustainable Campus Group reportTRANSCRIPT
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTSustainable Campus Group National Reporting Project 2010
APRIL 2011 (Updated & amended)
Table of Contents
Introduction 03
Sustainable Campus Group history and purpose 03
About the Tertiary and Vocational Education Sector 04
About this Report 05
Key Findings 05
Institutional Commitment 06
Energy and Emissions 07
Transport 10
Water 10
Waste and Recycling 13
Buildings 16
Green Purchasing 16
Information Technology 17
Education for Sustainability 17
Conclusion 17
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
PAGE 3AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
2. Sustainable Campus Group: history and purpose1. Introduction
In March 2010, the Sustainable Campus Group (SCG) and Monash Sustainability Institute (MSI) launched the first nation-wide assessment of sustainability in the higher/ tertiary education sector in Australia.
This inaugural national sustainability assessment and reporting project has grown from a state level program that SCG has conducted in Victoria since 2006. This report summarises the methodology and findings of the assessment.
Findings are divided into the categories of institutional commitment, energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, transport, water, waste and recycling, green procurement, information technology and education for sustainability.
A more detailed report is available on request.
The (SCG) was established in 2006 as a university-government-private partnership between Monash Sustainability Institute, Monash University, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Sustainability Victoria and Maunsell Consulting (now AECOM).
Prior to this, data on performance in the areas of energy use, GHG emissions, water consumption, and waste and recycling were largely not collected at an institutional level nor collated for sectoral analysis (Universities and TAFEs).
Neither did a professional network exist for the growing number of environment and sustainability staff (Environment Officers, Sustainability Managers, etc.) in universities and TAFEs. SCG was established as a membership organisation with the purpose of capacity-building for sustainability through professional networking, knowledge transfer, exchange opportunities and sector benchmarking.
Since 2006, SCG has published two sustainability sector reports (Sustainable Campus Group 2006, 2008). These sector reports make the environmental sustainability performance of participating member institutions publicly available and accessible. SCG membership was offered nationally in early 2010.
All universities and TAFEs in Australia were invited to join SCG and to participate in the first nationwide assessment of environmental sustainability performance of the sector.
Australian Catholic UniversityBrisbane North InstituteCharles Darwin UniversityChisholm InstituteDeakin UniversityEdith Cowan UniversityGordon Institute
Goulburn Ovens InstituteHunter InstituteIllawarra InstituteKangan InstituteLa Trobe University Monash University New England Institute
North Coast InstituteNorthern Sydney Institute RMIT UniversitySouth-West Sydney InstituteSunshine Coast InstituteSunraysia InstituteSwinburne University of Technology
Sydney Institute University of Adelaide University of BallaratUniversity of MelbourneVictoria UniversityWestern Sydney Institute
Participating institutions:
PAGE 4 AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
3. The Tertiary and Vocational Education Sector
The tertiary and vocational education sector is an important part of the Australian community and economy. The sector provides training and educational opportunities to students and is a major export due to the large number of international students who choose to study here. The institutions that make up the sector are large landholders and resource users.
The sector represents an opportunity for significant sustainability outcomes through:
• An emerging emphasis on environmental sustainability and environmental performance within sector operations
• Research and innovation
• Education and training
• Influencing culture, behaviour and attitudes across the whole of society.
The national assessment comprised seven universities, 15 TAFEs and five dual sector institutions, with a total of 198 campuses and 554,288 people (staff and students).
This is approximately 30% of total tertiary education institutions in Australia. The institutions that participated and the statistics they provided are listed in Table 1.
