Striving for a greener future

Victoria continues to ‘walk the talk’ in environmental responsibility through an agreement with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

Student walking in the Tim Beaglehole courtyard outside Old Kirk Building and the Hub on Kelburn campus

The three-year agreement aims to either save or convert to renewable energy at least 600,000 kilowatt-hours of energy—the equivalent of the energy used by around fifty average New Zealand homes and 2 percent of Victoria’s total energy use.

The collaboration includes the identification of energy-saving opportunities or improvements at the University’s campuses and the drafting of a comprehensive energy management strategy, with funding for ongoing monitoring.

Victoria’s environmental manager Andrew Wilks sees the agreement with EECA as an opportunity to expand on the University’s current energy-saving initiatives.

“The University has been involved with energy efficiency initiatives for some time, but the collaboration with EECA will help us draw on additional resources to bed down a more substantial campus-wide approach to energy saving,” says Andrew.

“We’ve reduced campus CO2 emissions by 12 percent since 2007 through targeting areas such as transportation and energy use in buildings. This strategic partnership with EECA will help us do even more to reduce our environmental impact.”

Mike Frew, EECA account manager, says the agreement builds on extensive energy savings already achieved by the University.