A natural move: the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research
Embracing sustainable practices contributes to a range of development goals including food security, mitigating biodiversity loss and reducing social inequality. By integrating sustainability into policies, businesses and everyday practices, we can build a more equitable, resilient and prosperous world that meets the needs of both current and future generations. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework, the University of Sydney has made huge strides in this space, with sustainability underpinning everything from its operations to its strategic and research objectives. Given this commitment, partnering with the Australian Museum to present a Eureka Prize recognising excellence in sustainability research was a natural move. We caught up with the Dean of Science, Professor Marcel Dinger, to discuss the role sustainability plays in the University’s mission and learn more about the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research, now in its second year.
Professor Marcel Dinger is Dean of Science at the University of Sydney, sponsor of the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research.
Image: University of Sydney© University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is committed to sustained and consistent excellence. What role does sustainability play in this mission?
Sustainability underpins so much of our work at the University of Sydney, from our operations to our strategic and research objectives. A key part of the University’s mission is to continually inspire a culture of sustainability, which we hope influences the wider community. Our University culture encourages students and staff to view themselves as global citizens with a responsibility to tackle the greatest challenges our planet faces, especially issues that impact our environment and climate.
We have many researchers developing cutting-edge ways to address the world’s environmental problems, but our entire University community plays a part in our sustainability efforts. We have targets for reducing our carbon footprint by limiting waste that is sent to landfill through responsible recycling and composting food waste (our biodigester produces up to 182 tonnes a year of nutrient-rich compost for our campus grounds), and we encourage our staff and students to travel to campus or for University-related business in a way that is as environmentally friendly as possible. All our electricity comes from renewable sources and we have water-saving irrigation systems.
In 2023, we offered sustainability as an undergraduate study major for the first time, following on from the popularity of our Master of Sustainability program, and in all our campus-wide sustainability endeavours we have embedded Indigenous knowledges and practices of ‘Caring for Country’. We also offer Sustainability Action Student Life Grants to individual students or groups who want to develop sustainability projects, such as leading zero-waste cooking classes and installing green walls on campus as native pollinator projects, as recent examples. So, as you can see, sustainability is a key part of the University’s mission and our everyday activities.
The entire University of Sydney community plays a part in its sustainability efforts. For example, staff and students are encouraged to travel to campus or for University-related business in a way that is as environmentally friendly as possible.
Image: University of Sydney© University of Sydney
Can you tell us a little bit about the Faculty of Science’s journey and contributions in relation to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals?
The Faculty of Science is guided by the University of Sydney’s ambitious targets, which we measure against the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These cover objectives such as achieving food security by promoting sustainable agriculture; promoting sustainable use of all forms of ecosystems to combat desertification, land degradation and biodiversity loss; and ensuring cities and towns are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
In the latest QS World University Rankings, the University of Sydney was the top-ranked university in Australia for our sustainability impact measured in terms of SDGs. We have already achieved so much this decade by aligning our strategic goals with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a guiding framework.
Sponsoring the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research is something that we feel well placed and extremely honoured to do. It very much aligns with our strategic objectives and values as an institution committed to SDG goals, and our desire to form meaningful partnerships to achieve sustainable development.
I think this prize is particularly important because sustainability research involves engaging communities and promoting awareness about environmental issues, and this fosters a sense of collective responsibility.
The Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research is awarded for research that has directly contributed to new or improved sustainability outcomes. Tell us more about the prize purpose and why this prize is important.
The purpose of the annual Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research is to honour outstanding scientific research and innovation that will have a significant and tangible impact on efforts towards greater sustainability in Australia ─ and worldwide. The Eureka Prizes are Australia’s most comprehensive science awards, and a dedicated prize for sustainability builds on the program’s reputation by showcasing and recognising the vital importance of scientific work in the sustainability research and development space. This is a prize that we, at the University of Sydney, feel enormously proud to sponsor because we are committed to encouraging and rewarding efforts that build a more sustainable world.
I think this prize is particularly important because sustainability research involves engaging communities and promoting awareness about environmental issues, and this fosters a sense of collective responsibility. Individuals, businesses and governments then feel encouraged to actively contribute to the practices being developed by researchers, and this can lead to important policy change. And such research also provides educational opportunities for current and future generations, which of course is at the heart of the University of Sydney’s purpose. We want to continue to encourage the development of programs and courses that equip individuals with the knowledge and the skills needed to address sustainability challenges, and to create positive, transformative change on a global scale.
Professor Marcel Dinger (left) with Dr Marcus Haynes and Dr Stuart Walsh from the Economic Fairways Mapper Team, winner of the inaugural University of Sydney Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research.
Image: Mel Koutchavlis© Australian Museum
Who might consider entering this prize?
We encourage entries from anybody doing innovative research that will lead to a significant improvement in sustainability practices and policies. The main requirements are that your ─ or your team’s ─ research methods are scientifically rigorous, demonstrate originality and benefit the wider community. If I can give some examples of recent Eureka Prize finalists, you may be researching new ways to build a low-carbon future. You may be working towards creating transformative solutions to address global environmental challenges that will allow nations to progress towards net-zero targets by 2050. You may be a research team developing innovative ways to use technology that can generate solar energy. You may be investigating different ways to develop sustainable energy resources. Anybody engaging in robust, original scientific work in the sustainability space should consider applying as it’s an effective way to amplify your work within the scientific community and beyond, into the business and wider community.
Anybody engaging in robust, original scientific work in the sustainability space should consider applying as it’s an effective way to amplify your work within the scientific community and beyond, into the business and wider community.
What practical impacts might the broader community observe in their day-to-day lives due to the types of innovative solutions recognised by this prize?
The types of innovative solutions the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research recognises and celebrates are anticipated to have a direct impact on people’s everyday lives. Entrants are required to demonstrate how their research has led to the uptake or improvement of sustainable practices and/or policies in Australia or globally in the broader community, and how the innovations impact current and future generations. Again, referring to examples of recent Eureka Prizes finalists, practical impacts resulting from innovative research and solutions may be anything from reducing landfill by transforming waste into valuable resources to developing technology that transforms and recycles carbon dioxide into products such as ethylene, which can be used to make everyday items; or developing windows that can generate solar electricity and completely offset a building’s CO2 emissions and reduce power costs to the consumer.
Sustainability research is leading the charge in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, such as resource depletion, environmental degradation and climate change, says Professor Dinger.
Image: University of Sydney© University of Sydney
What excites you most about this space?
Sustainability research and innovation is one of the most exciting spaces in the scientific and, indeed, the broader community. It’s an area leading the charge in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges ─ challenges such as resource depletion, environmental degradation and climate change. I’m fascinated by the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability research ─ it fosters innovative solutions that consider environmental, social and economic factors, allowing for meaningful collaboration between different interest groups who then can develop holistic approaches that address real-world sustainability issues and lead to policy change. The sustainability space is fertile ground for technological advancements, especially in the development of renewable-energy technologies and sustainable-agricultural practices. It’s also an area of scientific work that creates new business opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies willing to develop and implement sustainable practices, products and services.
The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are the country’s most comprehensive national science awards, honouring excellence across the areas of research & innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science.