Table 1: 2009 SCG Institution Statistics
INSTITUTION
Australian Catholic University
Hunter Institute
Illawarra Institute
New England Institute
North Coast Institute
North Sydney Institute
South Western Sydney Institute
Sydney Institute
Western Sydney Institute
Charles Darwin University
Brisbane North Institute
Sunshine Coast Institute
University of Adelaide
Chisholm Institute
Deakin University
Gordon Institute
Goulburn Ovens Institute
Kangan Institute
La Trobe University
Monash University
RMIT University
Sunraysia Institute
Swinburne University of Technology
University of Ballarat
University of Melbourne
Victoria University
Edith Cowan University
GROSS FLOOR
AREA (m2)
107,136
NOT PROVIDED
144,676
57,352
121,822
188,724
231,679
234,817
151,626
120,300
90,127
29,873
304,695
98,820
230,009
48,328
43,358
83,878
286,739
688,123
430,815
24,432
195,507
NOT PROVIDED
746,809
311,279
193,599
TOTAL STAFF
(FTE)
1,383
1,772
1,099
400
1,072
960
1,637
3,992
735
1,744
906
548
2,261
1,075
2,483
577
450
977
2,685
7,552
3,744
222
2,599
1,172
7,371
2,211
1,534
TOTAL STUDENTS
(EFTSL)
11,961
15,885
10,791
7,373
11,156
27,048
25,935
30,196
17,291
4,837
11,148
4,016
16,859
15,713
18,734
5,857
3,421
7,959
21,874
36,801
52,999
2,476
28,351
15,310
36,001
47,489
13,648
PAGE 5AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
4. This Report
This report summarises institutional commitment to environmental sustainability and the environmental performance of SCG members for 2009. Member institutes have been categorised as universities, TAFEs or dual sectors (universities that also have a TAFE division).
As each institution has differing numbers of students, staff, geographic location and research, training and teaching facilities, data has been standardised for comparative purposes using gross floor area (GFA) (metres squared) or total student and staff numbers (full-time equivalent). TAFE student contact hours have been converted to equivalent full time student load.
Note: Institutions that did not provide data have been excluded from the average calculations and omitted from the charts where applicable.
5. Key Findings
The following overall findings indicate good sector performance:
• 89% of institutions have an environmental policy, strategy or plan
• 70% of institutions have at least one full-time staff member employed in an environmental/sustainability improvement capacity
• More than half of institutions have at least one environmental committee
• 60% of institutions have a target to reduce GHG emissions or to become carbon-neutral
• Two institutions reported to have successfully made agreements with local council to improve transport services
• 47% of all A4 copy paper purchased comprised at least 50% recycled content
• 55% of all institutions had a green IT committee and 74% reported to have successful policies for default computer monitor energy saving and double sided printing
Improvement is particularly needed in:
• Sustainability measurement (data collection)
• Implementation of policy, strategy and plans
• Holistic systems perspective of environmental management and reporting
• Waste measurement
• Water metering and water recycling systems
• Green purchasing committees (only 2 of 27 member institutions reported to have a committee)
• Formal and informal education for sustainability
Key Sectoral Comparisons
• Universities reported the highest average facilities energy use per capita and per gross floor area
• Duals reported the highest average consumption of green energy as a percentage of total energy use
• On average universities reported consuming 2.4 times more water per capita than TAFEs and 3 times more than duals
• Per m2 of Gross Floor Area (GFA) universities reported on average using 24% more water than TAFEs and 35% more than dual sector institutions
• The TAFE sector reported the highest waste to landfill figures (approximately 1.2 times that of universities per capita)
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 6
6. Institutional Commitment
Some very positive signs of institutional commitment were shown, for instance:
• 89% of institutions have an environmental policy, strategy or plan
• 70% of institutions have at least one full-time staff member employed in an environmental/sustainability improvement capacity
• More than half of institutions have at least one environmental committee
• 60% of institutions have a target to reduce GHG emissions or to become carbon-neutral
Figures 1 and 2 show the average figures for each grouping for staff employed in environmental improvement roles and the average number of committees held. The sector reported having many policies, strategies and plans in various environmental areas though the implementation of these were generally shown to be lacking at this stage.
This was evidenced by poor data quality, lack of contractual obligation to achieve environmental targets, low staffing and low performance in areas such as green energy, recycling and purchasing.
Figure 1: Total staff employed in sustainability improvement roles
Figure 2: Total number of environmental committees
SECTOR AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
TAFE AVG
UNIVERSITIES AVG
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
SECTOR AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
TAFE AVG
UNIVERSITIES AVG
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
2.6
5.3
1.0
3.8
2.6
0.6
1.6
5.7
PAGE 7AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
7. Energy and Emissions
The sector reported consuming a total of 3,744,796 GJ of energy in 2009. Combining all GHG emission sources across all three groupings, it was calculated that the sector emitted a total 891,188 tonnes of GHG.
Emissions were dominated by energy use (88%) and energy use was dominated by electricity use (60%). Universities reported the highest average facilities energy use and emissions per capita and per gross floor area. TAFEs reported the highest average consumption of green energy consumption as a percentage of total energy use.
