The University of Tasmania’s record and contribution in sustainability has been recognised again with success in the 2023 International Green Gown Awards.
The awards, announced as part of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, recognise exceptional sustainability initiatives in the world's universities and colleges.
In a field of 93 university finalists from 25 countries, the University of Tasmania was Highly Commended in two categories:
- The Benefitting Society category: for Curious Climate Tasmania (CCT), an initiative led by Professor Gretta Pecl and Dr Chloe Lucas. CCT is a publicly-powered science engagement program that bridges the gap between experts and audiences with credible, relevant information about climate change
- The Next Generation Learning and Skills category: for the Diploma and Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living, two online courses that have made substantial new contributions to education in sustainability by reaching over 6,000 students to date, mostly from parts of the community that have difficulty accessing traditional university offerings. More than 200 staff contributed to creating and teaching into the Diploma and Undergraduate Certificate, coordinated by Professor Greg Jordan and Anna Flittner.
The University’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Corey Peterson, said the two programs highlighted that the University is a global leader in providing the community with knowledge and evidence about climate action and sustainability.
"The climate emergency is happening now and universities play a key role in society’s response. Programs like these enable us all to make a difference."
“The experience of Curious Climate Tasmania tells us that people are curious and concerned about climate initiatives. We have been keen to meet people in as many settings as we can outside the University to help answer that curiosity.
“The Diploma and Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living courses demonstrate the very high level of community interest in learning about sustainability principles and practice. People are passionate about wanting to live more sustainably and are keen to access the latest thinking about how to do so.”
About the award-winning programs:
- Curious Climate Tasmania (CCT) delivers public-powered scientific engagement, bridging the gap between experts and audiences with credible, relevant information about climate change. CCT is different from most science communication projects in that it asks the community what they want to know about climate change and responds directly to their questions. Curious Climate Schools is a component of CCT that since 2020 has involved 1300 students aged 9-18. CCT is a collaborative project between the University of Tasmania-hosted Centre for Marine Socioecology, the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, the School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, Climate Futures, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, the ABC, the Tasmanian Government and CSIRO.
- The Diploma and Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living are fully online courses developed by the University of Tasmania that have been running since 2018. They aim to create a very broad understanding of the concepts, implications, and relevance of sustainability, founded on rigorous academic knowledge. The courses have made substantial and new contributions to education in sustainability by reaching over 6,000 students to date, mostly from parts of the community that are poorly served by standard university offerings. The courses are interdisciplinary, addressing sustainability through biology, ecology, geology, economics, climatology, governance, communication, ethics, health, sociology, and indigenous knowledge.
The University of Tasmania has been certified carbon neutral since 2016, divested from fossil fuel investments in 2021, has dramatically reduced embodied carbon in new buildings, and has committed to reducing gross carbon emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030.
The International Winners and Finalists: www.greengownawards.org/2023-intl.
Recognition for sustainability at the University of Tasmania
This is the third year running that the University of Tasmania has been recognised in the International Green Gown Awards.
The University is ranked 5th in the world by Times Higher Education for its performance against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
This overall ranking is supported by our leadership in a number of goals, including:
- 1st in the world for Climate Action
- 3rd in the world for Life Below Water and
- 4th in the world for Life on Land.