2. Leadership

Best practice

We demonstrate our commitment to sustainability through our leadership, the University Strategy and University Sustainability Sub Plan. Everyone in the Charles Sturt University and regional communities have an opportunity to demonstrate sustainability and lead by example.

A message to our students and staff

Charles Sturt University has demonstrated its leadership in sustainability through a range of actions and commitments:

  • Becoming a signatory to the Talloire Declaration (2007): an international commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education, signed by over 350 universities around the world.
  • Establishing Sustainable Practices; one of nine Graduate Learning Outcomes to achieve across all Charles Sturt courses.
  • Joining the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (2015).
  • Becoming certified as Australia’s first Carbon Neutral University (2016).
  • Implementing a Clean Energy Strategy 2030.

See the Sustainability at Charles Sturt Leadership Best Practice Sheet PDF 271KB].

Progress towards best practice

All 16 frameworks are benchmarked against best practice. This framework was benchmarked on 16 July, 2013 and the Leadership framework is revisited annually. This action plan is endorsed annually by the LiFE Steering Committee which is chaired by
Charles Sturt's Chief Operating Officer.

The below graph illustrates our progress towards best practice across the eight (8) activity areas. The green bars reaching four (4) highlight best practice and the lower bars in blue indicate Charles Sturt University’s current baseline ratings.

Graph - LiFE Leadership benchmark 2013 - described above

What you can do

Action Plan

Sustainability at Charles Sturt work with leadership teams to deliver strategic goals.

LiFE Steering Committee

The LiFE Steering Committee was established in March 2018 and it provides advice to the Vice-Chancellor's Leadership Team (VCLT), via the Chief Operating Officer on the following items:

  1. Recommendations to ensure the delivery of the Charles Sturt University Strategic Plan leverages opportunities to foster Charles Sturt University's organisational commitment to sustainability as outlined in its Sustainability Statement.
  2. Strategic leadership and guidance associated with the implementation of the LiFE framework.
  3. The adequacy of participation by key stakeholders in the LiFE framework and provide advice on increasing engagement activities.
  4. Strategic advice to ensure key business processes, policies and procedures promote positive sustainability outcomes.
  5. Feedback on the extent to which key organisational planning instruments such as Initiative and Improvement Plans and the Performance Planning Development & Review Scheme are being utilised to support sustainability objectives.
  6. Emerging best practices in sustainability and recommendations for adoption, where appropriate, within Charles Sturt University.

The Committee Membership Includes:

  • Chief Operating Officer as VCLT member with delegated organisational responsibility for Sustainability
  • Executive Director Facilities Management
  • Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation
  • Pro-Vice Chancellor, Learning & Teaching
  • Director Operational Services, Division of Facilities Management
  • Manager Sustainability at Charles Sturt
  • Executive Director People and Culture, or an appointed representative from that Division
  • Executive Director, Division of Marketing and Communication
  • Senior Project Officer, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation
  • Director, Student Communication

Right of Audience and Debate:

  • Sustainability Project Officer, Sustainability at Charles Sturt
  • Campus Environment Committee Chairs
  • An Executive Officer appointed by the Chief Financial Officer to provide secretariat support