As people begin returning to work after Christmas and New Years, we hope that you all enjoyed your holidays and are back at work ready to take on another year of sustainability within your institution. ACTS as always is interested to know what sustainability projects and initiatives you will be working on in 2010, so please remember to send us through any information. In doing so you can not only share your knowledge and ideas with others, but receive feedback and help from other institutions who have implemented or undergone similar projects.

Also, don’t forget that the ACTS forum can be a useful tool for answering questions or getting ideas from your peers.

Send sustainability information, initiatives or updates here

The 2010 ACTS Conference dates have been set for September 29, 30 and October 1 2010. The conference will take place in Melbourne, Victoria, and will be hosted by several institutions within the CBD.

Next years conference will coincide with the 2010 TEMC conference which will also be held in Melbourne from Sunday October 3 2010.

“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”¹     

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

The article by Lisa Tarry is from the online publication, The Fifth State.  To read in full click here.

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? …….

Dear ACTS Members,
Dr Nathan Cassidy, Policy Officer with Universities Australia, has requested ACTS members assistance with a UA research project to help progress the National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability, Living Sustainably (request below). As the report needs to be complied by the end of October, could you please provide information by Friday 23 October 2009.

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

ACTS would like to give a final thank you to the sponsors of this years conference. Without the support of these organisations, the conference would not have been as sucessful as it was.

Silver Sponsors

Welcome Cocktail Function

Thursday Night Entertainment Sponsor

The ACTS conference carbon emissions were offset by:

Media coverage by:

ACTS would like to thank all who attended this years conference at Macquarie University, your involvement and contributions ensure that ACTS can continue to grow and be the best possible representative of sustainable campuses across Australia and New Zealand. A big thank you also goes out to Leanne Denby, Belinda Bean, Iain Brew, Michelle Shackleton and all the student volunteers from Macquarie University for their tireless efforts in organising the conference. We also thank our keynote speakers Leith Sharp, Professor Tim Flannery, Professor Steven Schwartz and Adam Spencer for contributing their time and extensive expertise.

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!

Starting this Wednesday is the 2009 ACTS Conference. It is being held at Macquarie University, Sydney. As well as an excellent program of keynotes, presentations and activities we will be addressing the direction of ACTS and how we can continue to move forward and represent our members. This will help provide the assocation with an understanding of what our members are expecting from ACTS. New this year we will have media present at the conference. It will be reported on by Green Times with articles being posted on the ACTS website in the weeks after the conference. We look forward to seeing those attending in Sydney.

Have you registered to attend the 2009 ACTS Conference?

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.

It’s only 3 weeks till the 9th Annual ACTS Conference in Sydney, hosted by Macquarie University (30 September - 2 October). Come and meet fellow sustainability colleagues, learn how sustainability is being integrated into the tertiary sector and take ideas back to your institution. There are still places available - click here to register, it’s only $640 for full registration and this includes the welcome function and dinner. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity - hope to see you there!

Lania Lynch

ACTS President