2023 Green Gown Awards Australasia

The 2023 Australasian Green Gown Awards recognised 12 universities and 1 TAFE; celebrating 11 winners and 8 highly commended across 10 different award categories. The hybrid awards ceremony streamed live from The Studio at Melbourne connect from 3.00pm AEDT on the 2nd November 2023, hosted by Trent McCarthy – Director of Precincts and Sustainability at Melbourne Polytechnic. ACTS was delighted to welcome special guest presenters, finalists and an audience both in-person and online to announce the winners.

The University of Wollongong were the first winners announced, taking home the Benefitting Society award for their RISE program. This program supports underrepresented groups in regional areas to ‘RISE stronger from the ashes’; building hope and long-lasting sustainability in businesses.

Setting outstanding targets for mitigation, adaptation and engagement to address Climate Change, and well on their way to meeting them, Western Sydney University was announced as winner of the Climate Action award for co-designing towards Climate Positive initiatives.

The University of Tasmania, continuing their efforts as the most highly awarded institution within the Australasian Awards, added a Creating Impact award to their long list of accolades. This year, for their ongoing Species Hotel project, creating big homes for little creatures. They also received a Highly Commended acknowledgement for their work in Leading the Circular Economy.

The inaugural Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability award went to The University of Sydney for their crucial work in mapping, protecting and enriching Aboriginal Cultural Heritage landscapes.

The Australian National University was a deserving recipient of the Student Engagement award for the Thrive Kitchen Garden. Their project has fostered social connectedness, improved food literacy and accessibility and has had excellent staff and student collaboration to support their campus community.

The Next Generation Learning and Skills award, recognising achievements in the development of academic courses, skills and capabilities relevant to sustainability as awarded to the University of Queensland won for their Masters of Sustainable Energy program. This is the second year running UQ has won this particular category.

Judges were so impressed with the high calibre of finalists for the Sustainability Champion – Staff award that two champions were awarded as joint winners of the category. Brandan Espe from James Cook University and Jesikah Triscott from the University of Otago both demonstrated outstanding commitment as leaders in the sustainability field.

Fien Van den Steen, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, was awarded as Sustainability Champion – Student. Fien is inspiring accessible sustainability through her advocacy work across a number of student groups at local, national and international levels.

Last, but certainly not least, the University of Melbourne was recognised for their significant and ongoing achievements Leading the Circular Economy and as Sustainability Institution of the Year. The University of Melbourne’s holistic approach to sustainability and their ongoing innovation was on display last night and truly are well-deserving of their recognition.

It’s been a real privilege to announce the 2023 award winners! Following a record number of applications this year, and some of the most difficult selections our judges have ever had to make, the winning initiatives reflect creativity, passion and the tangible impact Higher and Further Education institutions have in the transition to a sustainable future. We hope the inspiring work of our winners, and all the finalists, will help serve as a catalyst for the tertiary sector to continue to advance and expedite our sustainability work and ensure we are equipping learners for their futures as part of a just and fair society. Rhiannon Boyd, CEO, ACTS

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists and sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to making this year’s awards a resounding success, including our independent judging panel and awards partners. We look forward to continuing the ethos of the Green Gown Awards and ensuring the lessons and examples of best practice are shared within the sector and beyond.

Organisational

Benefitting Society
University of Wollongong Winner

Climate Action
Western Sydney University Winner

Creating Impact
University of Tasmania Winner
University of the Sunshine Coast Highly Commended
UNSW Sydney Highly Commended

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability
The University of Sydney Winner

Next Generation Learning and Skills
The University of Queensland Winner
TAFE Queensland Gold Coast Highly Commended
University of Otago Highly Commended

Leading the Circular Economy
University of Melbourne Winner
University of Tasmania Highly Commended

Student Engagement
Australian National University Winner

Sustainability Institution of the Year
University of Melbourne Winner

International category

Individual

Sustainability Champion – Staff
Brandan Espe (James Cook University) Winner
Jesikah Triscott (University of Otago) Winner
Catherine Donovan (Massey University) Highly Commended

Sustainability Champion – Student
Fien Van den Steen (University of the Sunshine Coast) Winner
Demi Lawerence (University of Otago) Highly Commended
Trisha Striker (University of Tasmania) Highly Commended

Creating Impact sponsor

Leading the Circular Economy sponsor

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability sponsor

Category criteria

Benefitting Society

As anchors in their communities and cities, tertiary education institutions benefit society in many ways. This category captures the powerful and innovative ways education institutions are realising their purpose in today’s society to benefit the lives of individuals, communities and wider society. Examples will range from economic, social and environmental impacts with organisations and sectors outside the institution where innovative new approaches to bringing positive benefit can be found.

Although all applications will be considered on their merits, the judges will particularly be looking for innovative community engagement type of initiatives which have an element of proactive, new, community and social concern and positive impacts, rather than the very worthy and commendable ‘grassroots’ and ‘business as usual’ activities.

Amongst others, examples might include how an institution applies and exchanges its student and academic knowledge with communities or partner organisations, how it uses its finances and investments, and how it designs and manages its campus – all to demonstrate its values and the positive value it brings to society. A powerful example of such innovative and proactive engagement is the Living Lab approach: establishing projects that draw on students’ curricular work or academic research to address real sustainability challenges in stakeholder partnerships with community bodies.

Activities which have a substantial student element should be submitted to the Student Engagement category.

Judges recognise that not all projects will have a carbon saving, or include elements of environmental, social, cultural as well as economic benefit.

Judges will, particularly this year, want to see how the pandemic has impacted on initiatives and what opportunities this has brought.

The Winning entry will automatically be put forward for the International Green Gown Award for Benefitting Society.

Climate Action

Carbon reduction and adaptation to the effects of climate change are essential for institutional resilience and business continuity – both executive-level issues. Institutions are exposed to significant climate risks and responsibilities to meet targets; institutions have to be taking bold steps to meet these targets while ensuring student outcomes and satisfaction are maintained.

This category focuses on the steps that institutions are taking and planning to take to reach net-zero emissions targets. The judges are looking for innovative ideas and approach that institutions are taking or planning. It is recognised that there may not be the normal evidence or impact available as this category includes current plans, however, institutions that can provide evidence on implemented actions will be favoured by judges.

The judges will be looking for:

Innovative plans for achieving net-zero.
Focus on achieving Scope 1 and 2 emissions initially with Scope 3 in the horizon.
How do you know you are getting there? Outline what steps are being taken in the area of measurement and verification of impact of efforts on the progress towards net-zero.
What steps are being taken on mitigation and adaptation?
Actions that can be scalable and transferable to other institutions/across the sector including how barriers and challenges have been identified and if possible overcome.
Plans and actions that are looking at the whole institution and holistic approach.
Examples of using internal research and academic knowledge in helping advance actions.
Examples of working in partnership within your local community and other stakeholders.

The aim of this category is to share the good efforts institutions are taking as well as learning from each other in areas that have not worked so well. Whilst the end results may not be available, judges will look at projected impacts.

Judges will, particularly this year, want to see how the pandemic has impacted on climate actions and what opportunities this has brought.

Creating Impact

Sponsored by

This category recognises institutions that have achieved significant sustainability-related outcomes, on campus or within their community, using minimal and/or limited resources. Initiatives need to demonstrate the relationship/link between the number of resources used (for example staffing, budget, time) and the level of impact achieved (for example quantifiable changes in behaviours and/or reportable metrics).

Initiatives could include those which can demonstrate significant sustainability achievements (such as sustainable products, processes or learnings) in a relatively short period and/or with a restricted budget, and/or with a small staff base e.g. good progress from a low base. Projects that raise the broader profile of sustainability will be particularly favoured.

Applications must show how learning from others has been implemented and for the greater chance of success demonstrate how the initiative can be extended to and/or replicated by other organisations.

Initiatives can cover a single aspect of sustainability or have multiple foci, including but not limited to: facilities & operations; learning & teaching, research; leadership and governance; community; procurement, and; engagement. However, regardless of the topical focus, the primary aim of this category is to demonstrate how institutions can still achieve creative and high impact outcomes with limited resources.

Judges will be particularly interested in initiatives that have gone towards supporting a social and environmental sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic that have been embedded and will be sustained post-pandemic. This might be a surprising collaboration, changing practices or a new opportunity for your institution.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability

Sponsored by

This new category is recognising the work institutions undertake to integrate equity, social justice and inclusion within their sustainability work. Disadvantaged groups will be impacted the most by climate change so equity and equality are core to achieving a sustainable world. Institutions have to take new approaches and different ways to engage broader diverse audiences and champions. The sector needs to look at the barriers that exist which exclude particular protected characteristics and celebrate areas where these have been broken down and accelerated to a more inclusive sustainability approach.

This category recognises those surprising collaborations and innovative approaches that staff and students take to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in their sustainability work. Approaches may include how institutions promote sustainability as a career to a broad audience to cultivate diverse and equitable professional opportunities. Judges will be looking for institutions that have ongoing commitments to embed equality and inclusion within sustainability practices or impactful initiatives that push the boundaries and challenge the status quo to improve diversity, equity and inclusion.

Judges will be looking for institutions that have innovative collaborations within or beyond their institutions. Examples could be, but not limited to:

Integrating within teaching that encourages diversity in sustainability
Engagement with the wider community to focus on under-represented groups within your local region to engage with sustainability
Leading practises or initiatives that lead to greater access and participation in sustainability
Innovative internal collaborations across departments
Leading research that addresses barriers and challenges.

Judges will be looking for evidence of the impact of the initiative and must be able to show that it exceeds normal performance as well as looking at the potential to scale-up and replicate across the sector.

Other categories recognise community and student engagement more generally and applicants are to apply under those categories where protected characteristics and/or elevated community vulnerability to climate change was not central or only part of the initiative.

Leading the Circular Economy

Sponsored by

Institutions will play a vital role in the global transition towards a circular economy. By growing momentum through: teaching and learning, research and student action; utilising campuses as living labs, and; using purchasing power and progressive procurement to make campus operations and supply chains more circular; there is significant scope for the sector to ‘close the loop’.

This category recognises institutions taking a ‘circular economy’ approach to resources, considering not just waste reduction and recycling efforts, but a holistic approach to the entire waste hierarchy (refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle and rot) within campus communities. There is no expectation for institutions to be doing everything perfectly, however, judges will be looking for creative solutions that capture the interest of staff and students and demonstrate strong stakeholder engagement internally and externally to inspire change.

