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Environmental sustainability

environmental sustainabilityAt Swinburne we don’t just put sustainability initiatives into practice. We also think it’s important to train the next generation of leaders and decision-makers in ecologically sound principles.

We think that as an education institution we have a responsibility to prepare tomorrow’s workforce to contribute to a sustainable future.

And as an organisation we must find the balance between our use of environmental resources, our growth as a business and our responsibility as a service provider within the community.

At Swinburne we see ourselves as part of the change to a sustainable future.

To achieve this, Swinburne has developed sustainability initiatives that cover both our institutional practices and our research and education agenda.


Swinburne's green credentials

  • Swinburne's ATC is the first education building in Australia to receive a 5-star green star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia

  • First Australian university to sign a sustainability covenant with the EPA, Victoria

  • First accredited course in carbon accounting

  • Signatory to the Talloires Declaration, committing Swinburne to building an environmentally sustainable future

  • Host to the National Centre for Sustainability

  • The first education institute in the world and the first organisation in Australia to adopt the International Designers Accord

  • A leading provider of accredited sustainability courses

 

Environmental practices

At Swinburne we aim to act in an environmentally sound manner to minimise pollution and reduce our use of natural resources.

We’ve already implemented a number of environmental sustainability initiatives, including:

  • Installing T5 lighting across the university

  • Installing a number of water saving devices including underground water tanks

  • Introducing recycling and ‘Green Office’ programs

  • Reducing our car pool to Hybrid, gas-powered and 4-cylinder cars only

  • Developing a university-wide Environmental Management System

  • A commitment to achieving 5 Star Green Star rating for any new building developments

Environmental education

Our education initiatives support our target of being a national leader in sustainability education.

Some of these initiatives are listed below.

  • National Centre for Sustainability

    • Swinburne hosts the National Centre for Sustainability, a joint collaboration between several education institutions.

    The Centre began in 2002 and is dedicated to being a leader in sustainability education and training.

    The Centre’s staff are experts in sustainability and advise business and community on sustainability solutions, develop and conduct accredited courses in sustainability and carry out green skills research.

  • Sustainability courses

    • Swinburne has developed a number of sustainability courses in response to industry and community demand for skilled ‘green’ workers.

    We have Australia’s first accredited course in carbon accounting and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. We are also one of the first training providers in Australia to offer an internationally accredited course on business sustainability reporting, delivered in partnership with the Global Reporting Intiative (GRI).

    In addition we have a range of Certificate and Diploma courses in conservation and land management, sustainability management, renewable energy, horticulture, sustainable landscape design and many more.

  • Sustainability collaborations

    • At Swinburne we know sustainability solutions require long term commitment and integrated approaches. So we’ve developed a number of projects in collaboration with the community and industry.

    The Knox Innovation, Opportunity and Sustainability Centre (KIOSC) initiative is a joint venture with 7 secondary schools in the Knox council area. KIOSC will deliver green education and training aimed at high school students, and promote career pathways in traditional and emerging industry trades such as manufacturing, engineering, electro-technology and renewable energy solutions.

    We were recently awarded $10 million to develop a Green Trades Complex at our Croydon campus. The complex will deliver ‘green skills’ in trades like plumbing, manufacturing and construction and building.

Environmental research

Swinburne has long been a proponent of research into sustainability. Our sustainability interests and expertise are diverse and span the breadth of our faculties. Some of our research projects include:

  • Finding new uses for biosolids as fill material in the construction industry
  • Managing urban growth and intensification
  • Reducing the environmental impacts of growth and development
  • Finding applications for new and recycled materials such as geo-polymers
  • Using crumbled tyres in concrete
  • Manging land reclamation and dredging
  • Meeting the challenges of housing and homelessness
  • Working with organisations to enhance their environmental, economic, public and/or social value

For more information on these and other research projects see:

 

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