Climate action requires a whole-of-system approach and needs us all to work together. Therefore, University of Otago works collaboratively with many areas of local, regional, and national government, as well as NGOs and community groups. This includes the innovative approach of the Zero Carbon Alliance in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
CANIE Accord
The University has recently become a Signatory to the CANIE Accord, a public commitment to climate action that was developed in consultation with leaders from international education peak bodies, associations, higher education institutions, university networks, media, national governments, corporations, supranational bodies, scholarship bodies, and more. The CANIE Accord, and accompanying Glasgow Paper, represent the international education sector’s climate ambitions and commitment to align with scientific recommendations and global climate agreements. By becoming a Signatory to the CANIE Accord, the University is strengthening and accelerating the international education sector’s collective response to the climate crisis.
Details of our commitments can be found on the CANIE website
Find out more about the CANIE Accord
Zero Carbon Alliance (ZCA)
The University is a founding member of the Dunedin ZCA. This group includes Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council, Te Whatu Ora, and Te Pūkenga Otago Polytechnic. This group has committed at a strategic leadership level to create, share, and support collaborative emissions reduction initiatives.
There is focus on the city-wide Dunedin Zero Carbon 2030 Plan, as well as the commitments and plans of the individual organisations. The annual workplan includes a range of initiatives such as the co-funding of a shared Workplace Travel Planner. This shared role supports travel surveys across the members, and initiatives to promote lower emission travel behaviour.
Student groups
The Sustainability Office engages with student groups through a range of engagement and education events such as volunteer tree planting, documentary movie nights, and Te Oraka: the good space. Student groups include:
- Students for Environmental Action
- Social Impact Studio
- UniCrew
- Slow Food Youth
- AAPES (Animal, Aquatic, Plant, Ecological Society)
Education sector collaboration
Within Aotearoa New Zealand we are part of two groups working towards emissions reductions in the education sector. Sustainable Tertiary Education NZ (STENZ) is an informal group which meets monthly online to share best practice and challenges. Universities New Zealand also has an SDG community of practice with a significant emphasis on emissions reductions, as is apparent in the first sector-wide sustainability report released by the group in late 2023.
Universities New Zealand Sustainability Report 2023
Within an Australasian context the University of Otago is an active member of Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS). As well as significant work on climate action within the annual ACTS conference there are regular member round tables.