6 December 2011

Sunshine Coast TAFE (SCT) is the first educational institution in Australia to be certified carbon neutral under Low Carbon Australia’s Carbon Neutral Program.

Sunshine Coast TAFE is taking the lead within the education sector and in the local community, making its operations fully carbon neutral by reducing its carbon footprint and offsetting emissions.

Meg McDonald, CEO of Low Carbon Australia commended Sunshine Coast TAFE on becoming carbon neutral, ‘students, staff and the community should be proud of this Australian milestone. The initiative taken by Sunshine Coast TAFE to improve its energy efficiency and sustainability is an outstanding example of leadership and a sets a benchmark for other educational institutions and communities to follow’, she said.

In the course of achieving carbon neutral status Sunshine Coast TAFE has made its operations sustainable, achieving a 12 % energy cost reduction and a 7 % overall energy consumption reduction, even while increasing its overall floor area.

This landmark achievement represents an incredible commitment by the 600 strong Institute staff said Institute Director Ross Hepworth.

“Education of our staff and students was the critical element to our TAFE becoming carbon neutral,” Mr Hepworth said.

“Staff sustainability champions were recruited to help colleagues adapt to new more sustainable ways of working.

“I am incredibly proud that our staff and students backed this initiative completely and the results are irrefutable.”

Some of the changes made by the Institute include a reduction of waste to landfill by a quarter, adapting air conditioning operation and maintenance, installation of energy efficient lighting and the addition of two new hybrid vehicles to the Institute’s fleet.

Sunshine Coast TAFE’s approach to sustainability, through sustainable operations, education of staff and students and the provision of quality training in sustainability ensures it attracts students who not only want to study sustainability but really want to walk the walk by putting it into practice on campus.

The Institute has been recognised for its initiatives in sustainability, with the Institute winning both a Sunshine Coast Environment Council award and a national Australian Training Marketing Association award in the last month.

Sustainability has become one of the core elements of our business said Institute Director Ross Hepworth.

“Our Institute has a vision to become an education leader in sustainability and a role model for sustainable operations,” Mr Hepworth said.

‘The whole exercise of going carbon neutral has been one which has created beneficial change for the TAFE and the community,contributing to the Sunshine Coast’s vision of being Australia’s most sustainable region.’

Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE operates out of four state-of-the-art campuses in Nambour, Mooloolaba, Maroochydore and Noosa, where over 300 teachers and trainers are supported by 250 corporate employees servicing 17000 students.

The Carbon Neutral Program is a voluntary scheme which certifies products or business operations as carbon neutral under the Australian Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).

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Media Contacts

Low Carbon Australia Limited

Media line 0457 732 219

Sunshine Coast TAFE

Elisa Reeves – 07 5457 1183

Tahnya Morgan – 07 5457 1062 / 0418 799 306