Macquarie University is proud to be this year’s host of the 9th Annual ACTS Conference. The conference will run from September 30th - October 2nd 2009 with the theme focusing on Carbon, Green Skilling and Water Conservation - what are our responsibilities and accountabilities? Come along and find answers to those questions and more, as we bring together key sustainability people to invoke discussion and provide real solutions. We look forward to seeing you there.

Click here for registration and program information

The 9th Interenational Conference of Australasian Campuses Toward’s Sustainability

September 30th - October 2nd 2009

Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia

Carbon, Green Skilling and Water Conservation - what are our responsibilities and accountabilities?

Unlike any environmental or social movement before it, the climate change debate has propelled the fate of humanity and the planet into the forethoughts of individuals and organisations alike. Not only has this phenomenon caused us to question our carbon footprint, but it has seriously increased the need for organisations to search for employees with Green Skills. Tertiary and vocational education has a vital, some would say leading role to play in our societies being able to address issues of carbon reducation and Green Skilling of workforces.

And so we ask ourselves:

• What are universites, polytechnics and TAFEs in Australasia doing to address these issues?
• How are institutions committing to greenhouse gas reducations through their actions, policies and stategic plans?
• How is carbon accounting and trading being incorporated in institutional frameworks?
• How are teaching and learning programmes and research initiatives addressing carbon issues and Green Skilling, and how are academic and higher ed staff being encouraged in this?
• How are staff and students being engaged to assist in reaching greenhouse gas reducation targets?

The video series from the 2009 ACTS conference  includes a selection of presentations recorded over the 3 days and can be viewed and downloaded from Sustainability@MQ.

Conference presentations

Mark Boulet (Monash University)

Green Steps - Sustainability training and internships

Dr Penny Davidson, Dr Rosemary Black & Karen Retra (Charles Sturt University)

Facilitating energy saving behaviours among university student residents

Danielle Rostan-Herbert (The University of Melbourne)

Carbon reduction and accounting

Darren O’Connell (Illawarra Institute) & Cathy Horan (Northern Sydney Institute)

TAFE NSW Training Inititatives for a Greener Workforce

Dianne Chambers (University of Melbourne) Conference Paper Abstract

Making the most of the multiplier effect: Teacher education as a key to sustainability