Environment Groups Condemn UTAS’ Global Climate Merit Sticker

The ranking of the University of Tasmania (UTAS) as number one in the world for climate action by Times Higher Education (THE) has been criticised by environment groups. 

The educational ranking group put UTAS ahead of the rest of the world’s universities for “climate action” and “life on land”. According to THE, which used the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a rubric, UTAS research, energy use, environmental education and carbon neutrality put it at the top of the global list of universities for SDG 13 “climate action” and SDG 15 “life on land”. 

This is despite the fact that the university’s curriculum includes a range of courses on fossil fuel exploration and extraction, such as oil tanker familiarisation, ocean engineering and its Bachelor of Engineering, all of which include oil and gas exploration and extraction. 

The university also partners with fossil fuel companies including Beach Energy, Conoco Philips and Anglo American Exploration, and accepts donations from fossil fuel companies including Rio Tinto and Tasmanian Gas Pipeline, as well as from a significant number of companies that supply and support the fossil fuel industry, such as Caterpillar, GHD and Jacobs, among others.  

The university divested from fossil fuel investments in 2021 but has not divested arguably the most important aspect, its curriculum, from teaching fossil fuel exploration and extraction, nor has it ceased working with fossil fuel companies.  

Environment Tasmania (ET), Tasmania’s peak environment body, called on the university to increase its climate ambition. 

“Environment Tasmania acknowledges the hard work of UTAS academics to achieve this ranking. But true climate leadership means using the university’s influence to more actively push for stronger state energy policies, ensuring Tasmania’s vital energy transition protects both nature and communities,” said ET’s energy and climate campaigner, Maddie McShane. 

“We’d love to see UTAS lead in diversified renewables, community energy, and nature-positive climate solutions, and truly live up to its climate commitments,” she added.

It’s significant that one of the groups to express concern at Times Education’s UTAS ranking is the Tasmanian University Environment Society, which advised Tasmanian Times that its members are all students but that it is not affiliated with or funded by UTAS. 

The society provided the Tasmanian Times with a statement. An extract said: “We came to UTAS for its ‘green’ reputation and our passion for conservation and restoration of the unique environments across Lutruwita [Tasmania]. We were met with a university that didn’t deeply share these values. The harmful partnerships with fossil fuel and logging companies are just the tip of the iceberg.

“How can we have objective research when we still accept donations from these harmful industries? How can we be Number 1 in climate action with staff cuts and course removals across the sciences, humanities, arts, education and law?”  

Responding to the THE ranking announcement, the university said: “The rankings consider research done in sustainable forest management, biodiversity loss prevention, degraded land restoration and new techniques for ecosystem conservation.”

This is despite the university also actively working with Forestry Tasmania (FT) and the Australian Forest Wood Products Association (AFWPA), which perpetuate the logging of Tasmania’s globally-significant high conservation value native forests. 

In 2020, FT failed to achieve Forest Stewardship Council certification because it logs high conservation value native forests and threatened species habitat. Research by UTAS alumnus, Dr Jennifer Sanger, shows that logging native forests is Tasmania’s single biggest source of CO2 emissions. 

Wilderness Society Tasmania campaign manager, Alice Hardinge, said that UTAS should reconsider its involvement with extractive industries. 

“If the University of Tasmania truly wants to be a leader in climate action and sustainable forest management, it must urgently reconsider its partnerships with organisations that are fuelling the dual climate and biodiversity crisis by logging native forests. 

“If UTAS wants to live up to its clean, green image, its ties to the destruction of native forests must be cut,” Hardinge added.

Tasmanian Times made several requests for comment however UTAS declined to elaborate on its involvement with the fossil fuel and logging industries.