Specific projects can be submitted, however, applications demonstrating a range of innovative solutions contributing to analysing supply chains and changing all waste systems on campus will be highly favoured by judges.

Applications will need to provide evidence of ‘closed loop’ systems and activities that have resulted in measured reductions of virgin materials and/or maximised reuse, repurposing and resource efficiency, integrated sustainable practices, sustainable procurement, as well as engagement with stakeholders, supply chain and partners and/or created real-world examples for student engagement and teaching and learning.

Next Generation Learning and Skills

This category recognises achievement in the development of academic courses, skills and capabilities relevant to sustainability. These can be vocational, undergraduate or postgraduate courses or related to wider purposes such as community involvement, global or environmental awareness or to support lifestyle changes.

Examples of possible application topics include:

Effective integration of sustainability principles and/or practices within and across disciplines and existing courses, especially those not traditionally engaged with sustainability;
The development of new courses focused on sustainability issues;
Use of practical sustainability-related projects or other practical activities within courses including work-based learning initiatives.
Training for apprenticeships;
Continuing professional development (CPD) activities;
Skill-focused courses leading to professional or vocational qualifications;
Adult & community learning, and short courses for practitioners and;
Demonstrating/implementing sustainability practices in the workplace.

Applications can be made for activities connected with undergraduate or other academic courses if there is a practical focus on the development of specific skills which goes beyond the normal activities of the disciplinary curriculum, e.g. running community-based projects which give students considerable autonomy and develop their communication, management abilities etc.

Possible applicants for this category include: Higher Education institutions; Further Education colleges; adult and community and work-based learning providers.

Judges will, particularly this year, want to see how the pandemic has impacted on initiatives and what opportunities this has brought.

The Winning entry will automatically be put forward for the International Green Gown Award for Next Generation Learning and Skills.

Student Engagement

This category reflects that students and staff must work together to achieve goals using “top-down” and “bottom-up grassroots” methods to achieve maximum understanding and engagement across an institution. This, in turn, aids student progress and allows for opportunities to gain transferable employability skills. It looks at both the student input and the staff commitment and the relationship between the two. It must be clear that initiatives include both staff and students (not just one party) working in partnership, however, judges will look favourably on activities that have been initiated by and/or demonstrating strong leadership by students.

Where staff and students are involved, as well as including the actual numbers, including how they are involved and what impact/influence they have had.

Examples could include: Social media projects; Awareness and communication campaigns; Procurement actions; Sustainability reporting and websites; Volunteering activities organised by unions, societies and similar organisations within institutions; Community projects.

Judges will, particularly this year, want to see how the pandemic has impacted on initiatives and what opportunities this has brought.

Applications are equally welcomed from institutions or student bodies.

The Winning entry will automatically be put forward for the International Green Gown Award for Student Engagement.

Sustainability Institution of the Year

This category recognises sustained, whole-institution commitment and impact to becoming a sustainable organisation.

To improve social responsibility and environmental performance through a whole of institution approach, strategic sustainability activities through four main areas must be achieved:

Leadership and Governance
Facilities and Operations
Learning, Teaching and Research
Partnerships and Engagement

Applications are only likely to be successful if they provide considerable quantitative evidence on the nature of the improvements made and also demonstrate a causal relationship between activities undertaken and improvements achieved based on the four key areas. Economic cost savings, where appropriate and if available would also be welcome. Initiatives must have been running for at least two years.

Judges will be looking for key areas where it is felt that the institution is distinctive compared to its peers, and provide supporting evidence. Tangible evidence of high-level commitment, and its incorporation into management procedures, will also carry great weight with the judges as will engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and public reporting of performance.

Judges welcome more granular data so others in the sector can learn and replicate approaches taken by these leading institutions.

Judges will, particularly this year, want to see how the pandemic has impacted on initiatives and what opportunities this has brought.

The Winning entry will be put forward for the International Green Gown Award for Sustainability Institution of the Year.

Sustainability Champion – Staff

This award is open to all staff members, at any level, within an ACTS member institution, who deserve recognition for continued and ongoing efforts to lead on the transformation to a sustainable future. The award will recognise those who have worked hard at implementing a social or environmental sustainability project/initiative (or several) and whose involvement has had a positive impact on either their peers, their institution, their students or their local community.

Judges will favour applicants whose actions and impact are considered over and above normal job requirements, particularly for those currently employed within a professional or academic sustainability role. Applications should detail how the applicant has demonstrated strong leadership, championed good practice and/or engaged and inspired others, and provide evidence of their impacts.

Individuals apply themselves but should be formally nominated by a manager or peer (within or outside the sector). Please ensure the application is written in the first person (ie. “I did”). Individuals that have won previously can reapply after 2 years.

Sustainability Champion – Student

This award is open to any student within an ACTS member institution, who deserves recognition for sustainability-related activities undertaken. The award will recognise those who have worked hard at implementing a sustainability project/initiative (or several) and whose involvement has made a positive impact on either their peers, their institution, their students, their local community or their local workforce.

Activities may include campaigning, inspiring and motivating others or championing a cause on campus or outside. If studying a sustainability-related topic, activities over and above normal course requirements will be favoured. Initiatives or campaigns through an organised group or union are eligible, with judges favouring those that can demonstrate significant personal involvement or leadership.

Applications must provide evidence of impact, and of good leadership/championing practice in engaging and inspiring others. Judges will favour applications where quantifiable outcomes can be demonstrated.

Case Studies

Sustainability Institution of the Year/Winners

The University of Melbourne's Holistic Approach to Sustainability

The University of Melbourne (UoM) has always been committed to sustainability, implementing environmental improvements since the 1990’s. It made its first public, high-profile commitment with a sustainability framework in 2016, including its Sustainability Charter and first Sustainability Plan 2017-2020. These commitments are holistic across the institution, including leadership & governance, operations, learning & teaching, research, partnerships & engagement. UoM has launched its second Sustainability Plan 2030, demonstrating cross-disciplinary collaboration, governed by its senior Sustainability Advisory Group. Targets align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and UoM annually reports progress. In the 2024 QS world university rankings, UoM has jumped up to 14th (from 33rd last year), noting that sustainability has been included as a key criteria in these global rankings. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, in recent years, UoM achieved zero-net emissions from electricity for the second year, invested $12 million in energy-efficiency upgrades, and pioneered innovative approaches such as the Choose to Reuse program. Melbourne Climate Futures, launched in 2021, hosting the inaugural Climate Futures Summit, which provided a forum for 255 in-person and 792 online attendees to hear from an interact with policy, industry, and research leaders. UoM integrates sustainability principles into curriculum disciplines, offering 30 sustainability-focused courses with over 1,000 students enrolled annually. UoM’s achievements serve as a model for other institutions.
Benefitting Society

UTS Startups: Enabling sustainable and inclusive self-employment at scale

UTS Startups is the largest Australian entrepreneurship program, revealing and sharing entrepreneurial capability, in order to create and support large numbers of new tech-enabled entrepreneurs.

Distinct from traditional accelerators, incubators and curriculum, UTS Startups does not create a small exclusive group of high-potential entrepreneurs, instead it engages at scale with people to create realistic and sustainable pathways into entrepreneurship.

We want people to see, understand and be supported in emulating entrepreneurial role models that share their capabilities and circumstances. We visit 100 schools each year. We UTS Startups Summit each year for another 30 schools worth of year 9 and 10 students. We run workshops for 5,000 UTS students each year. And we have converted the busiest street corner in Sydney into a hybrid event space for large scale engagement in entrepreneurial storytelling.

We now support 640 student-launched startups, creating 572 new jobs last year and 420 the year prior.
Benefitting Society

Unearthed Gem: cultivating community mental wellbeing through the university-led EMERALD program

UniSC’s Thompson Institute created the EMERging Anxiety, Loneliness, Depression (EMERALD) program in 2020 in rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program addressed the anticipated increase of emerging mental health challenges in the population as a result of pandemic impacts.

The personalised 8-week mental health program uses telehealth coaching and online learning modules to support adoption of lifestyle strategies proven to boost mental health. It supports individuals to self-manage emerging mental ill health symptoms, improve their psychological wellbeing, and increase their ability to manage life stressors.

It’s unique in its focus on prevention and early intervention; use of evidence-based lifestyle medicine; the translation of research into practice for the benefit of community; and ease of access to multidisplinary consultants and education.
Benefitting Society/Winners

Rising stronger from the ashes: UOWs RISE program building hope and long-lasting support for regional entrepreneurs

iAccelerate is the University of Wollongong’s world-class business incubator and accelerator that is committed to helping build and scale sustainable businesses that have a positive impact. An important part of iAccelerate is to support underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship, as exhibited through the iAccelerate RISE Program. Building on a 5-year partnership supporting entrepreneurs in the Bega Valley, in 2021 the RISE program, was established. RISE delivered education to support promising entrepreneurs and business owners in bushfire devastated regions of NSW. The program was jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund (BLERF).

The RISE program introduced the UN SDGs during the first module which were embedded throughout the program. Since RISE’s delivery, new, sustainable, and socially responsible jobs and business models have prospered in the local regions. This has led to expansion of RISE, with the co-creation of RISE First Nations.
Climate Action

Driving Towards Tomorrow’s Campus with Vehicle-to-Grid EV Technology

As part of Flinders University’s drive to innovate and become a leader in climate action, the University launched its Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) initiative. This involved installing and maintaining 20x V2G and smart chargers for its growing electric vehicle fleet. Leveraging 100% renewable energy generated by ENGIE’s Willogoleche Wind Farm and Flinders University’s solar power systems, this enables the storage of renewable energy in EV batteries to be discharged on campus during peak demand periods. Hence, allows for these EV fleets to operate as a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) to deliver peak demand management and optimization of behind-the-meter generation.

Overall, this initiative demonstrates the reliability and scalability of bi-directional and uni-directional smart-charging systems for EVs in reducing GHG emissions while facilitating teaching, research, and innovation opportunities. Moreover, it exemplifies a sustainable and innovative solution to scale energy storage technology and increase renewables.
Climate Action

Our journey to 2030: net carbon zero at Otago

Our journey to net zero carbon by 2030 and beyond at the University of Otago is informed by the wayfinding approach of Polynesian explorers and contemporary Indigenous academics’ focus on wayfinding leadership.

