Sustainability at Unitec (Sustainability Portal)

Unitec Institute of Technology

139 Carrington Road
Auckland 1025
New Zealand Website
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Sustainability at Unitec (Sustainability Portal)

Action category:  Education and Curriculum
Associated keywords:  Environmental Sustainability,  Strategy,  Education,  campus,  research,  advocacy,  Teaching
Latest update: 06/07/2017

Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goal : Quality education

Presentation

To join the community of organizations that are creating an environmentally sustainable future, through teaching, research, advocacy and campus operations we will lead and contribute to this community. By changing our environment we will become a model for other organizations to follow.

Objectives

  • Teaching:  Unitec graduates have the tools and strategies to apply sustainability in the real world
  • Research: Unitec produces innovative solutions for a sustainable society and green economy
  • Advocacy: Unitec demonstrates sustainability leadership in our community
  • Campus: Unitec has green smart campus environments.

Activities

  • integrating sustainability content into all programs
  • fostering sustainability-focused research groups
  • engaging students, staff and our community in creating sustainable solutions
  • implementing green campus sustainability plans for development, energy, water, waste, carbon, paper and transport

Results

  • >15% programs now have sustainability content
  • Over 30 sustainability related research outputs per annum
  • Over 200 Unitec staff and students are now eco-reps actively implementing sustainable solutions on campus
  • 6% electricity reduction in first half of 2013, 18% decrease in water and paper use in 2012, 40 tonne reduction in waste generated between 2011 and mid-2013, real time energy meters installed, carpooling service established, 39 priority carpool carparks on campus and plans to increase the percentage of staff and students cycling from 2% to 15% by 2020

Innovative aspects

  • Unitec's Sustainability Strategy was kick started with a $100,000 environmental sustainability fund to seed sustainability projects.
  • Unitec uses an on-line environmental management system to manage and communicate our sustainability initiatives.
  • Unitec's Sustainability Team includes staff and student representatives from across our whole organization.

Contact

Carolyn Cox, Environmental Sustainability Manager
Email: ccox@unitec.ac.nz

Website

UNITEC