Figures 3 and 4 show the average facilities energy use per capita and per m2 gross floor area for the sub sectors. Figure 5 shows the total emissions sources for the sector while 6 and 7 show individual emissions.
Energy includes all electricity, gas and diesel oil consumed for facilities and excludes transport energy in the following three figures.
Figure 3: Institution facilities energy use per capita
Figure 4: Institution facilities energy use per m2 GFA
Figure 5: Total sector emissions sources
GJ
OF
EN
ER
GY
US
E P
ER
CA
PIT
A
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
SECTOR AVG
12.1
GJ
PE
R M
G
FA
2
UNIVERSITIES AVG
0.90
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
TAFE AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
SECTOR AVG
0.840.73
0.43
0.86
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
6.85.6
3.2
GJ
OF
EN
ER
GY
US
E P
ER
CA
PIT
A
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
SECTOR AVG
12.1
GJ
PE
R M
G
FA
2
UNIVERSITIES AVG
0.90
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
TAFE AVG
DUAL SECTOR AVG
SECTOR AVG
0.840.73
0.43
0.86
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
6.85.6
3.2
FACILITIES
AUTOMOTIVE TRANSPORT
AIR TRAVEL
WASTE AND RECYCLABLESTO LANDFILL
87.8%
1.5%
0.6%
10.2%
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 8
Figure 6: GHG emissions from facilities per capita
TO
NN
ES
OF
GH
G P
ER
CA
PIT
A
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
HUNTER IN
ST
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NEW ENGLAND IN
ST
NORTH C
OAST INST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
WESTERN SYDNEY IN
ST
CHARLES D
ARWIN U
NI
BRISBANE NORTH
INST
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
UNI. OF A
DELEAID
E
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF B
ALLARAT
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
VICTO
RIA UNI
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1.06
0.77 0.81
0.46
0.66 0.64
0.83
0.710.65
2.512.58
2.772.67
1.46
1.11 1.15
1.41
0.93
0.70
2.53
0.75
1.20
2.37
1.41
2.30
1.46
0.99
0.87
0.74
0.97
0.65
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
PAGE 9AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
Figure 7: GHG emissions per m2 GFA
TO
NN
ES
OF
GH
G E
MIS
SIO
NS
PE
R M
GFA
2
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NEW ENGLAND IN
ST
NORTH C
OAST INST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
WESTERN SYDNEY IN
ST
CHARLES D
ARWIN U
NI
BRISBANE NORTH
INST
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
UNI. OF A
DELEAID
E
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
VICTO
RIA UNI
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
0.13
0.070.06
0.07
0.10 0.10 0.10
0.08
0.14
0.16
0.24
0.18
0.19
0.12
0.18
0.11
0.150.15
0.10
0.18
0.17
0.15
0.21
0.130.13
0.09
0.13
0.15
0.09QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 10
9. Water8. Transport
No clear trends emerged in regard to sustainable transport between the three groups of institutions. Across the sector a low to medium level of engagement with methods for monitoring and improving sustainable transport options to campus was reported. This is evidenced by the figures on travel mode surveys, travel mode targets, committees, awareness campaigns, staff employment and bike support systems offered.
Seven institutions (3 universities, 2 TAFEs and 2 duals) conducted travel mode share surveys, and of those, 3 provided travel mode share targets (2 universities and one dual). Eight out of 27 institutions reported to have a sustainable transport committee (3 universities, 4 TAFEs, one dual) and 10 of 27 (5 universities, 3 TAFEs and 2 duals) ran an alternative transport awareness campaign in 2009.
The average total number of staff employed in sustainable transport was 0.8 EFT for universities, 0.2 for TAFEs, 0.3 for dual institutions and 0.4 for the sector in total. Seven member institutions (3 universities, 2 TAFEs and 2 duals) explored options with local government to expand public transport services. Of those 2 reported that changes had been made successfully while another is still in discussion.
Thirteen institutions (6 universities, 4 TAFEs and 3 duals) offered bike support systems (bike lockers, showers, bike repair services etc). Eight institutions had a strategy to reduce staff air travel though only 2 reported holding a target.
