This Saturday 22 April is Earth Day, an opportunity for us to celebrate sustainability and consider more ways we can take action. 

Wondering how you can get involved with sustainability at ANU?  

Together with the Below Zero Team, we’ve compiled a list of several opportunities that can help to reduce your carbon footprint and get you involved in community initiatives where you can work with others to generate lasting, positive change.   

Travel is a valued part of the University experience with positive impacts for career development, building relationships, extending networks and beyond. It can be challenging to balance our desire to reduce our carbon footprint and undertake meaningful travel for our work or study.  

You can find practical advice for making more sustainable travel decisions in the ANU Low Carbon Travel Guidelines, developed by the ANU Below Zero Program, the University's program to be carbon negative by 2030. 

Taking public transport instead of driving can reduce your annual carbon emissions by an estimated 80 per cent and riding a bicycle for shorter trips will reduce your carbon footprint by 75 per cent. Not only are there environmental, physical, mental and financial benefits of not using a car to drive to campus, but you can also potentially save time and frustration by avoiding peak hour traffic and searching for parking spots! 

Today in Kambri, the Canberra Electric Bike Library hosted an e-bike come-and-try event in partnership with ANU Below Zero. In case you missed it, visit this webpage to find out how you can book an e-bike trial today.  

Planning an upcoming event? Consult the Low carbon events sub-guide to see how you can host a fun and engaging event that also has a low environmental impact. Hot tip: hosting a virtual or hybrid event will vastly reduce the carbon emissions for that event. Check out the story below for an easier and more efficient way to run these types of events using Zoom Events.  

Reducing our energy consumption habits is one of the most important actions that we can take to reduce our carbon footprint. Find some top tips to reduce your energy usage (and your energy bill) here. 

ANU Green Impact is a sustainability program designed for staff and students to have fun with their peers while making a positive difference. Champions from the 2022 season said that they better understand how sustainability relates to them and how their actions impact issues connected to sustainability as a result of participating in Green Impact. They also said that they have a better understanding of how to use their knowledge about sustainability to encourage change among others. Want to create a team and start growing your positive impact? Find out how to here. 

ANU Thrive supports students to connect, grow, and thrive at university. The Thrive team offers a wide range of student and community development opportunities, peer-led events and activities, and health promotion campaigns. Check out their website to participate in their activities for 2023, including the Kitchen Garden Project, ANU Community Connect and other events.  

This community-led, non-profit organisation aims to encourage zero-waste shopping, affordable access to local food and products and build a community that promotes knowledge sharing and culture. It is conveniently located on ANU campus near Barry Drive.

Sign up to become a member. For more info visit their website or follow them on Instagram.  

If you are interested in working on ANU Below Zero topics like climate science and communication, adaptation and mitigation, economics, law, policy and governance aspects of climate change vulnerability and energy, energy efficiency, renewables, battery storage and carbon sequestration, community engagement around emissions reductions and technologies that support behaviour change to reduce emissions and more, considering these options for courses and student projects that host Below Zero content, enrolling in climate change and energy degrees or courses offered at ANU or asking your course convenors about incorporating Below Zero content into the assessments.  

Interested in finding out more about ANU Below Zero? Visit their website or contact them at belowzero@anu.edu.au  

Want to learn more about Earth Day and how to get involved, visit their website to find events happening near you or to register an event. 

Thursday 20 April, 12.30-2pm 

Have you ever stopped to think about the important role that public universities play in our society?  

Australian Universities: A Conversation About Public Good aims to ignite discussions on the crucial role of public universities in our society and proposes joint initiatives to advance public good, informed by university life. The event will include a panel discussion with the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Head of the Australian Public Service Glyn Davis, Julia Horne and Susan Goodwin Gwilym Croucher from the University of Sydney and Kylie Message-Jones the Director of the ANU Humanities Research Centre, who will moderate the panel. 

Register here 

Thursday 20 April, 6.15-7.15pm 

Join the ANU Australian Studies Institute for a captivating conversation between writer, artist, and mapmaker Kim Mahood and Martin Thomas from the ANU School of History. Mahood's new book, Wandering with Intent, explores the complexities of Aboriginal and settler Australia through essays that take readers on a journey to remote places and communities where she collaborates on mapping, storytelling, and placemaking projects. 

Register here 

Did you know Zoom has introduced ‘Zoom Events’, a platform that gives you the power to create and tailor virtual and hybrid event experiences for registrants instead of trying to coordinate Zoom sessions with Eventbrite? With a pleasurable online event experience, you can grow your audience while reducing the environmental impact. Read more tips in our low-carbon event guide.  

