Climate Action Week 2024: Day 3: Empowering Green Advocates - Session 1

The global Green Office Movement originated in the Netherlands, at Maastritch University in September 2010, with the vision to enable higher education sectors to be drivers for sustainability and the mission to incorporate sustainability within the higher education sector.

Green Office Toitū (GOT) was founded in December 2021 at Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus and joined the global Green Office Movement as its first Australasian member. Primarily, GOT operates as a sustainability organisation operated by students for students. Some staff are involved, such as the organisation’s coordinators and staff volunteers who are passionate about embedding sustainability throughout campus life.

Why is climate action so critical to students? What do students expect from their colleges, universities, study abroad programmes in terms of action on climate solutions and climate-related curriculum? Nenie, Ann and Kristin will share their own personal stories of how they felt empowered, what elements contributed to them feeling empowered, and how they made change happen. As a take away, the audience should be inspired to then create this kind of enabling environment within their own contexts.