The sector reported consuming 3,114,612 kL of water across all sources, 87% of which came from potable mains supply and only 6% from recycled sources. A lack of water metering for non-mains water sources and a lack of recycled water systems was also reported.
On average, universities reported consuming 2.4 times more water per capita than TAFEs and 3 times more than duals. Per m2 GFA universities reported on average using 24% more than TAFEs and 35% more than dual sector institutions.
Figure 8 shows the total breakdown of water use by the sector while figures 9 and 10 show water use by institution per capita and by GFA.
Figure 8: Total sector water use by source
POTABLE MAINS
LICENSED GROUND(BORE)
LICENSED SURFACE(RIVER/STREAM)
RECYCLED/SAVES
87.0%
0.0%
10.2%6.3%6.6%
PAGE 11AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
Figure 9: Total mains water purchased per capita
kL O
F M
AIN
S W
ATE
R P
UR
CH
AS
ED
PE
R C
AP
ITA
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
HUNTER IN
ST
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NEW ENGLAND IN
ST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
WESTERN SYDNEY IN
ST
BRISBANE NORTH
INST
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
UNI. OF A
DELEAID
E
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
VICTO
RIA UNI
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
20.0
18.0
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
2.42
3.30
4.53
2.23
4.12 3.79
2.91
4.59
17.2
9.35
8.28
3.39
9.33
2.49
3.37
8.91
2.14
8.78
3.56
2.80
8.64
5.064.27
9.48
2.06
2.882.31
3.14
1.76
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 12
Figure 10: Total mains water purchased per m2 of GFA
kL O
F M
AIN
S W
ATE
R P
ER
M G
FA2
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NEW ENGLAND IN
ST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
WESTERN SYDNEY IN
ST
BRISBANE NORTH
INST
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
UNI. OF A
DELEAID
E
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
VICTO
RIA UNI
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
0.300.27
0.30
0.61
0.450.42
0.55
1.08
0.80
0.55
0.45
1.03
0.39
0.70
0.34
0.51 0.50
0.46
0.62
0.55
0.39
0.85
0.270.31
0.39
0.48
0.23
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
PAGE 13AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
Overall the sector reported sending 28,672 tonnes of waste to landfill. Of all waste and recycling produced 16% was reported to be recycled. The TAFE sector reported the highest waste to landfill figures (approximately three times that of universities per capita and per GFA).
These figures appear to align with the lower reported figures by TAFEs on waste audits and contractual agreements with waste service providers.
Only 3 TAFEs held contracts requiring their waste service providers to provide data on waste compared to 6 universities and 2 duals. Only one TAFE reported to have conducted a waste audit in 2009 compared to 7 universities and 1 dual.
Figure 11 shows the total waste to landfill versus recycling. Figures 12 and 13 show the total waste to landfill for individual institutions per capita and per GFA.
Figure 11: Total sector waste and recycling
TOTAL WASTE TO LANDFILL
TOTAL RECYCLED
87.8%
16%
84%
10.2%
10. Waste and Recycling
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 14
Figure 12: Waste to landfill per capita
TO
NN
ES
OF
WA
ST
E T
O L
AN
DF
ILL
PE
R C
AP
ITA
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
HUNTER IN
ST
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NORTH C
OAST INST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
CHARLES D
ARWIN U
NI
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
UNI. OF A
DELEAID
E
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF B
ALLARAT
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
0.04
0.03
0.09
0.13
0.06
0.07
0.11
0.14
0.03
0.07
0.08
0.06
0.04 0.04
0.01
0.02 0.02
0.07
0.04
0.06 0.06
0.04 0.04
0.10
0.06
0.08
0.12
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0.00
PAGE 15AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
Figure 13: Waste to landfill per m2 of gross floor area (GFA)
TO
NN
ES
OF
WA
ST
E T
O L
AN
DF
ILL
PE
R M
2 GFA
AUST. CAT
HOLIC U
NI
ILLAWARRA IN
ST
NORTH C
OAST INST
NORTHERN SYDNEY IN
ST
SOUTH-W
EST. SYDNEY IN
ST
SYDNEY INST
CHARLES D
ARWIN U
NI
SUNSHINE C
OAST INST
CHISHOLM IN
ST
DEAKIN U
NI
GORDON INST
GOULBURN O
VENS INST
KANGAN INST
LA TR
OBE UNI
MONASH UNI
RMIT
UNI
SUNRAYSIA IN
ST
SWINBURNE U
NI. OF T
ECH
UNI. OF M
ELBOURNE
EDITH C
OWAN UNI
UNIVERSITIES AVG
TAFE
AVG
DUAL SECTO
R AVG
SECTOR AVG
0.0050
0.0071
0.0133
0.0100
0.0080
0.0163
0.0078
0.0060
0.0051
0.0085
0.0047
0.0069
0.00100.0014
0.0104
0.0059
0.0038
0.0062
0.0037 0.0034
0.0128
0.0060
0.0134
0.0180
QLD
SA
VIC
WA
SECTOR
AUS WIDE
NSW
NT
0.0200
0.0175
0.0150
0.0125
0.0100
0.0075
0.0050
0.0025
0.0000
AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENTPAGE 16
11. Buildings
The qualitative questions answered suggested that the sector was at a minimal level of engagement with building sustainability.