Te Ao Māori-based principles underpin our mahi (work) to reflect our bi-cultural sustainability approach, which centres on enhancing all lifes’ health and wellbeing (orangatanga). Mātauranga (knowledge, learning) is wrapped around everything we do, from projects using living labs for decarbonisation and native forest regeneration to engaging students through coursework, events and work opportunities.

Our emissions decreased 32% from 2019 and University leadership endorses ambitious category-based emissions targets beyond 2030 that include ensuring we don’t lose gains from reduced travel during the pandemic.

As active local, national and international network members, we share information to maximise our work’s impact – including reducing menu ingredients’ and student travel’s carbon footprint. One network is New Zealand’s first city-based Zero Carbon Alliance, in Ōtepoti|Dunedin.
Climate Action/Winners

Co-Design towards Climate Positive

In 2021, Western Sydney University committed to the UN-led “Race to Zero for Colleges and Universities” setting targets of Carbon Neutral 2023 and Climate Positive 2029. This proposal outlines the co-design strategies underway for mitigation, adaptation, engagement and broader integration. In 2023, Climate Active certification was achieved as Carbon Neutral, and a 5 Year Carbon Transition Plan was developed with Veolia Energy Solutions and key functional representatives building upon carbon engineering and co-design. Resilience planning for adaptation has followed two iterations adapting the Resilient Cities model and lessons learned from the 2019-2020 bushfires. Engagement has focused around Living Labs, building upon established initiatives with developing strategic Nature Positive, Circular Economy and Smart Building clusters. These provide the emerging strategic narrative towards our Climate Positive target.
Creating Impact

Where knowledge meets habits: Empowering students for a sustainable tomorrow

Our online Sustainability Challenges offer participants an engaging, self-paced learning experience centered around a specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UNSDG). Requiring minimal resourcing and at zero-cost to participants, we’ve created replicable, compact, scalable, and impactful learning opportunities that result in real impact.

The Challenges follow a structured process that moves participants from knowledge gain to simple action to celebration, to establish small but mighty habits relating to waste and carbon emissions. This approach recognises that knowledge alone is often insufficient to drive behaviour change, and that ease of action and celebration are crucial components in creating sustainable habits.
Creating Impact/Winners

Turning Over a New LEAF: Driving sustainability in laboratories

The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) is an internationally-recognised accreditation that aims to improve environmental outcomes and build a culture of sustainable practice in laboratories around the world. LEAF is hosted on an online platform that supports laboratory groups in taking achievable, lab-specific actions to reduce their environmental impact. After registration, laboratories progress through Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditation levels based on sustainability achievements. Using in-software emission calculators, LEAF provides quantifiable data for efficiency and sustainability.

In 2021, UNSW became the first organisation in Australasia to receive LEAF accreditation. To date, 30 UNSW laboratory teams have been registered, with 5 achieving Silver accreditation, and a further 19 achieving Bronze. UNSW laboratories have accomplished significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, laboratory expenses, and single-use plastics usage. In 2023, the UNSW LEAF program is continuing to grow, recruiting more laboratory groups and is on track to achieve the first Australasian Gold accreditation.
Creating Impact/Winners

Putting the Uni in Community: regional university empowers local community to reduce suicide and improve mental health outcomes

The Alliance for Suicide Prevention addresses the Sunshine Coast’s unacceptably high suicide rate through a framework that is creating population-based change. Led by the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Thompson Institute, the Alliance brings together 165 community, private, and public sector organisations, working to create meaningful change through public awareness, community training, upskilling of health professionals and supporting high-risk groups. Alliance initiatives have benefitted 30,692 people through the program’s award-winning engagement model.

More than 3,419 people have completed the Alliance’s suicide prevention training programs to help them identify the signs that someone may be thinking of suicide. Sectors with clients at higher risk, such as domestic violence, housing, and Indigenous health, are offered fully funded training in suicide prevention skills. This targeted approach has allowed the Alliance to have a powerful impact on upskilling key people in the community to help address suicidality in the region.
Creating Impact

Building carbon neutral capabilities at UQ

Art and accounting may seem unlikely bedfellows for creating sustainability impact, but UQ successfully brought the two together to achieve carbon neutral certification for its 2022 Oceanic Thinking event. Running from February to June at UQ Art Museum, the exhibition presented new ways of understanding the ocean and our planet. It also provided UQ with a practical opportunity to increase its understanding and capability for carbon emissions accounting. Learnings will guide further discussions around how this could potentially be reproduced for other events or operations. Combining these two objectives enabled the University to deliver a compelling sustainability story that resonated with 13,650 students, staff members and external visitors who engaged with the five-month long art event.
Creating Impact/Winners

Species Hotel: Big Homes for Little Creatures

From humble beginnings in 2016 as a first-year Architecture and Design course project with a tiny budget, the University of Tasmania’s Species Hotel project is having a huge impact in Tasmania and beyond. Centred on the creation of bespoke timber sculptures that serve as homes for threatened native animal, insect and bird species, it has grown to directly involve almost 400 UTAS students, as well as schools, environmental groups, artists, farmers, scientists and members of the wider community. The impact of the project has expanded exponentially through extensive media coverage, journal articles, a podcast, conference speaking opportunities, exhibitions and widely shared social medial posts (#specieshotel), all of which have provided inspiration to others to conduct similar projects in their own location.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability

Mātauranga Māori and Sustainability: Guiding Community Engagement With Indigenous Values

Through a collaborative design process involving Māori and Pākehā (non-Māori) students and academic staff at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington – a unique online resource was recently developed for the university community that maps foundational values of Mātauranga Māori to principles of sustainability. The colourful website (accessible on the University’s Sustainability website) uses bespoke illustrations and animations to support the translation of key terminology from Te Reo to English. The intersection of visual and text-based communication enables the illumination of diverse and complex information, including: the definition of Māori values and their correlation to Western concepts of sustainability, exemplars that highlight how the university is supporting these values through the Living Pā project, and a series of proposition to elicit everyday participation with the values introduced for staff and students alike. This culturally-contextual project celebrates the value of indigenous worldviews in addressing sustainable development both on campus and beyond.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability/Winners

Mapping, protecting and enriching Aboriginal Cultural Heritage landscapes

The mapping, protecting and enriching Aboriginal Cultural Heritage landscapes project seeks to enhance existing relationships with local Aboriginal communities and Elders, and recognise the tangible and intangible cultural heritage embedded in landscapes at regional and remote campuses. At Narrabri NSW, scar trees and axe grinding grooves were noted to be on site by local Gamilaraay community members, which formed the foundation of the project to map and assess cultural assets, and to guide future planning to best preserve, acknowledge and protect sites.

This project is significant as it is facilitating exchanges of knowledge by prioritising local values and people in the cultural heritage mapping process, and is creating a safe space for sharing knowledge, generating recommendations and action plans, and hosting community days to implement tree planting days (involving staff and students).

Finally, this project has enriched the implementation of sustainability initiatives to encompass social, governance, and enhance operational endeavours.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability
UTS Climate Impact Lab: working with social housing residents to save energy, reduce bills and cut greenhouse pollution

UTS has a plan to be climate positive by 2029. This vision contributes to our outreach work and partnerships with the local community. By implementing strategies to help reduce the carbon footprint and emissions in our local area – with a specific focus on social and public housing – this project sought to contribute to our carbon reduction goals and vision, whilst simultaneously enhancing the wellbeing of local public housing residents. The project aimed to:

reduce household energy bills

improve thermal comfort and health

empower the Glebe community to take action against climate change

reduce greenhouse gas emissions (with UTS facilitating local ‘climate positive’ actions).

This initiative is distinct in its elevation of community voice and experience. By drawing on both contextual and disciplinary expertise, the approach helps ensure that decisions are well-informed and have the best potential of take-up and success.
Next Generation Learning & Skills

The SHED (Sustainability in Higher Education) project

The SHED (Sustainability in Higher Education) project represents a skills-focused sustainability-related design project within QUT undergraduate courses and includes work-based learning with the outcome being a space for sustainability activities and education on campus.

The SHED project was born from an idea of creating a small sustainable building, that could become an on-campus hub connecting staff, students and the community to sustainability knowledge and discovery. Through effective collaboration across organisational areas of the university, students across multiple units and disciplines were provided a project where they could apply their design ideas and creativity, engage with clients, seek guidance from Indigenous Australians, undertake professional work experience, and create a living design using the principles of circular economy and connection to Country that would help to achieve organisational sustainability outcomes across education and operations. This project seamlessly integrates sustainability and campus to Country principles and highlights the significant interrelationships between them.
Next Generation Learning & Skills/Winners

Embedding sustainability into everything that we do

TAFE Queensland Robina Campus has been purpose-built and designed to be sustainable in building, fit-out, procurement, curriculum, operations, governance and culture. It is TAFE Queensland’s flagship for demonstrating their commitment to social and environmental sustainability. Our priorities align with the United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) under the banner of people, planet and performance.

Our educators have completed a professional development process to embed sustainability knowledge and practices in all aspects of delivery, assessment, and campus community life which ensures that every student, no matter what they study, is fully immersed in the goals of the campus.

The campus is a living laboratory – students are engaged with green-skilling programs, lunchbox engagement activities and opportunities to work with like-minded partners. Increasing and improving accessibility is supported with Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) spaces. The students are being empowered and mobilised as global citizens through increased awareness of sustainability issues.
Next Generation Learning & Skills/Winners

Pūhau ana te Rā: Creating tailwind conditions for a thriving future

The New Zealand Climate Change Commission (CCC) referred to creating “tailwind conditions” for a lower emissions Aotearoa. This speaks directly to the role of Tertiary Education in contributing to a thriving future.

The phrase Pūhau ana te Rā refers to travelling with sails full of wind. In this context, it is a metaphorical reference to undergraduates and emerging researchers creating tailwind conditions and accelerating our progress towards a thriving future.

