Today we toured Victoria University in Wellington. Though Whittier College is a very small campus compared to this university, there are still a lot of initiatives that Victoria University is doing that we could learn from. For example, the worm compost and glass milk cartons are both exciting new projects. I found it interesting that a lot of these initiatives work because of staff responsibility and enthusiasm. This shows that creating a more sustainable future is not only about creating sustainability policies, but actually ensuring that people are excited about them too.
We also learned about the living Pa project, which is a new building being constructed at Victoria University. This building will be considered a living building, making it alike to only 30 other buildings worldwide! One of the most surprising things about this building was how they were able to cut energy use down so much that solar panels could power the entire building. Because of their efficient energy solutions only the solar panels on the roof are sufficient to power the building and give back to the grid! This seems like a very small amount of energy to power an entire building, but they claim they will be able to pull it off. It would be great to see how the building is doing after it is constructed in September 2024.
Finally, we discussed the 17 SDGs. These sustainable development goals include climate action, reducing inequality, and ending hunger. While these goals are clearly good for the world, I liked that we also took a critical lens to them. For one, these goals are not legally binding. I feel that if people want to see real change, they should stick to fewer and more manageable goals, and make them legally binding. Overall, this day was full of information, and I’m glad we got to tour this campus!
