Resources / Blog / Blog How one of the world’s most sustainable universities is moving towards a more holistic approach September 13, 2021 Facebook link Twitter link LinkedIn link Topic Facilities Tag Change Management Strategic Planning Sustainability Blogs How one of the world’s most sustainable universities is moving towards a more holistic approach Tess Frenzel“> By Tess Frenzel September 13, 2021 5 min read Email LinkedIn Climate change, natural disasters, and increased energy consumption have created unprecedented challenges for society. While the pandemic has naturally directed attention elsewhere, higher education institutions are now facing renewed pressure from students, institutional stakeholders, and their governments to evolve into greener campuses and meet difficult-to-achieve sustainability standards. EAB’s Michael Fischer spoke with Kathleen Packer, the Director of Facilities Management at the University of Wollongong (UOW), to learn how her university achieved a top-six position in the 2021 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings and what’s next for the institution’s sustainability journey. Kathleen also shared her recommendations for university leaders hoping to make progress in their own sustainability planning. Review Kathleen’s top recommendations for university leaders below or listen to EAB’s conversation with Kathleen in full here. Prioritise attainability over ambition “When we say we’re going to do something, and then we don’t, that’s actually much worse than taking a slower path but actually getting there.” Kathleen Packer Director of Facilities Management at the University of Wollongong A common pitfall for universities working to improve their sustainability is creating plans that are ambitious but not achievable. Kathleen emphasised that, in light of the stresses that COVID-19 has placed on both university staff and budgets, any goal a university sets for sustainability must be one that it can meet. Prioritising sustainability projects that benefit a university on both environmental and financial fronts increases buy-in for sustainability measures-and sets the stage for further investments. UOW garnered support for one of its recent achievements, an energy system overhaul, in part because of the project’s financial benefits. UOW invested close to $8 million AUD in solar photovoltaic and LED lights in 32 buildings across its campuses. The university expects to see a return on investment from this project by the end of the decade, an initiative that is helping to keep UOW on track to reduce its energy consumption by 20% before 2035. 0% UOW on track to reach its energy reduction goal by 2025 Align the interests of activists and institutional leaders to drive impact “We have such amazing, passionate students on our campus. And while previously they were focused on more behaviour-based initiatives like bike shares and recycling, those students are now pushing us about what we’re going to do as an institution for their future and their children’s future. It’s making us better.” Kathleen Packer Director of Facilities Management at the University of Wollongong According to Pew Research, climate change is top-of-mind for Generation Z; their advocacy is taking place both on- and offline. Higher education leaders are seeing that activism play out on campus as students push their universities to take greater action on climate change. However, many university leaders report a disconnect between students’ demands for change and what can feasibly be done by the university in a realistic timeframe. UOW has harnessed the energy of its student activists to drive change on campus by creating the Youth Climate Change Project. It unites students and staff at UOW to develop the university’s climate change commitments and establishes a set of climate change demands on the local, national, and global level through the Youth Climate Statement. The statement will be presented at the UN’s 16th Conference of Youth on Climate Change and serves as a roadmap for UOW’s future sustainability endeavours. The interaction between university leaders and students via the Youth Climate Change Project ensures that the climate change commitments developed in the plan are achievable for the university and compelling to their greatest champions. Youth Climate Statement commitments Carbon neutrality commitments UOW commits to: Engage in a profile of its emissions Establish a carbon neutrality working party within the Vice Chancellor’s Unit to explore the changes that need to occur to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030. The working party will engage in diverse consultation extended to the student body and coalesce the wealth of academic research and knowledge within the University Sustainable transport strategy commitments UOW commits to: Commence the transition of its vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid vehicles Increase the electric vehicle charging capacity on UOW campuses Work with local government authorities to reduce the requirement of new parking spaces as part of development on UOW campuses Investigate an air travel emission offset target of 100% Students at UOW commit to: Utilise active and public transport solutions where practical and accessible Energy management commitments UOW commits to: Improving effective use of surplus renewable energy and engaging in a renewable power purchasing agreement by 2025. Research commitments UOW commits to: Addressing global issues in collaboration with industry, government, and the wider community. We commit to cultivating research excellence in climate change and associated solutions. Education and outreach commitments UOW commits to: Improving awareness and understanding of climate change among its students, staff, and the wider community. Through its delivery of education, the University aims to facilitate access to information on a changing climate and empower people with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes required to act as agents of change. Advocate for sustainability beyond the campus boundaries “Opening up our campus and our research to our local high schools and communities is not just a part of being a sustainable university but a civic university, which is really important to our work and our institution.” Kathleen Packer Director of Facilities Management at the University of Wollongong Sustainability initiatives are often left to the most passionate individuals on campus to execute. Of course, such initiatives are more effective when viewed as a community responsibility. A Johns Hopkins sustainability study on the relationship between community buy-in and urban farming identified engaging the community as one of the most crucial strategies for building successful urban farms. University sustainability plans require the same buy-in from both internal and external stakeholders to achieve their greatest results. In addition to forming an operational sustainability committee to involve more campus leadership in sustainability planning, UOW is hoping to serve the needs of the local community in addition to its campus through the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Smart Water Management project. The project uses smart technology solutions and data analytics to respond to stormwater management challenges in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region, an area that has experienced a major increase in serious floods over the past 50 years. The project is a regional collaboration between Federal Government, Wollongong City Council, Kiama Municipal Council, Shoalhaven City Council, Shellharbour City Council, and Lendlease. UOW’s research project directly involves community leadership and meets local needs, ensuring both UOW and the local community and invested in the program’s success. Want to learn more? You can learn more about University of Wollongong’s work by listening to EAB’s webinar “How Higher Education Can Keep Pace with Growing Sustainability Aspirations” here. You can also request a review of your institution’s sustainability plan here to receive insights, recommendations, and example plans from other institutions. How to keep pace with sustainability aspirations Watch this webinar to learn how to audit current and future sustainability initiatives, improve sustainability plans with more focused frameworks and targeted goals, and more. improve sustainability More Blogs Blog 3 things we learned from our focus group of campus sustainability leaders Discover key findings on metrics and data, funding, and stakeholder engagement from our focus group of higher ed… Higher Education Strategy Blog Blog Creating and implementing sustainability and climate action plans This blog shares the highlights of a recent discussion with chief sustainability officers on their experiences with creating… Higher Education Strategy Blog Blog The top concerns for higher ed Facilities leaders in 2023 EAB surveyed Facilities and Estates organizations across North America, Europe, and Oceania during December 2022 to better understand… Higher Education Strategy Blog
