Through:
•Implementing effective waste management systems in all residences -including Waste recycling,
•Reducing water consumption
•Saving Energy, by reducing the consumption of electricity
•Caring for our surroundings (nature reserve, eco-systems and buildings)
All this can be achieved only through various AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS, Events & projects that are geared towards challenging our st
udent and staff’s paradigms about these issues
Promoting Healthy behaviour & Lifestyles
•Students and Cleaning staff should be trained on using our Colour coded Bins system within our residences. They should be trained not to litter, but to recycle as part of our lives, until it becomes second nature.
•Through our Green Notice Boards & posters in passages & bathrooms- we will try to motivate students to participate in events, projects and waste reduction strategies. We also encourage students to save energy.
•GREEN PLEDGE- our Green pledge offers multiple tips and guidelines on how to save water, paper, energy and how to live a more satisfying and healthier environmentally friendly lifestyle
•Green Fridays-GCI NMMU supports green Fridays and our staff & most students make it a point to wear green on Fridays to show our support for the environment.
•During Barefoot Friday last semester, most people come to university without shoes, thus promoting eco-friendly lifestyles; they shared lift clubs; some rode bicycles; others tried to smoke less, some tried to eat less or no meat; others collected shoes for the schools that have children that has no shoes. Promoting Satisfying & Productive Lifestyles.
•During green week and throughout the year- we encourage our students to make use of our on-campus Nature conservation, where Botany & Tourism students act as tour guides & also educate our students on a variety animal & plant species; their habitat & survival-and how human relate to these.
•We also encourage students to come to varsity on bicycles and use car pooling instead of each student driving their own car, because we already have a problem with parking space. This reduces our carbon footprint.
•Through projects like Earth Hour, 350.org, Arbour week, Motivational talks & discussions, leadership seminars & teambuilding session, we promote more productive lifestyles. Our objectives continue:
Living out our Social responsibility: Our New outreach Project GCI CARES, will usher in a new domain for NMMU in terms of SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY for 2012 & beyond.
•C=Community Empowerment
•A=Advocating for resources
•R=Respect & Caring for the Environment
•E=Enabling Youth with Skills & Knowledge to improve Social functioning
•S=Sustainability
Partnership with Various Government Departments (Dept. Social Development, Environmental affairs, Education, etc), NMMU Residence Living & Learning Programmes; Societies as well as various faculties and departments of NMMU. Promoting Environmental Sustainability
*GCI NMMU are currently working in partnership with various organizations like ACUHO-I, Bluebuck Environmental Coalition, Green Leaf; Green Peace, the University of Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho & Botswana, TUT, UJ, DUT, UCT, UWC, Stellenbosch, Rhodes University, etc, thus building greener networks for a greater impact.
*We have embarked on a process to engage the auspicious Congress of the Parties (COP17), Congress of the Youth (COY 7) and also consider attending the Generation Earth International summit, later this year. We are working with UNEP, TUNZA, Galela Amantzi, and Green Times & Project 90 by 2030. (More information will follow later in the report).
*Through our Research and networking we have become quite a force to be reckoned with in the field of environmental education & awareness. We believe in partnership and using an integrated and holistic ecological approach towards sustainability and reducing NMMU’s carbon footprint as well as contributing to combating Global Warming & Climate Change and its effect on our nation and the World beyond.