Each summer students from different programmes and stages of study undertook 12-week scholarship projects hosted in the Sustainability Office and funded by a range of collaborators. Projects addressed real sustainability issues in specific contexts, and frequently used the University as a living lab. Project reports are presented at a public symposium and the research is captured in a new open access journal. The journal now an options for capturing any undergraduate or emerging researcher contributions that contribute to a thriving future.
Next Generation Learning & Skills
Next Generation Virtual Labs and Field Trips (ALSDO: The Alternative Lab & Studio Delivery Options Project)

The ALSDO Project (ALSDO) was developed from the need to identify alternative, pedagogically sound methods of delivering practical hands-on teaching in a world where physical access to labs may not always be guaranteed. The cross-campus collaboration of academic and technical staff has continued within the Sustainability Hub with the recognition that the materials developed to support remote teaching and learning also offer a range of sustainability benefits. ALSDO projects include:

Virtual Labs (VL): hands-on, practical learning material online (e.g. interacting with a functioning steam conditioning apparatus; learning how to use pipettes, conducting a Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study of a patient). Supports not only immersive VR headsets, but also other devices (laptops, smartphones).

Virtual Field Trips (VFT): innovative learning experiences, including authentic role-play games and engaging experiences (e.g. walk-through of a hospital ward; trip exploring volcanoes and their hazards).
Next Generation Learning & Skills/Winners

UQ’s Master of Sustainable Energy: a successful multidisciplinary model to educate leaders for a Net Zero future

The University of Queensland (UQ)’s Master of Sustainable Energy Program educates leaders for the transition to a Net Zero energy future. It provides a multidisciplinary learning experience with a focus on industry engagement through teaching, an advisory board and a dedicated alumni network. The Program has experienced significant growth since its inception in 2017, and graduates have achieved strong employment outcomes across more than 30 countries worldwide. The target market is early-mid career professionals, with the flexible program allowing students to pivot their careers to focus on the future sustainability of energy generation and use. The Program addresses a crucial workforce bottleneck, as Australia requires an additional 700,000 people in the energy workforce to achieve Net Zero by 2050. UQ’s Sustainable Energy Program serves as a successful model with its flexibility, multidisciplinary approach, and industry partnerships, which can be replicated across Australia to ensure a sustainable future.
Leading the Circular Economy

Drop For Good and Shop For Good – students supporting students through the circular economy

In a New Zealand first – and possibly Australasian – Drop For Good and Shop for Good combat thousands of students relying heavily on skips at year-end when packing up flats and buying new goods for flats at the start of the year.

This collaboration between the University of Otago Toitū te Taiao – Sustainability Office and the University of Otago Students Association coordinates the massive task of organising volunteers to collect students’ many unwanted goods for free, then to sort, repair and test those goods for storing until the following year, when volunteers help sell them to students for $NZD20 or less each at the large-scale Shop for Good. The sale’s income pays for Drop for Good.

This circular economy working model has, in three years, diverted about 213 tonnes from landfill, sold 3,700 items,and used about 1110 volunteer hours,while encouraging students to think sustainably by offering them easily accessible, affordable options.
Leading the Circular Economy/Winners

Creating a just and circular economy by Choosing to Reuse!

The University of Melbourne’s circular economy journey began in 2012 with the launch of the award-winning Furniture and Equipment Reuse Program (FERS), providing second-hand office items to the University community, and the student-led Wash Against Waste reuse program, both diverting thousands of items from landfill, annually. In 2019 the University piloted a substantial upgrade for its retail community, launching the Choose to Reuse Plate Program (C2R), a reusable dishwashing service, which diverted 240,000 items from landfill in its first 6-months and the Choose to Reuse Events Service. In 2020, it launched a new Reuse Vending Machine (selling reusable items) and Green Caffeen, a swap cup program.

During this time, the University updated retail contracts to include sustainability clauses (e.g. compulsory dishwashing, sustainable and ethical procurement) for all tenants in Union House and the new Student Precinct. With the opening of the Student Precinct (6 buildings) in 2022, the inclusion of C2R was compulsory, with a dedicated waste hub, waste scales and a food waste processor, the University was able to provide reuse services in a way it never has before. These efforts align with the University’s Sustainability Plan 2030, which includes dedicated waste and circularity targets.
Leading the Circular Economy/Winners

Closing the loop for holistic circularity

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has delivered significant changes regarding ‘waste’ by bringing together procurement, re-use, recycling, composting, engagement and data. Initial attempts to address our waste issues a decade ago sometimes had us running in circles but broadening our approach has led to a circularity journey over the past few years. This journey has delivered significant financial savings and achieved early wins for further commitments in a future-focussed Waste Minimisation Action Plan targeting a minimum 25% reduction of landfilled waste by 2025. We have delivered new buildings with in-built ‘deconstructability’ in mind as well as re-using materials from other sectors for structural components. Fitting out the builds and major refurbishments comes from excess furniture within UTAS and what we cannot re-use is donated or disassembled for recyclable components. Ensuring organics waste is collected for composting and providing recycling options beyond the co-mingled bin are also elements of a circular mindset.
Student Engagement/Winners
The ANU Thrive Kitchen Garden

The Kitchen Garden is a co-operative community for all ANU students that aims to bring the community together to share and connect with nature, each other and to enjoy growing and eating fresh, healthy food. There are two gardens on campus, each one has regular gardening sessions including an element of growing food, food preparation, skill sharing followed by a communal lunch.

The Kitchen Garden Program offers ANU students the opportunity to:

work creatively and cooperatively, share skills, knowledge and learn together;

build confidence and capability to nurture and grow food and to prepare fresh, healthy, budget friendly and seasonal meals;

create personal connections and networks through a Kitchen Garden community, a safe, respectful, and inclusive space;

develop and build on life skills and capabilities beyond the classroom; and

engage in volunteer work and contribute to the local community as an active citizen and share a sense of purpose with others.
Student Engagement
Sustainability Leaders creating real impact!

La Trobe created a unique Sustainability Leaders volunteering program to increase engagement with students on campus and empower them to act against waste and promote sustainability. It included the following initiatives:

Promoting the reusable crockery implementation,

Increasing knowledge action of other students on campus to diversion comingled recycling and organic waste from landfill.

Focus on waste audits and data,

Improved signage through new waste posters for students living on campus.

Collaboration with Cirka (our cleaning and waste partner) to create a waste wall and;

Learning all things sustainability (net zero, biodiversity, waste, reusables, engagement)

These initiatives yielded significant results and with a reduction in waste contamination by almost 40% at the residential buildings and engagement with over 80 groups of people for the Reusable Revolution.
Sustainability Champion – Staff/Winners

Brandan Espe

Environmental Officer / Acting Grounds Supervisor

Brandan has brought over 50 federally listed Endangered species of plant into the James Cook University living collection, many of which have never been cultivated and are found in no other collection in the world.

Of these, over half have been sustainably wild collected, inclusive of field and clone data, so they can be used for ongoing conservation, research and teaching, the remaining being sourced from private and partner organisations through favours of service or trades.

He personally funded the project from 2019-2022, until funding was awarded for the program due to its success, with the program now being engrained into the Universities landscapes for ongoing management should he leave JCU, creating a threatened species legacy collection.

The program has now expanded beyond this, with an additional 48 species now funded for further addition, some of which are only known from less than 5 sightings in history.
Sustainability Champion – Staff/Winners

Catherine (CeeJay) Donovan

Veterinary nurse – Anaesthesia

From establishing the Massey Vet School Green Team to leading impactful initiatives, my commitment to environmental sustainability has been making waves. With the help of my team, I have accomplished numerous small, yet meaningful actions, including integrating a sustainability lecture for final year vet students and implementing battery recycling alongside rechargeable battery use. Our larger projects encompass the introduction of green waste and soft plastics recycling bins, an energy audit resulting in power-saving measures, and playing a part in a successful rubbish audit. I spearheaded the ‘6 in 6’ campaign, empowering individuals with six simple steps for workplace sustainability. Through the SustainaVet social media pages I help to educate and inspire peers nationwide. As the Massey School of Veterinary Science sustainability champion, I had the privilege of speaking at the annual veterinary conference on sustainability in clinical practice. Currently I’m conducting pioneering research on responsible cat waste disposal. Together, we’re forging a greener future, one initiative at a time.
Sustainability Champion – Staff/Winners

Jesikah Triscott

Kaitakawaenga / Engagement Team Lead

Since starting in the Sustainability Office in 2019, I have contributed not only to the initiatives and services that we offer in the Sustainability Office, but across the University and into the wider community.

My initial role was to run some student engagement events such as talks and fair-trade stands. This has grown through taking on extra responsibilities, stepping up to challenges, and leading innovations. The impact has included supporting the delivery of the 2019 ACTS conference, developing and implementing an engagement programme (Green Your Scene), establishing a group of part time employed student leads (Tētēkura), Establishing Te Oraka (The Good Space), integrating a treaty based bicultural approach to sustainability, creating collaborations with groups in the wider community, and developing a brand and engagement strategy for student to student communications and media.

This work has been diverse. This has placed my media skills at the centre of leading change through positivity.
Sustainability Champion – Staff

Liam Hoffman

Resource Recovery Assistant – Compost Master

I manage and run Pōpopo at the Otago Polytechnic/Te Pūkenga, which is the only large-scale composting hub in the New Zealand tertiary sector that recycles all of the food waste produced by our on-campus facilities including our culinary school, student residences, staff common rooms, cafes, and campus organics bins. This food waste is combined with our compostable packaging and gardening waste to produce nutrient-rich compost and vermicompost (worm castings) that is used to feed the various food gardens and permaculture beds we have on campus. These in turn produce free organic foodstuffs for any staff and students that want or need fresh, locally grown produce.

Recycling our organic waste means that we avoid emitting tonnes of highly potent methane and my work alone is the equivalent of taking at least 10 internal combustion vehicles off the roads on an annual basis. As part of my work, I run workshops for the many individuals and organisations that also wish to make a difference and secure a brighter future for us all.
Sustainability Champion – Staff

Melissa Edwards

Director of the Executive MBA program and Research Director of the Centre for Business and Sustainable Development

Melissa is a Director of the Executive MBA program and Research Director of the Centre for Business and Sustainable Development at the UTS Business School. She is also the inaugural Climate Action Fellow for the Australian Business Deans Council. Melissa has won multiple awards for innovation for her expertise in embedding sustainability pedagogy into programs in Business and Transdisciplinary studies and for applied industry research on newly emerging sustainability topics. Globally, she works with colleagues to create and establish the field of sustainability in management education and contributes to two United Nations PRME working groups on the sustainability mindset and an action group on climate and environment.

