You might have seen the electric carts around CSU’s Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses, joined in at a tree-planting day or recycled your empty water bottles on campus.
All these are things you can do to help protect the environment, and your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
CSU has been certified as Australia’s first Carbon Neutral University, recognised by the Australian Government’s Carbon Neutral Program and certified against the National Carbon Offset Standard.
So what does this mean?
Becoming carbon neutral means CSU has zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
This can be achieved through a combination of reducing emissions on campus, saving energy, and then purchasing carbon offsets or carbon credits to offset any remaining emissions.
Vice-Chancellor Andrew Vann says CSU’s certification is one way we can lead the pack in environmental sustainability.
“With our carbon neutral certification Charles Sturt University is showing all Australian communities how we can live more sustainable lives in our unique environment,” he said.
“We hope that we can inspire other organisations, both regional and national, to seek to achieve these standards and do their bit for the planet.”
Try these everyday tips to help make your own contribution:
- join a tree-planting day on a CSU campus (there’s one coming up at CSU in Port Macquarie on Sunday from 10am to 1pm)
- share the driving to uni with your friends, or even ride a bike
- switch off the lights when you leave a room
- buy a “keep cup” for your coffees, or use the recycling bins on campus.
Read more about CSU’s achievements in becoming Australia’s first Carbon Neutral University.
