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sustainability forums and initiatives. At these
occasions the University Sustainability Manager
Danielle McCartney explains and demonstrates
their green campus basic concept.
The sustainability principles and rules that
inform the campus master plan projects, will
be supported by a $1 billion dollar investment
that will lead to a 30% reduction in greenhouse
gases by 2020-21. An important target
underpinned by seven key themes defined in
the UTS’s ESD Master Plan:
• Water
• Daylight
• Transport
• Energy
• Flexibility/adaptability
• Work environment
• Education product
Add to these points the ESD Master Plan
explores these themes at two levels:
• UTS City Campus as a whole,
• Holistic strategies such as storm water
recycling or waste reduction that are either
campus-wide or relate to multiple buildings,
• Individual buildings,
• Building-specific ESD strategies such
as natural ventilation systems, rainwater
capture or photovoltaic panels.
UTS is also an important reference for the
sustainability in Australia, the University is
a founding member of the Green Building
Council of Australia. All new buildings delivered
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under the City Campus Master Plan are
targeting a minimum 5-star Green Star Rating,
but it’s important to notice that the major
refurbishments will target a minimum 4-Star
rating. It’s a significant aspect of the UTS policy,
not only the new buildings should be green, as
written in sustainability rules http://www.gsu.
uts.edu.au/policies/sustainability-policy.html.
The simple statement of the intent of the
policy is right at the start, “The University
aims to demonstrate leadership in sustainable
development in the university sector, and
to foster sustainability values and principles
for students, employees and the wider
community” so Danielle McCartney describes
us the task of UTS in the urban community.
A perfect example is the sustainability features
of the new Faculty of Engineering and IT
building, which has been described as a living
lab with its “roof top renewable energy linked to
electric car recharge points in the basement,
and urine diversion plumbing to capture and
process urine into fertilizer for crops. It’s a world
first, integrating UTS research into cutting edge
building design.”
At the end, we can consider UTS a forerunner
of a new Campus vision and mission, a path to
follow for the next generation of universities, all
around the world.