The University of Queensland celebrated World Environment Day today by recognising the significant contribution of its greenest offices and labs.
At a sustainable breakfast event today, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Max Lu presented four Green Office Awards and recognised 10 staff participating in the Green Labs pilot program, which commenced this year.
Professor Lu said that for him, sustainability meant how to care for the environment, how to make a difference, and leave the planet a better place for current and future generations.
“At UQ, sustainability means we need to educate our students and staff about concepts and ideals, and the science which underpins sustainable behaviours, and to conduct research in areas such as energy conservation,” Professor Lu said.
“We are practising what we preach.
“UQ’s Sustainability Committee chaired by UQ’s Executive Director (Operations) Maurie McNarn and including senior members of the University has established a sustainable direction for UQ including objectives, targets and plans, and monitors progress and reporting successes against them.
“We have approved a raft of initiatives which are having impact.”
Deputy Director Property and Facilities Geoff Dennis said changing culture across the University was an important focus for the University’s sustainability initiatives.
UQ has an aspirational carbon reduction target of 25 per cent below 2009 levels by 2020.
“It is challenging because we are a growing university, but the range of initiatives includes building Australia’s largest solar array, which has avoided $300,000 in electricity costs,” he said.
Other initiatives supported by UQ included the building of the six star Global Change Institute building, the implementation of a large-scale waste contract, the purchase of zero emissions electricity vehicles and a biodiversity and wildlife program.
A Climate Action Plan had been developed for consideration by the Sustainability Steering Committee.
Dr Jacqueline Robinson of the UQ School of Economics and Mr Rowan Dowland from bankmecu were guest speakers.
The Dentistry Library, which enjoys more than 90,000 visits a year, won the Best New Initiative award.
“Our initiative was educating students about recycling and reusing, using prominent displays and posters,” said Jenny Hall, Green Office Representative for the Dentistry Library.
“We hope students will extend sustainable habits into their personal lives.”
Lab manager Ekaterina Nowak collected a Green Labs certificate of recognition on behalf of postdoctoral researcher Dr Lilia Costa Carvalhais of the Plant Microbe Interactions and Algae Biotechnology Labs, which are conducting biofuels research in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.
Ekaterina and researcher Associate Professor Peer Schenk said the certificate recognised an audit conducted with the Institute for Molecular Bioscience. The labs will represent UQ at the Sunshine Coast World Environment Day activities on Sundaywith a biofuels from algae display and a presentation by Associate Professor Schenk.
More than 120 staff participate in UQ's Green Office Program, an initiative established in 2006 where staff promote good environmental practices in their work area.
The Green Labs Program was developed in 2011 and the pilot program is due to conclude at the close of first semester 2012.
To find out more about the programs visit Green Office and Green Labs online.
Green Office http://www.uq.edu.au/sustainability/green-office-program
Green Labs http://www.uq.edu.au/sustainability/green-labs-program
The winners were:
Certificates of recognition for the Green Labs Pilot Program
· Daniel Tang, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
· Lilia Costa Carvalhais, Faculty of Science
· Jane Ellis, Queensland Brain Institute
· Suzanne Manning, Institute for Molecular Bioscience
· Tim Butler, Queensland Brain Institute
· Sophie Tajouri, Queensland Brain Institute
· Sheena Chen, School of Chemical Engineering
· John Basiden, Queensland Brain Institute
· Casey Pfluger, UQCCR
· Rebecca Johnston, UQCCR
Green Office Award recipients
Best New Green Office Area
· Institute of Modern Languages, Jessica Roessler
· P&F Ipswich, Mark Glindemann
Best Green Office Initiative
· Jenny Hall, Dentistry Library
Most Motivated Green Office Representative
· Alice Stokes, Research Data Storage Infrastructure Project
