CIFAL Newcastle, Australia

17/04/2026

With Earth Day 2026 approaching, CIFAL Newcastle is teaming up with .uon, .uon, and this 22nd of April for the UNSA Stress Less event.
Find us at the pop-up gardening stall in Auchmuty Courtyard — plant a seedling, chat sustainability, and learn a little more about what CIFAL Newcastle is all about. We’d love to see you there! And while you’re at it, take your next class or meeting outside, turn off a light you don’t need, or pick up that piece of rubbish you’ve been stepping over all week. You know the one.

Other Earth Day events worth knowing about:

Beach Clean Day x Sea Shepherd — Tomorrow Saturday 18 April 9.00AM at Bar Beach Hosted by NUSEC x CACUN.

Bolwarra Landcare & Habitat Stack Painting — Sunday 26 April 8:30 AM -12:00 PM Hosted by NUSEC. A great way to give back to local green spaces.

Head to Newcastle University Student Environment Club (NUSEC) events page to register and find more stuff happening in Newcastle (it’s free!)

Link: https://campus.hellorubric.com/?eid=60765

Also — A huge shoutout to a brand new club on campus building volunteering opportunities across all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We see you and we love what you’re doing 👀

UNSA NUGS NUSEC CACUN StressLess Sustainability SDGs UNITAR Newcastle StartWhereYouAre

11/03/2026

05/02/2026

Disasters, inequity, and social vulnerability: Building inclusive resilience
Resilience Matters webinar series | 18 February 2026 | 1.00pm - 2.00pm AEDT

In the sixth instalment of the Resilience Matters webinar series, we will be joined by Bridget Tehan, Senior Advisor, Humanitarian Diplomacy at the Australian Red Cross.

Bridget will lead a person-centred conversation about the intersection between disasters, inequality, and social vulnerability, and what we need to understand and action to build inclusive resilience.

The webinar will focus on the social impacts of disaster and how hazards interact with existing inequalities.

Bridget will then discuss how limited housing choice, poor-quality housing, lack of insurance, health and mobility barriers, and reduced access to information make preparation, evacuation, and recovery significantly harder for socially vulnerable populations.

The session will conclude by exploring how addressing structural disadvantage, recognising intersectionality, and co-designing disaster planning with diverse communities leads to fairer, more effective, and more sustainable disaster risk reduction outcomes.

Register: https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/GvkWC81VgJTjg1jKMtEHBIyowqU?domain=aidr.us13.list-manage.com

07/12/2025

Ia ora na! My name is Jasmine, and I’m the Junior Project Officer at CIFAL Newcastle.

I was lucky enough to attend the first 2025 Pacific Universities Biennial in beautiful Tahiti, hosted by the Nārua Project at the University of French Polynesia (UPF). I represented both CIFAL Newcastle and the University of Newcastle as an undergrad student. An honour I’m so grateful for.

Over three days, delegations from across the pacific came together to strengthen connections and understanding across our institutions, as well as share exciting initiatives in teaching, research, student life, governance, and sustainability.

A highlight for me was taking part in the Hackathon Day – Towards a Pacific Core Curriculum for Transitions, where we co-designed a shared module on environmental and social change across partner universities in just one day.

Māuruuru (Thank you) UPF, Nārua, and CIFAL Newcastle for the chance to learn, share, and collaborate with amazing people from across the Pacific, this experience will stay with me forever!

At CIFAL Newcastle, we will be working on the development of a new active allyship project, focused on the opportunities for innovation created by integrating First Nations culture as a core element in developing a new sustainability framework.

26/11/2025

Isabelle here!

I’m the Project Officer for CIFAL Newcastle, and I’m incredibly grateful to share that earlier this month I had the privilege of travelling to Jeju, South Korea for the (JIFF).

CIFAL Jeju is an inspiring institution, and their dedication to peace, sustainability, and renewable energy continues to motivate. And connecting with other CIFAL representatives such as the Philippines and Honolulu while in Jeju was an amazing experience.

A heartfelt thank you to the entire team at CIFAL Jeju and all the other sister cities. CIFAL Newcastle looks forward to continuing our collaboration and building a brighter future together.

26/11/2025

CIFAL Newcastle is proud to partner with the University of Newcastle to launch our newest Sustainability e-Course: Enough for Everybody, Forever.

This immersive digital learning experience guides you through everyday decisions that shape our collective future. Using interactive 3D scenarios, the course places you in real-world environments where your choices directly influence the outcome. It’s engaging, eye-opening, and designed to spark meaningful reflection on how we live, work, and consume. See how the smallest choices can have the biggest impacts.

