The University of Otago is in the top five per cent of universities globally for sustainability, despite more vying for that ranking in the QS World University Rankings.
The University has also slashed energy emissions by half while reducing waste faster than expected; and Otago has won Australasian Green Gown Awards every year since first entering in 2021, claiming an international Green Gown Award last year for Te Oraka: The Good Space, a thrift shop and sustainability hub.
In a report to Council, Sustainability Office Head Dr Ray O’Brien says these successes should be celebrated, but the hard work is not yet done.
“Our University has made incredible progress through so many groups’ hard work and collaboration on initiatives, but there’s lots more to do.”
Downs and ups
While staff and students’ on-campus activities have returned almost to pre-pandemic levels, the University’s carbon emissions are still 31 per cent below its 2019 base year, showing progress in the University’s contribution to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
But within that envelope, the University’s emissions have risen by nine per cent in the past three years. The figures are driven by more University-funded air travel since COVID restrictions started lifting in 2021 and an increase in student travel and food-related emissions.
Students
Travel to campus, commuting, and catering in the residential colleges are the most significant student related emissions, Ray says.
However, Otago is leading the way internationally by measuring student travel emissions and considering how to alleviate their impact, which includes supporting alternative domestic travel options and investigating off-setting emissions.
Otago calculates emissions for single dishes and entire menus.
Otago is also tackling food waste:
- A master student is auditing amounts and types of food waste across all colleges
- Working with Waste Management New Zealand so four colleges’ food waste go into a digester to become compost
- Education in colleges, using smaller plates, and getting rid of trays are all supported by research from Otago’s Food Waste Innovation research group as proven ways to reduce food waste
Otago also has opportunities to investigate introducing emissions labelling so staff and students know the impact of their food choices and assessing any behaviour change initiatives impacts.
Staff travel
Otago did not meet the target for ‘business’ (staff work-related) air travel emissions last year of 5,500 tCO2-e despite it allowing for increases to recognise air travel is sometimes essential, especially for early career researchers, Ray says.
But, the University recently enabled more real-time information about travel bookings and has previously reduced travel financial budgets and changed policies to better support combining several trips into one and attending conferences and events online.
It is clear that managers are now making more considered decisions about air travel approvals, but there is still a lot of work to do, Ray says.
Energy
A drop in energy emissions is leading change across the sector, he says.
Otago’s leading-edge energy analytics programme introduced to seven Dunedin campus buildings helped reduce their energy costs by about 15 per cent in the first year.
All coal boilers have been eliminated in the past four years – including Christchurch last year and Invercargill this year – because coal is the worst fossil fuel for emitting greenhouse gases.
Now, Otago is working on eliminating natural gas and liquid petroleum gas.
However, while driving efficiencies, the University’s demand for electricity is also increasing as heating and vehicles are electrified to lower emissions.
Waste
Otago has consistently outstripped its aim to decrease total waste by 6 per cent a year. The University beat its target last year by about 170 tonnes, to 1,229 tonnes, Ray says.
However, the amount of waste diverted from landfill last year was only 17 per cent, not the University’s ambitious target of 50 per cent.
So, the Sustainability Office’s efforts have included employing another Tētēkura (student lead) to focus on waste sorting education and public spaces, including examining waste types in The Link’s bins and how to divert more from landfill.
Planning is underway for another Tētēkura to work with colleges and a new waste management procedure is on the way to set minimum standards for dealing with waste of all types.
Global warming
Building on existing national and regional climate-related risk assessments, the entire tertiary sector has created possible climate change scenarios and Otago has looked at the physical risk to campus assets, Ray says.
Now the Sustainability Office will run a series of workshops from staff across the University with diverse perspectives to evaluate how it should respond, focusing on both risks and opportunities.
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