2020 Sustainability Institution of the Year Highly Commended: Charles Sturt University – Australia

Charles Sturt University - Creating a world worth living in 

When Charles Sturt University adopted the Learning in Future Environments Index in 2012, and embedded as a KPI in the university strategy, the path was set for an ongoing commitment towards best practice across the whole-institution. Headline achievements include: being the first certified carbon neutral tertiary institution; Graduate Learning Outcomes incorporating sustainable practices; our Research Narrative framed around ‘creating a world worth living in;’ establishing in one of Australia’s largest rooftop solar energy systems by 2019; and investing $996,000 in sustainability and research grants between 2009 and 2018. Charles Sturt has demonstrated improvement each year. 

Top three learnings: 

1. Human relationships are everything. Involving the people with the key decision-making capacity and demonstrating to them how sustainability is part of their role is a primary factor for success. 
2. Measure, measure, measure – you can’t see your progress and achievements unless you know your baselines.  
3. Continue to set targets and strive for continual improvement. Charles Sturt won this category in 2011 and we’ve built learnings with best available knowledge and resources ever since.