KUCHING/MELBOURNE – In line with Swinburne University of Technology’s commitment to sustainability, Swinburne Actions for Sustainability Impact (SA4SI) hosted the fourth episode of its Virtual Chat series on 29 September 2022 to commemorate the Global Goals Week 2022.
The event – which was a collaboration between the Swinburne School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship (SoBLE) in Hawthorn, Melbourne and Swinburne Sarawak’s Faculty of Business, Design and Arts – aimed to bring Swinburne students, academics, guest speakers and professional staff into a conversation to discuss practical ways to engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in daily life.
SA4SI endeavours to deliver on SoBLE’s commitment as a signatory to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME).
Special guest and expert panellist Giselle Weybrecht, recognised advisor, speaker, thought leader, social entrepreneur and author of the ‘The Sustainable MBA: A Business Guide to Sustainability’ and ‘The Future MBA’, shared key insights on how consumers play a pivotal role in determining what products can or cannot make it to the market.
A six-step ‘P.L.E.A.S.E.’ method was discussed, which included considering what goes into a product and how it impacts the environment, where the product originates from, whether it is essential at the present time, whether alternatives are available without making a new purchase and so on.
Through this method, consumers are empowered to self-reflect on how important purchasing the next item is in their daily lives and the kinds of signals their purchases and the way they treat their products, especially at the end of the products’ life cycle, have on both upstream and downstream supply chains.
Many of the ideas shared through the panel discussion and audience input will form the basis of future sustainable initiatives.
Being effective in driving sustainability on campus requires partnership and trust from all stakeholders. Campuses can be upgraded sustainably, campus vendors can source more sustainable products and students can put their learning into action through composting, communication and sustainability accounting.
To avoid replicating efforts and to increase efficiency, platforms such as the SA4SI chat series must be created to bring together various stakeholders and have these important conversations about sustainability.
Future episodes for the SA4SI chat series will include key aspects of sustainability such as ‘Water Conservation’, ‘Digitising Sustainability’ and ‘Keeping Sustainable Initiative Sustainable’. Those who wish to take advantage of this by being a part of the SA4SI community and playing their role as sustainability stewards can visit https://www.facebook.com/SA4SI/ for more information on SA4SI or contact SA4SI@swin.edu.au.
Commitment to sustainability is one of Swinburne’s core values. This is embedded across the university and its daily operations as it strives to ensure a sustainable future. Swinburne adopts a universal approach to sustainability, taking into account the physical environment it operates in as well as its people, practices and research.
Sustainability concepts are progressively being established in the design and construction of Swinburne’s on-campus environment, how the university manages its campuses and also within its curriculum, with units such as Environmental Sustainability in Construction, Safe and Sustainable Design and more.
For more information on Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website (www.swinburne.edu.my), Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).