QUT is upgrading its security car fleet to include four electric vehicles as part of its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Assistant Minister Hydrogen Development and the 50% Renewable Energy Target, Mr Lance McCallum MP, joined QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil in launching the new vehicles at the start of QUT Sustainability Week yesterday.
QUT Campus Services and Procurement Director Rebecca Pritchard said the university was thrilled to have worked with QFleet to acquire four electric Hyundai electric Kona cars to be used by the university’s security team.
“The cars look absolutely fantastic and I’m so excited to see these launched as part of Sustainability Week,” Ms Pritchard said.
Ms Pritchard said the cars would save around six tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in total over 12 months.
“QUT is planning to increasingly replace petrol vehicles with sustainable electric cars as we turn over our fleet. We’re also planning to roll out more electric vehicle charging points within our car parks, and the power these use will be offset by our solar installations,” she said.
“We’ll be using our new electric vehicles on both the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses and their great signage helps us show we are walking the talk on sustainability.”
Professor Sheil said the new leasing agreement with QFleet was just one part of the university’s plan to meet its sustainability targets.
“Sustainability is embedded into our strategic plan and we are constantly reviewing and updating our goals to make sure we act with sufficient urgency and do what we say we will,” she said.
“Our sustainability strategy guides our actions in research, teaching and operations. Our green practices are both big and small: from refillable water stations to design guidelines that ensure new buildings meet the highest energy efficiency and sustainability standards,” she said.
“We are also embedding sustainability in all our teaching, have signed an agreement for 50% renewable energy with a new solar farm near Columboola, and our world-class researchers work closely with industry to bring their cutting-edge sustainable ideas to reality,” she said
“It’s really exciting to see QUT practising sustainability from the ground up,” she said.
Assistant Minister McCallum said he was pleased to see more organisations going electric.
“Congratulations to QUT for really revving up its sustainability,” he said.
