Deputy Chief Executive Operations Vaughan Payne said "if we think about sustainability in terms of total wellbeing then we already have a great sustainability story to tell – and involving both local and national impact."
Te Pūkenga will shortly begin drafting a sustainability strategy with clear objectives to ensure our sustainability mahi is connected and builds on work already underway.
"It is important to keep sustainability at the forefront of what we do as it contributes to the success of our learners, their whānau and our people," he said.
The strategy will take a holistic approach to sustainability, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This means maximising the positive impact we have environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically, and working to eliminate negative impacts.
"Our network is already embracing sustainability. It is our responsibility to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure this is consistent across the network and to take steps to improve the social, economic, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of our communities and future generations."
The strategy will integrate sustainability values across all aspects of our operations including teaching and learning, research, asset and campus management, travel, waste management, and day-to-day operations.
"A key part of this mahi involves building a picture of what sustainability work is already underway across our network. For example, some of the subsidiaries in our network already calculate their carbon footprint, using a range of methods and tools. By applying a consistent and network-wide approach, we can measure the impact of the steps we all take to reduce our carbon emissions in the years ahead."
"It also means aligning existing Te Pūkenga sustainability mahi with the strategy. We have recently signed Australasia’s first ever Social Loan with Westpac NZ, which aligns with international sustainable finance principles and the SDGs."
"We cannot do this work in a silo. Social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing are interconnected and play an integral part in the success of our learners. The creation, and implementation, of a sustainability strategy will ensure we have a network-wide, consistent approach."
Contact sustainability@tepukenga.ac.nz to share your thoughts with Te Pūkenga Sustainability Team.