So what is being done to prepare for a sustainable future in the educational realm? This is just the question that the 9th Annual ACTS Conference has been addressing.

To read the full article please click here.

http://www.greentimes.com.au/climate-change/passport-to-the-future.html

It’s the million-dollar question: what are green skills? And it was the opening question at the Green Steps’ session of the Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) conference at Macquarie University in Sydney recently. But are green jobs just political rhetoric or the actual creation of new jobs for new sectors? …….

Click here to submit your responses.

We will also be putting this information up on the ACTS website. Thanks in advance for your assistance to Universities Australia and in helping build ACTS into the type of organisation you want.

Regards,

Lania

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Universities Australia is a member of the National Council on Education for Sustainability, which will progress certain actions under the Australian Government’s National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability, Living Sustainably (NAP). Contained within the NAP are actions pertaining specifically to the university sector. These actions involve strategies to develop whole-of-institution sustainability programs (including research; teaching and learning and campus management); sustainability incentives scheme for universities; and sustainability networks to improve co-ordination, share best practice and communicate concepts within universities as well as sustainability for key professions through integration of sustainability into professional learning qualifications and university degree accreditation.

As a background to this work Universities Australia has been asked to compile a short background snapshot of where the higher education sector is currently placed in terms of a) campus green programs and environmental management and b) education for sustainability.

I would ask those of you who are interested to provide me with short blurbs about what your university is doing in either or both of these two spaces. I understand that there is a range of practice in the sector and some institutions are doing more than others. In the interests of providing an honest snapshot of the whole sector, I would urge that you provide information even if you are not proud of your institution’s progress.

I need to have this report compiled by the end of October, so I would ask that you provide the information to me by Friday 23 October 2009.

Please contact me directly if you have any queries on 02 6285 8105.

Universities Australia is planning to become more involved in sustainability issues in the near future, and looks forward to a deeper relationship with ACTS.

Regards,

Nathan Cassidy

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The ACTS conference carbon emissions were offset by:

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Over the coming weeks the ACTS committee will be developing the ideas and recommendations that resulted from the discussion workshops at the conference. With the help of our members we believe that ACTS can become a driving force in institutional sustainability in the higher education sector.

We are already working towards expanding on the existing content available to ACTS members on our website. We look forward to receiving contributions from all our members as well as providing information on relevant programs, initiatives and opportunities.

Resources which have been recently added to the ACTS website can be easily accessed from the ‘Resources’ section of the homepage after you have logged in. Additions this week include:

• Victoria University Environmental Management Plan
• Victoria University Paper Mandate
• Sustainable Campus Group 2008 Report

On a final note, for those who were able to make it to the Conference Dinner, I think you would agree that we put ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ to shame and may slightly regret signing the photography release form! A selection of images from the evening will soon be available!

We are counting down the days till we all meet in Sydney. With an exciting program and internationally renowned keynote speakers, this years conference is shaping up to be a fantastic event. Some hightlights are:

• Keynote Speakers: Professor Tim Flannery, Leith Sharp, Professor Ian Lowe, Professor Steven Schwartz and Adam Spencer.
• Great varity of program sessions
• Private showing of the film ”The Age of Stupid’
• Fun conference dinner planned to finish a great 3 days
• Lots of networking opportunites
• Only $640 for a full conference regsitration

For more information please visit the conference website.

We hope to see you there.

As part of a broad review of water management products and practices, L.E.K. Consulting is hoping to learn a little more about the water management systems in place at Australian universities.

In particular, we would very much appreciate it if you could help us by answering these 5 quick questions:

1. Do you currently irrigate your sports fields?

2. If so, what is the approximate area under irrigation and what means of irrigation is used?

3. If not, are there plans in place to irrigate?  If no plans are in place, what would need to change for this to come under consideration?

4. Do you currently have installed facilities to treat and store rain water, storm water, grey water, or black water?

5. If not, are there plans in place to install such a system?  If no plans are in place, what would need to change for this to come under consideration?

Please email responses to the above and any related correspondence to Martin Kennedy - m.kennedy@lek.com

Kind regards,

Martin Kennedy | L.E.K. Consulting

E m.kennedy@lek.com | www.lek.com

http://www.mq.edu.au/sustainability/actsconference/

Lania Lynch - ACTS President

Lania Lynch

ACTS President