Environment

The UMSU Environment Department is an open and welcoming space dedicated to Sustainability and caring for the Environment, Animals our Community and building a better future for all!

In the face of growing climate change anxiety among our generation, we want to bring students together to envision and build towards a better future for us, our planet and all the creatures we share it with. The Environment Department works on projects empowering students to enact real tangible change across the individual, community and systemic scales. You can expect to see from the department;

• Engaging and fun Sustainability Seminars, Workshops and events for students
• Running Student Thrift markets
• Launching the new 'Library of Things' where you can participate in the circular economy by borrowing equipment and items 
• Collaborating with existing clubs to amplify their work with greater funding and resources!
• Pushing for sustainable policies within UMSU and the University
• Advocating for decreasing Animal cruelty and exploitation on campus
• Restarting the Environment Collective; bringing together the student community passionate about making a positive difference

Interested? Want to get more involved? Follow us on Instagram and sign up to our Newsletter to make sure you’re kept up to date with our latest updates and events! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡*

Acknowledgment of Country

The Environment Department acknowledges the the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the and and waters on which we work, learn and live. 

We recognise that our environmental work is shaped by the devastating and ongoing colonisation that disrupts how Country has been protected and cared for by Indigenous people over many tens of thousands of years. It is important to acknowledge this in order to ensure that all of our environmental efforts centre indigenous and decolonial knowledge and perspectives. 

Climate Justice

The UMSU Environment Department believes that tackling the climate crisis is about more than just sustainability—it’s about climate justice. Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue; it also affects people in deeply unfair ways, with marginalized communities—such as Indigenous peoples, low-income groups, and those in the Global South—bearing the greatest impacts, despite contributing the least to the problem.

We know that real climate action needs to be fair, inclusive, and focused on systemic change. As students in Australia—one of the world’s wealthiest countries and a major fossil fuel exporter—we have the responsibility to push for solutions that are not only green but also just. By learning, advocating, and taking action together, we can help create a future that works for both people and the planet. 💚🌏