Curtin University proudly hosted the 2024 Sustainability Challenge, where students teamed up with academics and industry professionals to create innovative solutions to pressing environmental issues.
The Sustainability Challenge is an industry-partnered, intensive unit enhancing learning opportunities through challenge-based learning experiences.
Entering its third year, the Sustainability Challenge fosters collaboration and practical problem-solving across three critical themes: Net-Zero Emissions, Circular Economy, and Nature Positive. The 2024 Sustainability Challenge ran from June 24 to July 1 in the Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment, with participating students earning 25 credit points towards their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees.
Professor Josh Byrne, Dean of Sustainable Futures in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University, highlighted the significance of this event, emphasising the hands-on experience it offers students and its role in promoting sustainable futures.
“The Sustainability Challenge connected nearly 100 students with academic mentors and industry experts to develop solutions for positive environmental change,” Professor Byrne said.
This year, participants tackled a variety of sustainability concerns, including:
- Shifting transport behaviours.
- Facilitating increased renewable energy integration into the grid.
- Waste avoidance and reducing contamination in FOGO (food organics and garden organics) waste streams.
- Increasing urban tree canopy by addressing the pest polyphagous shot-hole borer and promoting better urban forestry practices.
Among the innovative ideas presented by student groups were an app that tracks carbon emission reduction and encourages the use of public transport and shared scooters, and a video game designed to educate consumers on proper waste sorting. Other teams developed plans to expand urban forests in challenging environments and devised strategies to improve energy reliability and boost renewable energy generation in regional towns.
A cohort of international students from the Eurasia University School of Art and Design (EAaD) also travelled from the Xi’an province of China to join this year’s Sustainability Challenge. This innovative collaboration was initiated by Dr Anne Farren from the Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment. The Sustainability Challenge served as a collaborative platform for both institutions to enhance their global engagement.
2024 Sustainability Challenge
The industry partners involved in this year’s Challenge included Ampcontrol, Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council, City of Cockburn, Cleanaway, Beam Mobility, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Department of Transport, Botanic Gardens & Parks Authority, Cossill & Webley, GHD, and Curtin University’s Properties, Facilities and Development department.
We wish to thank this year’s partners for the invaluable knowledge and support they provided to our participating students.
If you want to know about our upcoming challenges please contact us
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