Our 2020 Student & Staff Sustainability Survey indicated that overall awareness of University sustainability issues has increased since 2018, with 17 per cent of survey respondents reporting high levels of awareness. This represents a six point increase on 2018 and exceeds the Plan’s 15 percent target. Despite this increase, awareness levels fell short on the Plan’s second, broader awareness target: 61 percent of respondents reported ‘moderate’ or higher levels of awareness, nine points short of the 70 percent target.

Future directions

Student and staff awareness, perceptions and attitudes to climate change and sustainability are evolving. The University is being challenged to do better.  Feedback from students and staff has highlighted the need for better alignment of institutional action with the sustainability priorities of our student and staff community – and for greater empowerment of our ‘grassroots’ staff and students to lead, innovate and collaborate on institutional initiatives under the Plan.

New Plan development activity incorporates a review of staff and student engagement in Plan delivery. Key areas of consideration are ways of framing and formalising the role of students and staff, and how richer participation might be achieved through a more holistic approach to integrating the Plan’s operational, governance and curriculum-integration activities.  Also in focus are methods for improving the way we listen to and communicate with our students and staff, and raising awareness of Sustainability at Melbourne with our student and staff audiences.