Partnerships and Helpful Links
The University of Otago is an active participant in campus-based and citywide sustainability groups, as well as national and international groups such as TEFMA (Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association) and the New Zealand Green Building Council, which are featured on the Memberships page.
Students for Environmental Action (SEA) is a long-established, OUSA-affiliated campus group for students with an interest in environmental issues, including sustainability initiatives for the campus.
University staff liaise with SEA on specific projects such as the founding of a campus vegetable garden, and an OUSA representative is appointed to the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC), a committee of academic and general staff members who are charged with advancing sustainability at Otago as part of teaching and research, and operations management.
While membership of the SEA changes every year depending on interest, the ESAC is a formal organisation with appointed members who meet every two months. Individual initiatives on sustainability must meet with ESAC approval, and the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator reports to the committee.
The Coordinator also sits on external committees and groups such as Business for Change, a group of local businesspeople who meet regularly in Dunedin to discuss opportunities for business associated with sustainability, through recycling, sharing of resources, and procurement of ethical and recyclable materials.
There are also several Dunedin City Council-led committees to encourage sustainable travel, and to mark events such as Earth Hour.
More information on ESAC, SEA and the Business for Change group is provided in the links below.
A page of links to relevant external websites for community groups and causes is also provided, and a list of References for documents used in the creation of this website.