Goal #13

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

We are the problem, but also the solution.

Greenhouse gases are still rising and climate change is occurring at rates much higher than anticipated just a few years ago. The rise in emissions makes a warming trajectory of 1.5 - 2 degrees – the stated goal of the UN – increasingly difficult  to realise and emphasises why we must act to reduce our emissions now. Ultimately, human behaviour has caused climate change and its only by changing human behaviour that we’re going to solve the problem. The are lots of simple actions that are easy to implement and effective, especially if we all adopt them, including reducing car use, reducing food waste, eating more plant based food, and getting involved in groups to integrate climate change majors in to national policy.

In this video, Professor Ben Newell from the School of Psychology, UNSW, breaks down some of the key challenges behind SDG #13

Windmills

TEDI-London PLuS Alliance Initiative

The TEDI-London PLuS Alliance is a joint initiative of UNSW, Arizona State University and King's College London. In 2021, the ‘Engineering for People Design Challenge’ was run as part of the TEDI-London course in partnership with Engineers without Borders UK. The challenge brief required students to think carefully about the impact their ideas had whilst developing their solutions - considering not only the design brief, but the potential consequences that their work might have on the social, environmental and ethical factors involved. 

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SMaRT@UNSW

SMaRT@UNSW, in partnership with the University of Newcastle, was awarded $50 million under the Australian Government’s Trailblazer Universities Program for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) in 2022. It is working to commercialise projects that will help Australia and the world transition to sustainable recycling and clean energy solutions and systems.

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A group of students at the UNSW SMaRT Centre learning about e-waste microrecycling

What are the economic implications of a changing climate?

The lecture presented by Dr Timothy Neal explores the potential channels through which climate change will impact our economy, and the unrealistic assumptions that underlie current models used to predict the economic impact of a changing climate. 

Awards

2021 Chemeca Medal

Scientia Professor Rose Amal

Scientia Professor Rose Amal from UNSW Engineering was awarded the 2021 Chemeca Medal by the Australian and New Zealand Federation of Chemical Engineers (ANZFChE), the most prestigious award in the chemical engineering profession in Australia and New Zealand.

The award is in recognition of her world-leading research in the fields of fine particle technology, photocatalysis and functional nanomaterials, which has profound implications for solar and chemical energy conversion applications such as treating water, purifying air, and generating renewable hydrogen economically and sustainably.

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2022 NSW Sustainability Awards (Net Zero Action)

Manufacturing photovoltaic objects

UNSW Sydney was announced as the winner of the 'Net Zero Action' category in the 2022 NSW Sustainability Awards, presented by the Banksia Foundation.

The University picked up the award in recognition of its efforts to achieve net zero emissions through energy efficiency and onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) initiatives, switching to 100% renewable electricity through a landmark Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), and measuring and targeting value chain emissions from sources such as purchased goods and services, investments, and travel.

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UNSW Environmental Sustainability


Environmental sustainability is a key element of our 2025 Strategy. Through this, we have made it our mission to become the first university in Australia to commit to having 100% of its electricity supplied by photovoltaic solar power. Our students and staff are actively engaged in environmental and social issues. We recognise that we are uniquely positioned to contribute to solving global environmental challenges through teaching, research, thought leadership and demonstrating leading practices on our campuses.

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Centres

UNSW CCRC is a multi-disciplinary research centre comprising one of the largest university research facilities of its kind in Australia, administered within the School of BEES in the Faculty of Science. CCRC houses research expertise in the key areas of Earth's climate: atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial processes and applies basic scientific principles to pressing questions on climate dynamics, global climate change, and extremes of weather and climate. It also provides courses, education programmes or campaigns on climate change risks, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

UNSW-led International Universities Climate Alliance has a membership of about 58 universities globally and its mandate is to amplify university research via global communication, to influence policy makers and counter misinformation in the public. One of the topics the Alliance is tackling is decarbonisation of the sector, including campus sustainability and achieving net zero targets.

 

 

UNSW is a founding member of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEx), located on our main campus and directed by UNSW Professor Andy Pitman. CLEx exists to transform our understanding of events such as heatwaves, droughts and storms. It provides data, tools, advisory services and education for local, national and international governments, helping them to plan for climate change.  

UNSW SDGs Annual Report 2022 cover image

UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2022 Report


This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs in 2022.


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