QUT will showcase its commitment to sustainability when it holds its second university-wide Sustainability Week from August 22 to 26.
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) Professor Kerrie Wilson said the week would give students, staff and the broader community a chance to consider their impact on the earth, and the opportunity to better understand how individuals, and the university, can become more sustainable.
“The week celebrates our sustainability successes in research, on-campus activities and in our personal lives,” Professor Wilson said.
“Climate change is an existential threat and we are losing our biodiversity at an alarming rate, so reducing environmental impacts should be a high priority for us as an organisation, and as individuals.
“QUT is committed to pursuing sustainability through research and education offerings that explore the environmental, social, economic, cultural and legal dimensions of sustainability.
“Sustainability Week gives us the chance to hear from QUT experts, and other sustainability leaders to help guide us towards living in harmony with our planet.”
QUT Sustainability manager, Leigh Burgess said QUT Sustainability Week offered an opportunity for everyone to engage with sustainability.
“Sustainability at QUT is accessible by design, and Sustainability Week exemplifies that,” Ms Burgess said.
“Whether you want to plant trees to increase biodiversity on campus or join us online for a discussion forum – we’ve tried to make sure there is something for everyone.”
On August 22, award-winning journalist Sally Eeles will lead a panel discussion that will provide insights into the partnerships powering a sustainable future, featuring:
- Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development and the 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target by 2030, Mr Lance McCallum MC
- QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO
- QUT’s Associate Professor Sara Couperthwaite from the Lava Blue Centre for Predictive Research into Specialty Materials (PRiSM)
- Mayor Barcaldine Regional Council, Cr Sean Dillon
- Executive General Manager Future Energy at CS Energy, Emma Roberts
Also on August 22, QUT will invite staff and students to tour the solar panels on campus at Gardens Point and join in a discussion of the university’s next steps to net-zero.
The first Sustainability Makers Market will take place on August 23 at Old Government House and will feature artwork, fashion, jewellery and homewares with a sustainability focus.
Panels will be held alongside these markets looking at creating a more sustainable manufacturing industry, the circular economy and how we can provide more sustainable and healthy food options at QUT’s campuses.
On August 24 staff and students will be invited to plant a tree on campus and visit the clothing repair café where QUT’s fashion students will teach the skills required to extend the life of clothes.
Academics, researchers and practitioners will gather on August 25 for a workshop on designing sustainable and resilient communities, with a focus on engaging and working with groups to address challenges, such as social inequality, economic disparity and environmental degradation.
The week will conclude on August 26 with a keynote session from Queensland filmmaker and biologist, Dr Chadden Hunter.
Dr Hunter has spent the past 20 years working alongside Sir David Attenborough directing the world’s most famous nature films. In this session he will ask thought-provoking questions about whether nature shows can do anything for global sustainability.
A full list of events and sessions can be found on the QUT Sustainability Week website.
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