Living campuses | Environmental Sustainability

Goal: Create healthy, resilient places for learning and research where people and nature thrive.

Why this matters

We aim to support active lifestyles, conserve ecosystems, and enable students and staff to connect with nature through our 'Living campuses' theme. This connection not only benefits the people at our campuses and field stations, but also the wildlife and ecosystems which call them home.

Many of our students and staff are already highly engaged in environmental sustainability issues and their time at UNSW can help prepare them to contribute to a better world.

What we are doing

Supporting active lifestyles through an active travel masterplan and improving facilities
Measuring the biodiversity value of our Kensington campus, via a metric which tracks our progress in conserving and enhancing ecosystems.
Embedding leading sustainable design practices into the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure
Implementing the Laboratory Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) to engage laboratory users in practices to save energy, water and waste.

Our progress to date

Successfully rolled out and expanded the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) program, with 59 laboratory teams now accredited University-wide.
Developed and implemented a sustainability framework for new buildings and refurbishment projects.
Undertook a pilot initiative to track to nature value at Kensington campus and embed nature objectives in campus planning.
Completed and launched the SDG Toolkit (Moodle log-in) and SDG Module to enable UNSW academics to integrate sustainability thinking into their courses. View the public YouTube playlist.
Climate Fresk program engaged 160 students and staff in climate science and solutions.

Extending our impact beyond UNSW campuses

After more than 150 years of agricultural land use, UNSW Sydney will restore the Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station in the far west outback of NSW into a dedicated site for conservation and restoration.

Fowlers Gap with Doug Gimesy

The 39,000-hectare property located 1250km from Sydney – deep in NSW’s arid zone – has operated as a sheep station and research hub for half a century. UNSW holds a perpetual lease to the station and has hosted many researchers, students and artists looking to study one of Australia’s most iconic ecosystems – the arid zone.

"As rich and diverse as the knowledge this station has sprung in its 50 years as part farming property, we are looking forward to restoring this site’s biodiversity and ecosystems,” UNSW Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Attila Brungs, said during a visit to the site. “Our aim is to make this area a beacon for arid ecology research. We have started by removing sheep and we are now restoring the ecosystem."

How you can help

Join the UNSW Urban Growers

The UNSW Urban Growers is a staff and student group focused on creating and maintaining new green food growing spaces across the UNSW campuses

Get involvedchevron_right

Learn more about sustainable development

The UNSW Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Toolkit provides a platform for academics to integrate ‘SDG thinking’ across education platforms, based on the framework established by the United Nations.

Note: A UNSW zID is required to view this content.

View SDG Toolkitchevron_right

Register a LEAF team

The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) is an internationally recognised accreditation that aims to improve environmental outcomes and build a culture of sustainable practice in laboratories around the world.

Learn morechevron_right