At UTS and beyond she is a deeply inspiring sustainability practitioner who leads by example, facilitating the involvement of others and mentoring students and peers. She walks the talk by supporting the Higher Education sector to achieve positive climate and sustainability impacts.
Sustainability Champion – Staff

Terese Fiedler

Senior Lecturer in Accounting / Associate Head of Learning and Teaching Performance

Terese Fiedler is a University of Tasmania (UTAS) educator, researcher and the Associate Head of Learning and Teaching for the Tasmanian School of Business and Economics – a ‘warrior’ accountant. She has a passion for changing traditional perceptions about accounting, so it becomes a tool for accountability and sustainability. She has transformed first-year accounting at UTAS, the Accounting Major and High School education so that students know its power for creating a better world. Her research is centred on social and environmental accountability, highlighting the use of accounting for human and planet welfare. She has provided recommendations for changes in taxation to create circular economies and brings this knowledge to the classroom, inspiring real change. Understanding the potential of accounting to empower marginalised groups, she developed the First Nations Accounting Mentoring Program and Indigenised the accounting educational space. Her initiatives, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, contribute to a broader societal impact.
Sustainability Champion – Student/Winners

Demi Lawrence

TĒTĒKURA – STUDENT LEAD OF THE SUSTAINABILITY NEIGHBOURHOOD

I will spend about 400 hours on sustainability work this year and spent about 300 last year while studying at University for my future sustainability career – this included my sustainability internship research that showed Dunedin Hospital could halve food waste.

As Students for Environmental Action Otēpoti co-president (2022, 2023), I initiated collaborative relationships with sustainability groups across campus and the community to reduce competition and create greater impact, while also starting a biannual Clothes Swap, now S.E.A’s most popular event.

I successfully proposed being the University Sustainability Office’s first dedicated Tētēkura – Student Lead for the Sustainability Neighbourhood to create peer guidance to help student residents lead sustainable lives.

On a sponsored two-year Student Leadership Award, I am doing hands-on sustainability volunteering.

I aim to do mahi (work) with immediate and long-lasting effects myself, while also taking roles that can influence others and bring people together so sustainability becomes more sustainable.
Sustainability Champion – Student/Winners

Fien Van den Steen

Student Bachelor Environmental Management

Inspiring accessible sustainability. That is my mission. I accomplish this by taking and giving others agency to create ripple effects that contribute to transformative change. A powerful and hopeful antidote to the challenging times we face.

To inspire sustainable and accessible sustainability, I have taken actions aimed at empowering students, staff and the wider community. Since I started studying environmental management two years ago, I have been going above and beyond in student representation from advocating and volunteering for student groups to representing the entire student population as Co-Chair of the Student Senate and member on the University Council. I launched and have been leading the Enactus division at our university over the past year in which we won 2 prizes at the National competition. Finally, I co-launched a series of upskilling sustainability workshops honouring my Green Ambassadorship to Humanitarian Affairs.
Sustainability Champion – Student

Jacinta Wong

Year 4 Medical Student (2022) – currently an intern at Gosford Hospital (2023)

As a medical student at the University of Sydney in 2022 I was involved in promoting and improving sustainability principles at several levels, including at our clinical school, the University, and local health district. I held various student leadership positions, including President of the Northern Clinical School Society (2021), Sustainability Representative for my clinical school on the Sydney Medical School Sustainability Leadership Group, and the Northern Sydney LHD Planetary Health Committee. In these roles, I worked with teams to connect students and junior doctors with tangible sustainability projects – including sustainability education related to the impact of climate change on health and embedding sustainability principles into clinical practice. Since starting my current internship and taking on a new leadership role as the Environmental representative in the Central Coast Resident Medical Officers Association, I feel empowered to continue working towards achieving a Net Zero healthcare system and inspiring change.
Sustainability Champion – Student

Louis Walmsley

SDG Coordinator Monash Association of Sustainability, Office Bearer Monash Student Association’s Environmental and Social Justice Department, Masters of Environment and Sustainability Student

Louis is an exceptional student sustainability leader at Monash University. His passion and dedication to sustainability have made a significant impact on the community. Louis’s values revolve around sustainability, which is evident upon meeting him. He actively participates in various sustainability groups, demonstrating his commitment to creating a more environmentally conscious society.

One of Louis’s notable involvements is with Precious Plastic Monash, where he organizes remarkable events and fosters collaboration among like-minded individuals, student groups, and staff. His contributions to the Monash Association of Sustainability have allowed him to conduct valuable research on plastic usage and climate action, resulting in positive changes within the university.

Through his work with the Monash Student Association, Louis has engaged hundreds of students in fun and interactive sustainability initiatives. He took the initiative to organize a sustainability food fair, which was one of the largest sustainability-related events held at Monash post-COVID. This accomplishment is a true testament to Louis’s hard work and creativity.

Louis is an outstanding student leader whose efforts in sustainability have had a lasting impact on Monash University and its community. His inspiring nature resonates with everyone who knows him.
Sustainability Champion – Student

Madeline Taylor

Master of Environment (Conservation & Restoration) student / Biodiversity Engagement Officer

Urbanisation presents many challenges and opportunities for biodiversity. Species-rich urban spaces are increasingly being acknowledged for their positive impact on human wellbeing and nature connectedness. This motivated me to conduct a research project on the contributions of urban BioBlitzes to local biodiversity knowledge. Findings from my research have informed event design of BioBlitzes I coordinate for staff and students at the University of Melbourne. These events have inspired +80 people to connect with nature and contribute +1,500 biodiversity records to science. I have supported the research of others through co-chairing Victorian Biodiversity Conference, which engaged +600 attendees in the latest ecological research. As an Urban Bushland Initiative committee member, I have fostered community’s connections with nature by delivering three community events, resulting in the construction of several wildlife hollows and planting of +3,400 trees. I aspire to coordinate regional and state-wide projects that enhance and promote our unique urban species.
Sustainability Champion – Student/Winners

Trisha Striker

Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS) fellow

I am passionate about the flourishing of human beings. I believe all people should have the freedom to choose the life that they consider flourishing. My advocacy and actions aim to ensure equality and equity. I am passionate about the health and wellbeing of people from migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker communities here and everywhere.

By providing education about slavery and exploitation, I use my voice to bring visibility to those made invisible in our global supply chains. At the University of Tasmania (UTAS), I work with staff and students to prevent slavery in clothing supply chains through advocating for Fairtrade certification. As a UTAS Sustainability Fellow (SIPS), working over one year, both UTAS and the Tasmanian University Students Association (TUSA) have started to purchase Fairtrade certified products, resulting in a large Tasmanian based supplier stocking Fairtrade certified options for all clients, creating far reaching impacts for the wider community.
Sustainability Institution of the Year

Australian National University

Our Path to Sustainable Change

At ANU, sustainability is becoming part of the foundation of how we operate, teach, research, and engage. Our multi-dimensional approach integrates environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and transparent governance across all areas of the institution. We are fostering a culture that empowers staff, students and our partners to make sustainable choices. From significant emissions reductions and innovative climate action programs to advancing equity through initiatives like the Athena SWAN – SAGE program and our Reconciliation Action Plan, we are ensuring long-term impact, institutional resilience, and accountability. By embedding sustainability in all aspects of our business, we focus our efforts where they matter most, positioning ANU as a distinctive leader in the higher education sector’s sustainability journey.
Sustainability Institution of the Year

TAFE Queensland Robina Campus

Sustainability in Action: Australia’s First Fully Integrated Sustainable VET Campus

Opened in July 2022, TAFE Queensland’s Robina Campus is Australia’s first fully integrated, sustainability-driven vocational education and training (VET) campus – a bold example of whole-of-institution sustainability in action. Purpose-built to embed environmental responsibility across infrastructure, teaching, operations and community, Robina aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The five-story vertical campus features solar energy, e-bike storage, EV charging, recycled timbers and carpets, and state-of-the-art learning spaces. Yet its impact extends beyond the built environment. A 2024 Green Gown finalist and recipient of a STARS Silver rating – the first for a VET provider nationally – Robina weaves sustainability into every layer – from curriculum and live eco training venues to inclusive student services and industry partnerships. It fosters a culture of innovation, equity, and action, inspiring staff, students, and community to lead the transition into a sustainable future.
Sustainability Institution of the Year

Western Sydney University

Leveraging biodiversity and carbon markets towards Climate and Nature Positive

Western Sydney University (Western) is developing integrated pathways to fulfil its commitments to the core pillars of Climate and Nature Positive 2029, as well as related Social and Corporate Responsibility. An established sustainability and resilience advisory structure draws upon curriculum, operations, research and engagement representation. Supporting this, a comprehensive framework informs THE Impact Rankings, resulting in Western being 1st worldwide 2022-2024.

A central focus has been on development of a Sustainability Funding Model to integrate engagement with carbon and nature markets. Revenue from biodiversity stewardship is reinvested in carbon projects in countries with whom we have teaching partnership, providing a circular reinvestment platform based upon leveraging nature-based solutions to support the transitions towards becoming climate positive. Integration of the supply chain within Western’s Social Procurement Framework further reinforces these efforts. These initiatives are underpinned by strong internal and external partnerships, alongside campus-based living labs that fast-track skills development for civic science, and meeting rapidly evolving institutional and social expectations.
Student Engagement

University of Tasmania

Inspiring Next Generation Leaders

Created by students in 2022, the student-led Annual Environmental Careers Expo has fostered multidisciplinary collaboration across a wide range of volunteer clubs and societies around Lutruwita/Tasmania. This completely student-run initiative creates space and opportunity for passionate students, academics, professionals, and organisations from all around the state to come together. This impact is felt within and through workplaces, creating leaders working to foster meaningful impacts for Tasmania and beyond. In 2024, the Environment Society took the Expo to the north of the state on Kanamaluka Country (Launceston), further expanding the initiative and creating an invaluable opportunity for students and potential employers to come together.
Student Engagement

ActivateUTS

ActivateUTS Wellbeing Reps Program!

The ActivateUTS Wellbeing Rep program is a collective of passionate UTS students who focus on the promotion of a safer UTS. Our general aim is to increase a culture of community safety, peer-to-peer support, and mental health literacy for and by UTS Students.