But let’s be clear:
We’re not saying that sustainability rests on individuals alone. Real change comes when everyday actions work together with collective advocacy, especially when we continue to hold major polluting industries accountable. It’s the combination of informed choices and systemic change that moves us toward a fairer, greener future.

We are incredibly proud of this project and would like to extend a huge congratulations to everyone involved in its creation. Your passion and dedication are helping build a world with enough for everybody, forever.

🌱 Let’s learn, act, and create change. Together.

04/11/2025

We’re so proud to celebrate the incredible students who took part in the No Carbon Tourism Challenge, an accredited initiative brought to life through the University of Newcastle and CIFAL 🌐

CIFAL certification represents a global standard in sustainability learning, ensuring that the next generation of changemakers are equipped with the knowledge, creativity, and leadership skills to make a real difference.

In today’s world, where climate action and sustainable development are more critical than ever, this work truly matters. Sustainability isn’t just about the environment or people. It’s about everything, everywhere, all connected. It’s a shared responsibility that brings us together to create lasting change.

A huge thank you to our inspiring panel of judges: Dr Brodie Beales, CIFAL Newcastle Director; Dr. Alana Thompson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle; and Dom May, Founder of CoastXP. Thank you for sharing your expertise and passion. Your insights helped empower our students to think boldly and act sustainably.

Special thanks also to Associate Professor Tamara Young for her dedication to embedding sustainability into her courses and for guiding these students through an incredible learning journey.

Every presentation was innovative, thoughtful, and inspiring. A true testament to what education can achieve when it empowers students to design for a sustainable future.

We can’t wait to see their ideas come to life!

13/10/2025

Disasters are becoming more frequent, more costly, and more devastating.

While direct disaster costs now exceed $202 billion annually, the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 reveals the true cost is closer to $2.3 trillion — 11 times higher.

The message is clear: we must invest in disaster risk reduction.

🗓️ Join us on 13 October at 1pm AEST for a special International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction webinar.

Hear from:

Natalie Egleton, CEO, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal

Paul Box, Senior Principal Research Consultant, CSIRO

Jimmy Scott, GM, Resilience and Recovery, Queensland Reconstruction Authority

Together, they’ll unpack this year’s theme: Fund resilience, not disasters.

Register now: https://www.aidr.org.au/events/55614?locationId=55617

01/10/2025

Join us for the UNITAR x UNDRR x CIFAL Global Network “Words into Action: National Disaster Risk Assessment” online sessions — live from October 1 to 23 and hosted by 18 CIFAL Centres worldwide!

Kick-off Session:
October 1
9:30am–10:20am (UTC)
Featuring Dr. Brodie Beales (CIFAL Newcastle) & Dr. Adam Switzer (CIFAL Singapore)

These sessions will explore critical strategies and practices in national disaster risk assessment, turning Words into Action 🌱

Register & explore sessions:
https://unitar.org/about/news-stories/news/words-action-national-disaster-risk-assessment-online-sessions

A big thanks to the CIFAL Centres leading sessions in this global effort — and to everyone helping spread the word. We look forward to seeing you there!

26/08/2025

Ready to refresh your wardrobe without harming the planet?

Join us for our on-campus Clothes Swap events, proudly hosted by the Full Circle Collective in collaboration with CIFAL Newcastle.

📍 Callaghan Campus 🗓️ 15 September | 🕔 5–9PM

📍 NUspace City Campus 🗓️ 16 September | 🕔 5–9PM

Get your tickets today and be part of the movement! Swap styles, meet like-minded changemakers, and embrace sustainable fashion.

💚 Choose fashion that’s kind to the Earth. 🌏 Take climate action one outfit at a time.

Get your tickets here:
NuSpace: https://events.humanitix.com/spring-swaps-nuspace
Callaghan: https://events.humanitix.com/spring-swaps-callaghan

15/08/2025

Wanting to Give Back & Take Climate Action? 🌏

We're calling on passionate volunteers aged 18–24 to join us at Spring Swaps! A collaboration between the Full Circle Collective and CIFAL Newcastle, proudly supported by the City of Newcastle.

📍 Callaghan Campus 🗓️ 15 September | 🕔 5–9PM
📍 NUspace City Campus 🗓️ 16 September | 🕔 5–9PM

As a volunteer, you will:
✅ Gain hands-on experience in community-led sustainability
✅ Connect with inspiring people from all walks of life
✅ Help divert pre-loved clothes from landfill
✅ Make a real impact on fashion and the environment

Interested? Reach out to [email protected] for more info.
Volunteers will receive a $100 bursary voucher as a thank-you for their time and energy!

Let’s swap, support, and take climate action - together. 💚🌏