The highest sector performance was for ‘personnel appointed with environmental management responsibilities’ where the sector reported ‘often’ having personnel.
The sector performed lowest on choosing materials based on Ecologically Sustainable Development principles and whether facilities management used performance-based rating systems for existing buildings.
12. Green Purchasing
Only 2 of 27 member institutions reported to have green purchasing committees, an apparent indication that this is an evolving area for the sector. A4 copy paper purchasing has been the focus of some attention with 11 institutions reporting to have targets to increase purchases of 100% recycled content variety.
This is supported by the figure that 47% of all A4 copy paper purchased was of at least 50% recycled content. Figures were much lower and less well reported for toilet paper, paper towel, tea & coffee, and toner cartridge purchasing.
Figures 14 and 15 show the purchasing breakdown for the sector for A4 copy paper and toilet paper.
Figure 14: Total sector A4 copy paper purchasing
Figure 15: Total sector toilet paper purchasing
LESS THAN 50% RECYCLED
100% PLANTATION
50-99% RECYCLED
100% RECYCLED
87.8%
0.6%
10.2%
LESS THAN 50% RECYCLED
100% PLANTATION
50-99% RECYCLED
100% RECYCLED
87.8%
10.2%
37.4% 35.4%
18.0%9.1%
11.1%
51.1%37.8%
PAGE 17AUSTRALIAN CAMPUSES SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT
15. Conclusion13. Information Technology
Sustainability in IT services was one of the better performance areas for the sector. The performance of operations roughly matched or was even better than policy and strategy levels reported.
Fifteen institutions reported having a green IT committee and 20 of 27 reported to have a policy to set energy-saving modes as default on computer equipment. 18 of 27 institutions also had a policy of setting computers/printers to print double-sided as a default setting.
Levels of videoconferencing use were also very high.
14. Education for Sustainability
In 2009 much of the sector was in its infancy with respect to engaging with education for sustainability. Encouragingly, there were five institutions that lead the way by requiring all students to pass a sustainability-related subject in order to graduate.
The sector performed best in providing sustainability-related opportunities for staff development and immersive activities for students. The area of providing sustainability in student and staff orientation was the most neglected.
The 2010 national reporting project has provided insights into the state of sustainability on Australian university and TAFE campuses. Operational sustainability, in particular with respect to facilities and energy management, continues to lead education for sustainability commitment.
While interpreting the national data is challenging as neither comparisons to previous years nor to other societal sectors are possible, the data does suggest that the Australian tertiary education sector has untapped opportunities, in particular in the important areas of green energy, GHG emissions and reductions, offsets and water management.
Future assessments will provide comparisons to this 2010 benchmarking project and will thus improve tracking of progress in the sector. Whether such future tracking, assessment and reporting leads to a rating or ranking for Australian tertiary education institutions similar to the UK green league table, and/or whether the SCG reporting instrument will be aligned with existing international instruments, are issues of further discussion.
16. Acknowledgements
Thank you to all participating institutions and to all those who worked hard to collect data and provided valuable feedback on draft copies of the report. Thank you also to Almut Beringer, Cameron Cope, Stephen Derrick and Janet Stanley who assisted with this report.
For further information contact:
Monash Sustainability Institute Postal - Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia Building 74, MSC, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, Clayton Telephone: +61 3 9905 9323 Facsimile: +61 3 9905 9348
www.monash.edu/research/sustainability-institute