We work towards achieving this goal through events, activations, training programs and advocacy campaigns that focus on these key areas. Above all, this program is championed by our volunteers, known as the wellbeing reps; a network of visible student allies to promote mental health awareness and a sense of wellbeing from within the UTS student community. Using peer-to-peer support as a major tool in our mental health promotional efforts.
Next Generation Learning & Skills

University of Technology Sydney

BUILDing Better Futures: Empowering Students through Transformative Learning

BUILD (Beyond UTS International Leadership Development) is an extra-curricular global leadership program designed to empower all students as active global citizens, as aligned with the University of Technology Sydney’s graduate attribute of global citizenship. The program fosters leadership, intercultural understanding, and critical thinking, enabling students to make meaningful contributions to campus life and society, whether in their personal or professional lives.

Our 1,800 participants cultivate these attributes and skills by engagement with our dynamic blend of workshops, events, seminars, experiential on- and off-campus activities, and endorsed global immersion experiences aligned with our theory of change to lay the foundation for life long global citizenship and leadership starting with core identity, the development of an awareness of global Issues and the impartation of practical tools to deliver impact.

Our work is aligned with the objectives of SDG Mission 4.7 to provide a Transformative Education and develop global citizens and leaders with the competencies, values, and skills necessary for current and future generations to achieve the a more sustainable world.
Next Generation Learning & Skills

RMIT University

Designing Tomorrow: Sustainable Skills for a Greener Built Environment

The Sustainable Building Design (SBD) skill sets at RMIT were developed to address the growing need for sustainability expertise within the building industry. The Skillsets focus on three key areas: Sustainable Design (Principles & Planning), Sustainable Construction (Methods and Materials), and Sustainable Operation (Systems and Lifecycle). The course offers a dynamic mix of in-person workshops, industry expert lectures, and site visits, providing a comprehensive learning experience. Designed as short courses, they enable intensive skill acquisition.

The program supports sustainability goals by equipping students with expertise in sustainable design, construction, and operation, including carbon footprint measurement. This education not only enhances students’ skills but also elevates industry awareness of regenerative practices, aligning with global sustainability targets like SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The SBD skill sets aim to create a societal impact, preparing graduates to lead in the sustainable transformation of the built environment.
Next Generation Learning & Skills

Griffith University

SDG Changemakers: Community Internships in Action

The Community Internship is a cross-disciplinary elective at Griffith University that empowers students to apply academic learning through meaningful volunteer placements in not-for-profit organisations.

Each student completes a minimum of 50 (undergraduate) or 80 (postgraduate) hours, selected from university-approved partners or through a student-led “bring your own” model. Framed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the course develops critical employability skills communication, teamwork, leadership, while deepening students’ understanding of social justice and sustainability.

The academic component integrates lectures and reflective assessments that encourage systems thinking and global citizenship. Since 2021, over 1,600 students have contributed to diverse community sectors, reinforcing partnerships between the university and civil society. This initiative embeds sustainability and civic responsibility into the curriculum, transforming students into SDG changemakers and future-ready graduates committed to inclusive and community-led impact.
Next Generation Learning & Skills

Bond University

Collaboration for Global Change: Interdisciplinary SDG Action Learning

At Bond University, every undergraduate student engages directly with sustainable development through the mandatory subject CORE11-013: Collaboration for Global Change. As the capstone of the university’s Core Curriculum, this subject builds on insights and skills from the previous two (ethics and critical thinking), applying them to sustainable development challenges through the SDGs. Students from all faculties collaborate on real-world initiatives through interdisciplinary charrettes (intensive collaborative design workshops) and project-based learning. Students develop practical solutions while building crucial collaboration skills across disciplinary boundaries. The curriculum uniquely integrates Indigenous philosophical frameworks emphasising relationality and interconnection, alongside innovative use of AI as collaborative tools to bridge disciplinary divides. Through charrettes and poster projects focused on SDGs 3, 4, 5, 11, 16, and 17, students develop and pitch actionable initiatives, with many subsequently developed through Bond’s Transformer program (student entrepreneurial accelerator). The subject demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration effectively creates meaningful contributions to sustainable development.
Nature Positive

The University of Melbourne

The Biodiversity Baseline Data Project (BBDP)

The Biodiversity Baseline Data Project is a landmark initiative by the University of Melbourne to measure and map biodiversity across all eight campuses, laying the foundation for our bold commitments of no net loss by 2025 and net gain by 2030. Led by the Sustainability Delivery team, the project brings together staff, students, academics, and volunteers in a shared mission to better protect and enhance nature on campus.

With over 13,500 plants established across Parkville, Southbank, and Werribee campuses, $245K invested in Dookie’s Bushland Reserve, and $100K secured for planting projects, the BBDP is already transforming our landscapes. However, the project’s true power lies in its legacy: a scalable model for others to follow and a growing community empowered to act. By blending science, action, and collaboration, the BBDP is helping shape a more sustainable future, one where biodiversity thrives and inspires across generations.
Nature Positive

University of Sydney

Centering Nature in Higher Education Decision-Making by Championing Institutional Partnerships

The University of Sydney is the first research-intensive university worldwide to implement the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. This initiative assessed the University’s nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities across operations and its value chain. A high-level review of physical assets, followed by a detailed assessment of the Camden campus, informed improved nature management and reporting. The process involved collaboration with staff, students and researchers, and partnered with the ARC’s DARE Training Centre to integrate biodiversity and spatial data. A student-led assessment at Llara Farm in Narrabri further embedded TNFD into academic practice, demonstrating the value of applied, transdisciplinary learning. By aligning with global standards and positioning students as co-designers, this work establishes a replicable model for higher education and sets a new benchmark for Nature-positive leadership, supporting the sector’s transition toward future sustainability-related regulations.
Nature Positive

Charles Sturt University

Restoring Nature, Inspiring Futures: 20+ Years of Biodiversity Leadership

Charles Sturt University is advancing nature recovery by dedicating over 330 hectares (20%) of its land to biodiversity and actively enhancing its ecological value. Through its Biodiversity Action Plan, the university employs strategies like revegetation and adaptive management, with over 38,000 native seedlings planted since 2010.

Biodiversity is embedded in research, education, planning, and operations, and progress is benchmarked annually with transparent reporting. The university actively collaborates with ten local community groups and engages students and staff in sustainability initiatives, creating positive community impact and contributing to global biodiversity knowledge.

Charles Sturt campuses support habitats for threatened species such as koalas, swift parrots, superb parrots, and squirrel gliders. With its scale and influence, the university is committed to making a meaningful difference in preserving these species.
Nature Positive

Macquarie University

Growing a greener future: Restoring endangered forests on Wallumattagal Campus

Macquarie University is restoring 3.5 hectares containing the critically endangered Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest on the Wallumattagal Campus, as part of its Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) commitment. The project supports biodiversity by increasing healthy habitat cover. By 2028, the aim is to increase this area by a minimum of 25 per cent, reaching 74 per cent from the 2022 baseline. Restoration is challenging to measure over short time frames, but progress is being tracked through vegetation condition scoring and spatial analysis by students and staff. The Sustainability Linked Loan enables the University to engage internal and external communities, including the financial sector, in recognising the importance of whole ecosystems. This initiative highlights not just the value of endangered tree species, but the broader connections between plants, animals and healthy forest environments over time.
Nature Positive

University of Tasmania

Nature Positive is in our Nature

Aligning with our holistic approach to sustainability, the University of Tasmania has a multi-faceted response to the unfolding planetary biodiversity crisis by acting locally to globally, and from individual species to ecosystems. We manage our own grounds using Integrated Pest Management and focus on protecting, regenerating and enhancing native species and communities on our campuses. We have led the efforts to safeguard the future of iconic and ecosystem integral species such as the Tasmanian devil, Eastern spotted quoll, three critically endangered handfish species (Red, Spotted, and Ziebell’s), Maugean skate, and the giant kelp forests.

Our efforts build on a long history of ecosystem research, applied learning and community education that has been recognised through the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for SDGs, including SDG15 Life on Land #1 in Australia and #2 globally, and SDG14 Life Below Water as #1 in Australia and #5 globally.
Diversity Equity & Inclusion

RMIT University

Art for Social Change: Metropolis - A Map and a Mirror

Art for Social Change was a three-part participatory art series at RMIT exploring social justice issues affecting students. The works included Journey of Mapiyal by Indianna Hunt, an immersive installation fostering reflection on solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and Blooming Now by Joanne Mott, featuring 800 colourful hands symbolising resistance and respect for women, female-identifying and non-binary people.

The final work, Metropolis by alumna Rachel Shugg, a wheelchair user, addressed accessibility and belonging through the experiences of d/Deaf and Disabled students. Developed over two years with 200+ students, it involved body-mapping, obstacle navigation and performance, challenging perceptions of inclusion. The resulting artwork visually and tactilely narrates disrupted journeys in cities shaped without diverse voices.

Supported by RUSU and RMIT, Metropolis advocates for identity, equity and inclusive design. As Rachel states, “you can’t build a city from just one perspective.
Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington

Ngā Mokopuna: a vision of sustainability, infused with indigenous wisdom

When Te Tumu Herenga Waka marae (gathering place) first opened in 1986, it was seen as a trailblazer, providing a distinctly Māori space at a University. It gave staff and students a place to engage in te reo Māori (language) and with tikanga Māori (customs) as part of their learning and teaching – critical for supporting the success of Māori students, who’ve historically been under-represented at Universities.

38 years later, Ngā Mokopuna now provides a 2,300 m² purpose-built facility adjoining the wharenui (meeting house) for dining and events, teaching, student support, and staff offices. The project was led by Māori, for Māori. The construction of the building demonstrates our commitment to manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga—to act with more care towards people and the natural world.

It is a global exemplar for regenerative design, weaving together mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and sustainability, making an impact extending far beyond the building itself.
Diversity Equity & Inclusion

University of NSW

Researchers partnering with Aboriginal communities to realise rights and interests in energy transition.

The UNSW Indigenous Land and Justice Research group led by Professor Heidi Norman, are national leaders advancing First Peoples rights and interests in energy transition. Prof Norman is a descendant of the Gomeroi people of northwestern NSW. Prof Norman and her ILJ research group combine their leading research in energy transition and Aboriginal rights and interests, policy reforms and Aboriginal community development.

