world.edu is an exciting new website dedicated to increasing knowledge for sustainability on both a national and international scale. The website takes an holistic approach to educating and inspiring its community members by bringing together the very best content and opportunities from the worlds of academia, business, not for profit and lifestyle.

world.edu is currently partnering with universities who value and wish to progress climate and sustainability education and research, while pursuing climate neutrality in campus operations.

Through becoming a partner of world.edu, academic institutions will be able to:

• Showcase their latest research & development projects
• Publish articles, comments and insights throughout the community
• Advertise for staff and volunteers
• Promote courses and workshops
• Notify of upcoming events and conferences while providing staff and students with an opportunity to participate in a global community.

world.edu is an Australian owned and run project with global ambitions.

ACTS members have a unique opportunity to play an active role in the growth and direction of the world.edu community and helping position Australia as a global leader of sustainability within higher education.

As a special offer to ACTS members, for six months until the 31st March 2011 members are able to subscribe and partner world.edu for only $1000. For more information please contact:

Jacqui Ryall, Director Academic Partnerships

phone: 07 5641 4587

email:  jacqui@world.edu

website: www.world.edu

Sustainability Positions at La Trobe University

Sustainability Reporting and Projects Manager - click here

Executive Officer in the Office for Sustainability - click here

Research Fellow - click here

Applications close 13th August

A 2 day International Event on Greening Education will be held from 27th -29th October 2010 in the ‘green’ city of Karlsruhe, Germany. This event will take academia, education and environmental policy makers, senior members of academic institutions, representatives of government and non-government organisations and international development agencies, teachers, sustainable development and environmental management professions and other stakeholders through the need for greening education and then discuss effective initiatives that can be taken to translate ‘education for sustainability’ into actions.

For more information about this event please click here.

ACTS congratulates the Monash Sustainability Institute on winning a UNAA award for it’s very successful Green Steps Program.

Monash Sustainability Institute’s (MSI) groundbreaking sustainability training program Green Steps has won the Education category in this year’s United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) World Environment day Awards. The UNAA award makes it a hat trick for Green Steps which has already won in the education categories for both the Banksia Environmental Awards last year and the Premiers Sustainability Awards earlier this year.

For full media release click here.

Green Steps Internships:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• help your organisation become more environmentally sustainable
• set your organisation apart
• save money
• provide fresh expertise, energy and creativity

Green Steps is Australia’s leading sustainability training and leadership program.  Click here for our website.

Our student interns work on short-term projects to improve the sustainability performance of organisations big and small across Australia. They can be thrown at the sustainability project of your choice!

Do you need help:

• creating an environmental baseline or eco-footprint?
• developing energy efficiency or carbon reducation action plans?
• implementing staff behaviour change programs?
• with specific sustainability projects but do not have the resources or knowledge?

Green Steps interns are supervised and mentored by experienced sustainability practitioners from the Monash Sustsinability Institute. We also cover all insurance and HR related costs.

Green Steps courses run in most capital cities and internships are available to organisations of all sizes operating in Australia.

Click here for the information flier on the (low!) charges associated with hosting a standard 12 day internship for one of our talented students.

Interested? Please contact:

Mark Boulet (Manager, Green Steps). Mobile: 0432 949 494   Email: mark.boulet@msi.monash.edu.au

Dear ACTS members and visitors,

It is with great pleasure that I have accepted the role of President of ACTS, in light of Lania’s resignation from the position. Lania has set in motion some fantastic initiatives and partnerships which I look forward to further developing. Though departed from the role of President, we will continue to involve Lania in the directions for ACTS and thank her for her contributions to date.

While in the role, I am very keen to commence new initiatives and partnerships, particularly focusing on actions and activities that will bring the higher education sector together as a force to be reckoned with. Some of the new initiatives currently under development include:

• The offering of several scholarships for ACTS members to undertake travel and research into sustainability in the tertiary education sector

• Partnerships with the American College and Universities President’s Climate Commitment and the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland

• Formation and associated launch of the Universities and TAFEs Australia Climate Commitment (UTACC), bringing together key stakeholders including government, students, Universities Australia, TAFE Directors Australia, TFEMA and AYCC to discuss the proposal for a tertiary education sector commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions

• Regional based ACTS chapters

• More tools and resources for use by ACTS members

I am very fortunate to have the support of my supervisor, Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Schwartz, in taking on this role, which will provide me with a great opportunity to take ACTS to the next level. I hope you will actively support me, the Exectutive Board and fellow ACTS members to continue to develop ACTS into a useful and active organisation. Exciting times lay ahead for all of us. Lets work together to take ACTS, our institutions and the higher education sector to greater heights of sustainability.

Warm regards

Leanne

For Leanne’s bio, please click here

Colleagues,

I am currently working on a pro-sustainability behaviour change program proposal at Griffith University, Queensland. To develop and implement this program, funding is being sought through our university’s recently established environmental loan fund. As the name suggests, any funds awarded through this initiative must be paid payback. (Currently this must be done within a 5 year time frame.)  Given this context, I am seeking information that could used to support this proposal, such as:
Examples of behaviour change initiatives with demonstrated linkages to improved environmental, social and financial outcomes

• Key factors in successful behaviour change initiatives
• Lessons learned in implementing behaviour change initiatives

I would be highly appreciative of any comments and suggestions that you have. Thanks in advance!

Good afternoon

A renewal letter and application form has been emailed to your institutional primary and secondary contact with a reminder that all access to the membership area of the ACTS website will automatically deactivate on the 31st March if your membership is not renewed. Application forms can also be found on the website in the membership section. If you have any questions regarding your membership, please do not hesitate to contact me. On behalf of the ACTS Executive Board, I would like to thank you for your continued support and look forward to your participation in 2010. Cheers Delwyn.

Good afternoon all

I thought I would ‘plant the seed’ and give you ‘the heads up’ by letting you know that all ACTS memberships will expire on the 31st March 2010. This will mean after the 31st March all accounts that haven’t been renewed will not have access to the membership area of the website, nor will they receive information on what is happening in the area of sustainability in the higher education sector. We will be sending out the renewal letters by mid February. These will go to the contact person on the 2009 membership forms. If this person has changed please let me know. We anticipate 2010 will be a very busy year for ACTS and look forward to the continuted development of ACTS for our members. Cheers Delwyn.