FREE Training - Supporting Student Wellbeing and Disclosures of Sexual Misconduct 

Thursday 20 April, 12-3pm 

Participants will learn how to use the disclosure tools, provide an initial response and referral pathways within ANU and in the community. The workshop will also cover understanding the role of the Student Safety and Wellbeing team in supporting students in distress as well as support services available at ANU and in the community for staff and students. Other Health, Safety and Wellbeing Training sessions are available on the Respectful Relationships Eventbrite page.  

Register here 

 

Applications for ANIP Internships  

Applications for the Australian National Internships Program (ANIP) for Semester 2 2023 (for placements in July to October) are now open.  

ANIP is the only university program that offers Commonwealth Parliamentary Internships to students from across Australia. Interns are based in the offices of MPs and Senators and engage with a range of activities that shape national policy making. 

ANU students can also undertake ANIP internships with the ACT Legislative Assembly, Government agencies, Diplomatic Missions, NGOs and Think-tanks. Placements are for one, two or four days per week and the ANIP course includes workshops on policy research and professional skills. 

Any enrolled student who has completed 2nd year (96 units) can apply for this unique opportunity to gain valuable experience in their field of study. Undergraduate and postgraduate students studying any subject and achieving a distinction average in the relevant subject are welcome to apply. 

"ANIP has provided me with a foot in the door and valuable experience, connections, perspectives and insight that wouldn’t otherwise have been possible." Daniel Hellig-Smith, ANIP ‘18 

Applications will close on Sunday 30 April 2023 at 11.59 pm. 

Apply here for ANIP

 

Student Giveaway 

Meet the Author – Guillaume Pitron 

We have a special giveaway for the Meet the Author event with Guillaume Pitron on Wednesday 3 May. You can win a copy of his book, The Dark Cloud. How the digital world is costing the Earth and be one of the first in line to have it signed at the event.  

Two copies of The Dark Cloud. How the digital world is costing the Earth are up for grabs for ANU students (any program level) to win. Follow the instructions in the entry form to go into the draw and you could be one of the lucky winners!  

Competition closes at noon AEDT on Wednesday 26 April 2023. Terms and conditions apply. 

 

Own Your Belonging Workshop  

Wednesday 26 April 

These days we are digitally connected but often disconnected, and our need for belonging is important for physical and mental health, performance, and sustainability. In this workshop, you will learn about the science of belonging, take responsibility for your own sense of belonging, identify strategies to increase connection, and practice mindfulness to manage exclusion and nurture relationships.  

Register here 

 

EOI now open for Kambri Market stallholders 

Friday 28 April, 2-4pm 

There are new weekly markets coming to Kambri.  

This will be a weekly event with the first market being held next Friday.  

The Joplin Lane Markets will provide a great opportunity for staff and students to sell their items in a sustainable way. It’s free to have a stall, we just ask that you don’t sell food or drink. To book a stall space, contact Geraldine or Dharmesh via Kambri.venues@anu.edu.au. 

If you don't have anything to sell, come and enjoy the Joplin Lane Friday music sessions while indulging in some lunch at the Kambri tenancies and grooving to some awesome tunes, all while supporting a sustainable event initiative. 

Consultation on the ANU Gender Equity Strategy is open 

The Gender Equity Plan Taskforce and the Equity and Belonging Team have developed a draft of the University’s first Gender Equity Strategy, in collaboration with key stakeholders. Students are invited to give feedback on the Strategy. Read the draft, find out more information, and provide feedback or support at the link below. Feedback will be accepted between 17 April and 5 May 2023. 

Submit your feedback here 

 

New Anti-Racism Taskforce 

The University is aware of the challenges experienced by staff and students of colour in university settings. As set out in our Strategic Plan, ANU is committed to being a standard bearer for equity and inclusion so we want to ensure that our systems and processes are fit for purpose, and that all staff and students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to make our community a safer, respectful and equitable place. An Anti-Racism Taskforce has been established to identify opportunities to further improve our culture and operations, to effectively respond to and reduce racial prejudice in all forms. 

The Anti-Racism Taskforce, chaired by Professor Sujatha Raman, is currently conducting initial consultations and are approaching a number of stakeholders and experts within the University to identify good practices already within the University and opportunities to further develop them or create new opportunities to advance and promote a culture of respect and inclusion where diversity is embraced and celebrated. 

If you would like to contribute, we would love to hear from you. Please send your comments and ideas to belonging@anu.edu.au before 10 May. 

Join the ANU Green Network - an online resource for you to get involved with environmental sustainability at ANU.  

This Teams channel and SharePoint site connect staff and students with easy-to-access resources, tips and updates on sustainability and climate action on campus. You can connect with others around the University via the discussion boards to post opportunities on sustainability-related projects or events, collaborate and inspire others to make positive changes and share your insights on local problem-solving and overcoming challenges to act more sustainably.  

Join now and become a part of the ANU Green Network today.