As a member of the First Nations Advisory Committee Prof Norman played a leading role advising the Government on the development of the inaugural First Nations Clean Energy Strategy (December 2024) along with ensuring interests in the wide range of renewable energy policy that the Commonwealth enacted in the period 2022-2025. Alongside guiding energy policy, her research team have led research with the NSW Aboriginal community, where they have brought the expertise of UNSW researchers to support community planning to participate in energy transition. Prof Norman is also a member of the NSW Renewable Energy Sector Board which is tasked with ensuring local workers, communities, and industries share in the economic benefits of the transition.
Leading the Circular Economy

RMIT University

Thread Lightly: A Campus in Circular Motion

The RMIT School of Fashion & Textiles at Brunswick has pioneered A Circular Campus, integrating circular economy principles across education, research, operations, and community engagement. Through projects aligned with the ‘R’ strategies (Refuse to Regenerate) the Brunswick campus exemplifies innovation in reducing textile waste and virgin material use. Highlights include the Waa Weelum Dye Garden, the Refashioning Practical Guide, student-led remanufacturing using surplus t-shirts, and collaborative research with industry on product stewardship and consumer behaviour.

Over 200kg of textile waste has been diverted through recycling initiatives, and 450+ students have engaged in applied circular design learning. Staff, students, and partners co-create solutions from rewilding fashion in local communities to commercial remanufacturing with Country Road. The campus hosts events, workshops, and exhibitions to embed behavioural change and influence industry practices. RMIT’s scalable model offers a blueprint for how design education can drive systemic, measurable, and lasting impact in the transition to a circular economy.
Leading the Circular Economy

University of Sydney

Clear signs, clean streams: Behavioural design for a circular campus

The University of Sydney’s Camperdown campus operates an on-site, closed-loop food waste system using a biodigester. However, high contamination at outdoor bin stations was limiting diversion outcomes and undermining system performance. To address this, we applied behavioural science to redesign waste signage and encourage correct sorting behaviours across the campus community, an approach informed by Master of Sustainability research and student-led engagement.

The signage intervention incorporated evidence-based behaviour change techniques, including visual prompts, gamification, simplified instructions, and multilingual cues. It launched during Welcome Fest, supported by a peer-led Waste Ambassador program designed to strengthen social norms at the point of disposal. Initially installed at 36 external bin stations, the signage delivered measurable results: up to a 50% reduction in food waste contamination at key locations and a 2.5x increase in food waste recovery.

This low-cost, scalable solution shows how targeted behaviour change can significantly improve the effectiveness of circular systems. The success of the intervention has now shaped a broader model for uplifting waste management across campus, with rollout expanding to internal spaces in support of the University’s Zero Waste to Landfill target by 2030.
Leading the Circular Economy

Victoria University

Green Trench: Building the Future Below the Surface

The Green Trench Innovation Alliance is transforming how trench backfilling — a traditionally resource-intensive and emissions-heavy infrastructure process — can be delivered through green innovation. Led by Victoria University in partnership with Greater Western Water and Ground Science, the initiative developed two trench blends made entirely from recycled glass, plastic, crushed concrete and rubber. The project piloted full-scale construction trials on live infrastructure, proving recycled materials could outperform traditional options in both durability and delivery.

Using a mobile batching model, Green Trench also reduced transport emissions and installation time — delivering over 250 tonnes of aggregate savings per 100m and more than 280 tonnes of CO₂ reduction annually (based on project adoption) . Contractors are now trialling the solution across multiple sites, and data from the project has contributed to the revision of national trenching standards. Green Trench is a model of circular co-design in action — scalable, collaborative, and built for real-world uptake.
Leading the Circular Economy
The Australian National University

Worms against Waste

The project centres on three circular economy principles; Eliminate waste and pollution; Circulate products and materials; Regenerate nature. Our aims:

To establish a working worm farm to provide practical circular economy education to members of the ANU community about climate emissions, the impact of food waste, principles of regenerative agriculture and the environmental benefits of vermiculture systems.

To deliver an on-campus initiative that students and staff can engage with to reduce emissions & produce sustainable resources for the community garden through regenerating food waste.

To encourage wider ANU engagement in the project, inviting participants to get involved in climate action while learning about sustainable food production and food waste treatment and engage students in practical, hands-on education and inspire them to take action.

To collect data, demonstrating the quantity of food waste diverted from landfill in targeted areas on campus.

To empower the community with scalable solutions to divert food waste going to landfill.
Student Champion

University of Tasmania

Olivia Wenn

Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation

I am a recent graduate of a Bachelor of Natural Environments and Conservation at the University of Tasmania (UTAS). While a student, I became increasingly interested in a career in conservation, community engagement and policy. In 2024, I was the Secretary for the Environment Society, and along with a great team, I led a range of projects including the Environmental Careers Expo, Women’s Careers Night, and Launceston Careers Networking Event. I also honed my skills in securing sponsorship for the Annual Environmental Art Auction and the Commute for Climate project – which won Youth Climate Action Funding (YCAF). In my final semester, I designed and undertook a research project with the Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS) on The Rights of Nature – and how this legal framework could operate in an institution such as UTAS. I am passionate about finding opportunities for others to learn about careers that are values-aligned.
Sustainability Leadership

The University of Melbourne

Rachael Miller

Sustainability Coordinator (Biodiversity & Water)

To me, nature is magic. My passion for protecting it began with a childhood love of orangutans which has evolved into a career dedicated to restoring and enhancing biodiversity. As Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Melbourne, I lead the University’s strategic targets in biodiversity and water, including the Biodiversity Baseline Data Project (BBDP). This project brings together staff, students, volunteers and academics across disciplines, creating internships, building interdiciplinary partnerships, and fostering shared ownership of our biodiversity goals.

I’ve always sought to make a meaningful impact, from volunteering and interning in Sumatra’s rainforests to working in consulting and government. I believe the tertiary sector is where I can have the greatest influence by inspiring future leaders, and supporting systemic change through education, research and operations. To me this is more than as just a job, it’s a opportunity to lead with purpose and make a positive impact on our planet.
Sustainability Leadership

University of Tasmania

Jeff McClintock

Community Garden Coordinator

As Community Garden Coordinator at the University of Tasmania, I have relished the opportunity to increase my understanding of what authentic leadership looks like, and to grow in my ability to influence and inspire others to live more sustainably. Throughout my nearly four years at UTAS, I have sought to lead by example, to harness my creativity and natural enthusiasm, and to empower and encourage others. This approach has seen our Edible Campus program increase significantly in size and impact, with growing levels of involvement amongst students, staff and the community leading to many pro-sustainability outcomes.

Outside my UTAS role, I have also sought to lead authentically. This has resulted in things like my creation of two music/arts festivals, each with a strong sustainability focus. In everything I do, I strive to be true to myself, including admitting the many ways I fail to live up to my own ideals.
Sustainability Leadership

Griffith University

Prof. Catherine Pickering

School of Environment and Science

Under my leadership Griffith University campuses are large (287ha) increasingly valuable globally significant biodiversity hotspots (>1800 species) within three rapidly urbanizing cities: Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan. As Chair of the Biodiversity Working Group and other roles, I spearheaded projects including: 1. Creating exhibition gardens. 2. Launching the GroNative App, 3. Leading and implementing Griffith University’s Biodiversity and Conservation Plan 2022-2025, 4. Delivering Griffith University’s Biodiversity website, 5. Assessing BioCondition and carbon values for Griffith forests, 6. Co-authoring wildlife biodiversity books, 7. Co-authoring native plants gardening books, 8. Leading campus living laboratories for teaching, 9. Developing the new Biodiversity and Conservation Plan, and 10. Advocating for biodiversity including via traditional and social media. These initiatives demonstrate my vision, leadership, innovation and impact in assessing, valorising and conserving biodiversity, enhancing multiple campus-based ecosystem services, while engaging staff, students, government, industry and community to ensure greater societal benefit.
Student Champion

University of Western Australia

Julia Suffell

Combined Bachelor and Masters of Marine Science

This year I was elected as Environment Officer for the University of Western Australia’s Student Guild (a voluntary position), through which I have taken every opportunity to lead environmental sustainability initiatives in order to maximise my impact, raise awareness and encourage behaviour change and action. My passion for protecting the environment stems from growing up at Trigg Surf Life Saving Club, volunteering over 1000 hours to protect the community.

As Environment Officer, I have led and been involved with many highly successful initiatives, including running EnviroFest, raising over $6000 for charity by organising three Pop-Up Op Shops, advocating for UWA to address their severe litter pollution problem, and raising awareness about Woodside’s North West Shelf extension and many other environmental challenges.
Student Champion

University of Sydney

Oscar Mower

Bachelor Commerce and engineering

As a final-year commerce and engineering student, I developed an AI model that detects North Pacific minke whale vocalisations with 95.1% accuracy and a 95.6% F1 score. Created during a six-month placement with Accenture as part of the University of Sydney’s Engineering Sydney Industry Placement Scholarship, the tool uses machine learning to analyse hydrophone data and identify whales in real time, offering a scalable, non-invasive way to protect a species under increasing threat.

What makes this project distinctive is its reach beyond the university. I collaborated with marine scientists, acousticians, and AI specialists, consulted experts from the Australian Antarctic Program and Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and partnered with NOAA Fisheries to train the model. The tool can help reduce vessel strikes, guide marine protection zones, and shape noise mitigation strategies. Through national media engagement, I’ve raised awareness and demonstrated that student-led innovation can deliver real-world environmental impact.
Student Champion

The University of Melbourne

Adele Roeder

Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) student

Since I was 16, I’ve understood that sustainable change requires community-building and intergenerational collaboration. After founding Moonee Valley’s first youth environment group, I’ve built partnerships with organisations like Moonee Valley Sustainability and co-hosted a 3-day Grassroots Youth Summit to spark shared learning and action. As a Wattle Fellow, I’ve led projects that put circularity into practice, collecting over 1,300kg of items for campus thrift markets and delivering reuse and repair workshops supported by the City of Melbourne.

Now working back at my former high school and as a Green Impact Officer at the University of Melbourne, I’m more committed than ever to driving change in my local community. I’m deeply empowered by the potential of grassroots, place-based action. Whether working with school students, university networks, or local councils, I believe sustainability is about relationships, systems and taking ownership through tangible actions that enables sustainable change to be practical, fun, visible and shared.
Student Champion

Griffith University

Yue Xi

PhD Candidate in Social Marketing

Yue Xi is a PhD candidate at Griffith University committed to reducing e-waste. Her PhD research explores practical strategies and solutions designed to effectively divert e-waste from landfill. So far, Yue has led an initiative that has ensured over 1.9 tonnes of e-waste have been recycled and informed a Sunshine Coast Council campaign that tripled battery drop-offs to more than 40 bin locations. In addition to delivering her 3-year PhD project, Yue has contributed actively to other environmental sustainability projects.

