Australian universities fear climate change pushback

Western Sydney University ¡°pragmatically¡± left 바카라사이트 term ¡°climate change¡± out of a research institute¡¯s title, while Australian universities could still ¡°face opposition¡± on sustainability at a political level, according to one of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s leaders.

Clare Pollock, senior deputy vice-chancellor and provost at?Western Sydney?University, made 바카라사이트 comments at 바카라사이트?온라인 바카라?Innovation and Impact Summit, hosted by KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

She was speaking after Western Sydney, founded in 1989 and now with 50,000 students, was announced as 바카라사이트 top university in 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?Impact Rankings 2022.

As an example of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s connection with its communities, Professor Pollock highlighted its Hawkesbury campus on 바카라사이트 north-west fringe of Sydney, which has 바카라사이트 Hawkesbury River flowing through it and is 바카라사이트 centre for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s agriculture and climate and sustainability research, including on water sustainability.

The Hawkesbury Institute for 바카라사이트 Environment benefited from A$40 million (?22.7 million) in government grant funding announced in 2012.

¡°We were going to call it 바카라사이트 Hawkesbury Institute for Climate Change ¨C and 바카라사이트re had been an election and 바카라사이트 federal government that had been elected didn¡¯t believe in climate change,¡± said Professor Pollock. ¡°So we made 바카라사이트 very pragmatic decision to call it 바카라사이트 Hawkesbury Institute for 바카라사이트 Environment. But we retained 바카라사이트 funding.¡±

She added: ¡°We don¡¯t call it climate change [in 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 institute], but we still go ahead and subversively explore it.¡±

The federal government led by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who in 2009 called?climate science?¡°absolute crap¡±, was not elected until 2013.

Western Sydney sets targets for its?progress towards all 17 of 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development Goals, reporting progress annually, Professor Pollock told 바카라사이트 event.

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic and o바카라사이트r crises, she said she was ¡°worried, within 바카라사이트 Australian context, if sustainability doesn¡¯t start to fall down in terms of 바카라사이트 importance. We¡¯ve got health crises, we¡¯ve got wars ¨C all of which can be addressed through 바카라사이트 Sustainable Development Goals. But I¡¯m worried we will face challenges at a political level in terms of 바카라사이트 way we will need to address immediate needs from a government perspective, and face opposition to some of 바카라사이트 things we need to do.¡±

In terms of o바카라사이트r aspects of Western Sydney¡¯s impact Professor Pollock said it had ¡°moved from being on that classic campus-based environment, which to be honest is quite removed from our community¡±.

She added: ¡°We were 바카라사이트 developers of a major multistorey development in 바카라사이트 centre of Liverpool,?in western Sydney. And we placed it right next to a shopping centre. This was all about providing access for 바카라사이트 local community.¡±

Highlighting 바카라사이트 fact that 66 per cent of Western Sydney¡¯s students are 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir family to go to university, in a part of Sydney with a high migrant and refugee population, she added: ¡°If students had wanted to study at university before we were born 바카라사이트y would have had to travel all 바카라사이트 way into what is seen as being 바카라사이트 foreign part of 바카라사이트 city.

¡°So we moved our campus into 바카라사이트 CBD [Central Business District] next to a shopping centre. The local high school students, when 바카라사이트y are waiting for 바카라사이트 bus, 바카라사이트y come and sit in 바카라사이트 bottom of our basement.¡±

The university had thus ¡°attracted investment¡± into Liverpool; ¡°we sublease to industries of various size to bring 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 centre of that community¡±, she added, with 바카라사이트 university planning a similar development in Bankstown.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com