Sustainability in the Australasian University Context

A number of EfS case studies from Australia are contained in a new book called “Sustainability in the Australasian University Context” recently published by Peter Lang.

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The Green Office

Text from a play presented by Matthew Salter at the ACTS conference.

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Environmental factsheets/tip posters

Heating effectively and efficiently in colder months at the ANU – an example of generic behaviour based tips to help staff keep warm during colder months at the ANU.

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Cooling effectively and efficiently in warmer months at the ANU - an example of generic behaviour based tips to help staff keep cool during warmer months at the ANU.

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Staying cool in Summer at School of Social Sciences – an example of behaviour based tips tailored to a particular campus building, to help staff keep cool during Summer (ANU)

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Rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle options for waste minimisation poster (ANU)

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Crikey! Monitor energy consumption poster (ANU)

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How to use your heaters at ANU poster 9 (ANU)

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Houston we have a paper consumption problem poster (ANU)

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Tackling storm water pollution poster (ANU)

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Water conservation poster (ANU)

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Why recycle poster (ANU)

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Bin there done that

A guide to removing waste bins from your office. (Monash, 2006)

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Recycling at Monash: A survivor’s guide (Monash , 2006)

Introduces the concept of “Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Also outlines various programs for Reduce, reuse and recycling at Monash.

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Green Action Checklist and Matching Tips

These resources give an example of how a program promoting sustainable behaviour’s may be presented to a general audience (via Green Action Checklists such as the Monash 10 point plan, the ANUgreen 12 point plan for a green workplace, or the ANUgreen 12 point checklist for individual staff in a green workplace). Each sustainable behaviour outlined on a green action checklist is then supported by an explanatory tip-poster or guidebook, outlining the rationale for adopting a new sustainable behaviour, and also providing instructions for how to adopt this new behaviour.

Green Action Checklists

Green Office 10 Point Plan - a checklist outlining behaviours that constitute a green workplace, designed to be displayed publicly and thereby remind workers of their workplace’s commitment to sustainability.

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The Green Office 12 point plan – a checklist outlining 12 desirable actions for individuals to adopt in order to act sustainably in the workplace which individuals can display at their workstation (ANU).

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Matching Tips for Green Action Checklists

Tip-posters outlining reason for action and action to behave more sustainably, according to the 12 Point plan (ANU)

Double side printing and photocopying tip poster

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Keep the drain for the rain tip poster

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Purchasing environmentally responsible paper tip poster

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Purchasing non disposable or recyclable crockery/cutlery tip poster

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Purchasing re-manufactured toner cartridges and recycling toner cartridges tip poster

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Recycling tip poster

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Using scrap paper tip poster

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Switch off the lights tip poster

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Switch off the monitors tip poster

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Travel sustainably tip poster

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Report water leaks and water wastage tip poster

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Environmental Assessment and Reporting Tools in the one package

Green Office Environmental Assessment Guide - An environmental assessment process designed to measure and monitor the environmental performance of an organisation. More specifically, this process enables one to: (1) Identify initial (or ‘baseline’) environmental performance, (2) Identify successes and areas for improvement in environmental performance, and (3) Monitor subsequent performance (Monash)

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Environmental Assessment Form: a simple but effective environmental assessment comprising (1) a walk through environmental assessment for a workplace, (2) staff practices survey, and (3) purchasing survey. This survey is designed to ascertain what areas a workplace is performing well in, and what areas could be improved upon. These environmental assessment forms are designed to be completed in conjunction with the Green Office Environmental Assessment guide. (Monash)

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Environmental Assessment Summary Spreadsheet – an excel spreadsheet designed to process data gained via the staff, purchasing survey and walkthrough audit, to generate a graphical representation of an area’s environmental performance, identifying areas of good performance, and areas needing improvement. (Monash)

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Skills and Tools: A practical guide to project development and management (Monash Green Office Program, 2006). Provides an introduction to project development and management, focusing on the Green Office Project Cycle. This overview provides a formal structure for measuring, monitoring and reporting environmental performance, which was requested by Monash Green Office Reps who reported needing more skills to foster environmental change in their departments. (Monash)

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Reporting Tools

Minor environmental assessment report (2 pages) (Green Steps)

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Major Environmental Assessment Report template (max 10 pages) (Green Steps)

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Example of minor environmental assessment report for Monash (Monash)

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Summarising The Data

GOP rating system – a basic tool to input data from the waste audit, staff survey, purchasing survey and energy audit to generate an overall Green Office Rating. This tool is useful to capture a snapshot of existing practices in an area which have an environmental impact in a relatively small amount of time. The limitation with this survey and reporting method however is that often only small sample sizes are collected, which means the results may not be truly representative. Another limitation is that often the results of the assessment come out a long time after the intervention that it measures. More specific data reflecting the financial and environmental impact of certain environmental action-interventions can be sought by using more of the detail from the audit, which is not typically used to generate the GOP Rating. (Monash)

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Staff Office Practices

Green Office Program Staff Survey (for awareness raising/benchmarking/determining priorities for local area action) (Monash & ANU)

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