She consistently drives behaviour change through her strong commitment to stakeholder engagement and systems thinking. Leveraging social marketing and behavioural change processes, including co-design, design thinking, and the Creating Collective Solutions method, Yue has collaborated with diverse stakeholders to develop practical and actionable solutions for complex environmental and societal challenges.
Staff Champion

RMIT University

Dr Yassie Samie

Research Fellow, School of Fashion & Textiles

I’m a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RMIT’s School of Fashion & Textiles, championing circularity in the fashion industry. I led the development of the Refashioning Circular Design Guide, a practical, open-source tool funded by Sustainability Victoria and co-created with the Country Road Group, to help fashion teams embed circular design at scale. The guide has gained national attention and uptake by the Seamless Clothing Stewardship Scheme.

I organised two major Melbourne Fashion Week panels to promote sustainable innovation and published related work in Waste Management Review and Nature Cities. My work has sparked cross-sector collaboration between academia, government, and industry, including my recent nomination for the Emerging Circular Leader Award.

I continue to advocate for systemic change through teaching, research, and public engagement, recently being appointed Circular Campus Lead. I believe design-led innovation, grounded in real-world application, can drive a just and regenerative future for fashion.
Staff Champion

The University of Melbourne

Dr Darryl Johnson

Academic Specialist, MCFP

My passion for sustainability and science drives my mission to make research more environmentally responsible. My work leading the Greengineers Green Impact team and as Sustainability Champion for the Materials Characterisation and Fabrication Platform (MCFP) has shown how stubbornly optimistic and inclusive leadership can drive small changes, like reducing lab waste and resource use, and have lasting impact. I’ve guided MCFP’s efforts to achieve My Green Lab certification, which is setting a benchmark for sustainable science at Melbourne. By encouraging behavioural change and advancing our involvement in sustainability programs, I contribute to the University’s broader environmental goals.

Beyond campus, I co-founded Labs Who Care, a national network that empowers STEMM professionals to embed sustainability into their practices and advocate for sustainability at national and international conferences. To me, sustainability is as integral to research excellence as is safety and ethics and ensures science can continue providing solutions to today’s problems.
Staff Champion

University of Tasmania

Dr Kim Beasy

Senior Lecturer Curriculum and Pedagogy (Equity and Diversity)

My approach to engaging with sustainability is grounded in inclusivity, critical reflection, and embodied practice. I view sustainability not just as an environmental issue, but as a deeply interconnected social, cultural, and ethical commitment. I prioritise listening to underrepresented voices and co-creating knowledge and actions that reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences.

In my teaching, I embed transformative learning experiences that empower students to become change agents. Through community partnerships, I seek to bridge academic and local knowledge to create meaningful, place-based impact. Personally, I live my values through everyday sustainable practices and volunteer work, modelling sustainability as a way of life.

I believe leadership in sustainability is most powerful when it is shared, grounded in justice, and lived across personal, professional, and community contexts. Ultimately, my approach is about fostering collective responsibility and empowering others to lead in ways that are authentic, inclusive, and transformative.
Staff Champion

University of the Sunshine Coast

Catherine Watts

Planning and Design Principal, Campus Development and Services

I am a registered Architect and the Planning and Design Principal at the University of the Sunshine Coast since 2022. I consider it a great privilege to be involved in the custodianship of the buildings and infrastructure of UniSC, several of which were leading experiments in passive sub-tropical design of their time. Shifting from a consulting architect to a client side strategic role brings the benefits of being able to steer an organisation’s design guidelines and construction scope to hold true to the sustainability principals laid out in higher level executive documents.

As the young university matures, I am keen to see the explicit embedding of sustainability principals in detailed operations as well as implement an inclusive approach to design and consultation; with the 2023 Sunshine Coast Campus Masterplan, adopted formally in 2024, a strong example in this.
Staff Champion

University of Technology Sydney

Tracey Levett-Jones

School of Nursing & Midwifery

I am a world-leading researcher and currently ranked as one of the world’s top 1% of nursing scientists. My research and teaching are designed to inform, influence and improve health outcomes for individuals and communities. I have written twelve books and over 250 journal publications. I have been the recipient of multiple teaching and research awards, and over seven million dollars in grant funding.

In 2022, with a deep concern for the state of planet and a growing recognition of the critical need for nursing and midwifery leadership to address the health sector’s impact on the environment, I decided to use my platform and position to promote planetary health and to harness the collective interest of others who shared my commitment to creating a healthier and more sustainable future for current and future generations. This was the impetus for the establishment of the Planetary Health Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives.
Creating Impact

University of Tasmania

Warming Up Students’ Winters in Lutruwita/Tasmania

In 2024, during the cost-of-living crisis, students were experiencing a growing sense of disconnection. In response, a team of staff and students at the University of Tasmania came together to co-create a campaign that would provide immediate, practical support for students while creating opportunities for people to make a difference and build community. The campaign focused on hands-on support, initially encouraging hand-made knitted woollen items to keep students warm in the Tasmanian winter and was then successfully expanded to collect kitchen pantry items. In just one month, over 200 items of clothing and more than 100 non-perishable food items were donated.

Due to the warm reception from staff and students, the University decided to make the campaign an annual fixture and in 2025 a larger campaign was launched to give people more time to make woollen donations, this has inspired crafting groups to form and increased broader community participation.
Creating Impact

TAFE NSW

Beyond Books: Cultivating Cultural Change and Inspiring Climate Action

TAFE NSW has successfully launched a pilot program for Library Sustainability Hubs at eight campuses to create engagement and action towards our TAFE NSW Sustainability Strategy. The project was designed to leverage the central and trusted role our libraries play within our Campus community. Serving as places for community and collaboration, the Hubs champion knowledge sharing, and are accessible entry points uniting TAFE NSW campuses, driving towards meaningful change.

Embodying our values and culture in action, the Hubs are designed to educate, engage, and empower our people, providing a central space to promote key environmental themes such as recycling, the circular economy and sustainable living. By tailoring the activities to staff, students and the community’s local interests, library services staff have delivered engaging activities and resources like sharing plant splices, recycling stations, and promoting Sustainability themed events. Engagement across the pilot sites from teachers, students and community has exceeded expectations.
Creating Impact

TAFE Queensland Robina Campus

Low-Cost Circular Economy in Action: Empowering Students & Scaling Sustainability Across Campuses

At TAFE Queensland Robina, sustainability thrives on simplicity. Without a dollar of dedicated funding, our campus sparked a powerful circular economy movement that’s now influencing 64 campuses across the state. What began as student-led reuse tables and bottle returns evolved into a culture shift – with a 988% increase in container recycling, zero-cost digital-first campaigns, and community-driven eco events like clothing swaps and markets. We’ve composted food waste into learning resources, reinvested recycling profits into scholarships, and used storytelling and peer mentorship to spread the model. This project proves that real change doesn’t need big budgets – it needs purpose, creativity, and people. Every action is practical, replicable, and deeply meaningful to learners and their communities.
Creating Impact

The University of Melbourne

Making Impact Matter: UoM Sustainability Awards

The University of Melbourne Sustainability Awards celebrate the everyday actions and bold ideas that are powering a more sustainable future. Open to staff, students, contractors, and community members, the program recognises efforts across all scales – from small grassroots initiatives to transformative innovations. Whether it’s reducing waste, improving energy efficiency, protecting biodiversity, or embedding equity and climate resilience, each action contributes meaningfully to the University’s Sustainability Plan 2030.

What makes these Awards special is their inclusivity, highlighting contributions from all corners of the University and across all disciplines. In 2024, the program evolved beyond Green Impact to introduce new categories, reflecting the growing diversity of sustainability leadership. These Awards honour more than achievements, they elevate personal stories, inspire others to act, and strengthen our shared commitment to a thriving, just, and sustainable future.
Benefitting Society

University of Tasmania

Expert-informed decisions for a better world

The Tasmanian Policy Exchange (TPE), created in 2020, is a work unit within the University of Tasmania that uses evidence-based research and stakeholder engagement to help provide solutions to policy challenges in Tasmania with global relevance. The TPE applies academic skills, research, and the practical experience of staff within our institution itself to these issues to support the University’s positive impact on the Tasmanian community and to contribute to an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable future for all Tasmanians and beyond.

Unlike traditional consultancies, the TPE leverages the considerable skills and knowledge available across the University. Subject experts partner on projects when needed, with the TPE acting as a bridge between academia and government, industry and community. Projects are a mix of strategic University projects and projects with external partners. The TPE is evidence-based and objective, only taking up projects that seek to make Tasmania a better place for all.
Benefitting Society

Otago Polytechnic

e kī, e kī – engaging, edible, eco education 15 years on!

Australasia’s first Living Campus was launched by Otago Polytechnic in 2008 with the goal of being more than a garden, more than a museum, more than a campus. It set out to transform green space into a vibrant model of urban agriculture, sustainability education, and community connection. Beginning with the Permagrow garden at L Block, the initiative now spans seven edible gardens, thematic native plantings, and composting infrastructure aligned with surrounding teaching disciplines.

Student-led initiatives—such as the 2018 Pōpopo composting hub—help Otago Polytechnic divert over seven tonnes of organic waste annually, producing up to 14 cubic metres of compost. The Living Campus offers workshops, signage, and public engagement, embedding sustainability visibly and practically across campus. After 15+ years of continuous development, it remains a powerful expression of our institutional vision: Our people make a better world – Kia tū ki te tahi.
Benefitting Society

University of Technology Sydney

Change champions: Connecting community to the classroom

Since 1996, UTS Shopfront has connected community organisations with university expertise and resources, supporting students to develop their skills to become civic-minded leaders while providing community organisations with valuable and practical real-world project solutions. The program’s unique and innovative approach to community-engaged learning is based in reciprocity and mutual value creation. Participating organisations initiate the partnership and work with Shopfront to determine their project aims and outcomes, ensuring that student work contributes to their organisational aims and addresses their social and environmental challenges.

Shopfront students act as external ‘consultants’ working in small teams to respond to project briefs, providing expertise and skills to address organisational capability gaps. Assuring quality work-integrated learning experiences, the program is designed to ensure that students are well-prepared, mentored, and have opportunities for debriefing, reflection and feedback. Community partners and academics are prepared and supported and contribute to the design and evaluation of the process of projects.