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Swinburne University of Technology sustainability covenant

Mick Bourke, Chairman EPA Victoria, and Ian Young, Vice Chancellor, Swinburne University of Technology Mick Bourke, Chairman EPA Victoria, and Ian Young, Vice Chancellor, Swinburne University of Technology, holding the signed covenant.

On 10 October 2005, Swinburne University of Technology and EPA Victoria signed a sustainability covenant. This sustainability covenant will help Swinburne move to being more sustainable with support from EPA.

This agreement aims to:

  • reduce the ecological impact of Swinburne University's operations, and
  • increase the efficiency of resources used.

Swinburne University will focus on being more sustainable across four areas of the business:

  1. Learning and teaching for sustainability
  2. Research for sustainability
  3. Engaging with industry and community for sustainability
  4. A workplace for sustainability.

Some of the initiatives committed to include:

  • incorporate sustainability into course material and training packages by establishing pilot projects for both the Higher Education Divisions and the TAFE Division
  • encourage the 'greening' of apprenticeships and traineeship programs, for example:
    • focusing on sustainability in horticulture programs
    • promote life cycle thinking
  • encourage academic staff and students to undertake and publish research for sustainability
  • identify additional training, research and consulting services that Swinburne can provide to industry and community
  • incorporate minimum sustainability criteria into supplier and business contracts
  • prepare a sustainability report by 2008:
    • develop improved measurement systems and key performance indicators as a first priority.

This sustainability covenant will operate for three years and yearly reports will be available on the websites of both EPA Victoria and Swinburne University.

Swinburne University is a dual sector university and is one of a few Australian universities whose responsibilities span the range of programs from apprenticeships to PhDs.

Swinburne maintains a strong technology base and important links with industry, along with a number of innovative specialist research centres like the National Centre for Sustainability.

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Contact details

For more information, contact:

National Centre for Sustainability – Swinburne University of Technology
John Street
Hawthorn Victoria 3122
Telephone: (03) 9214 5957
Send an email

EPA Victoria
GPO Box 4395QQ
Melbourne VIC 3001
Telephone: (03) 9695 2722
Send an email

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