Page 31 - Thetha Issue 6

SUSTAINABILITY

PROMOTING BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE

By Chantal Janneker, Senior Director: Department of Communication and Marketing
Our North, South and Ocean Sciences Campuses are situated in a nature reserve,
and we need to get the message across that we are all environmental stewards.
This is not because environmental stewardship is a buzz phrase, but because
life on earth and in the oceans depends on it. The planet is at a tipping point -
and we have to understand this and get the message out there.
An example of this is our ongoing water conservation campaign in both the
Metro and George.
It features messages, posters and posts across all forms of media and
communication, including social and mainstream media platforms.

Sustainable water resources and

energy security

The University is on a water emergency and
sustainability drive to address the ongoing
water crisis in the Metro, which includes
the ever-present reality of Day Zero,
when the Metro runs out of water.

By Dr Andre Hefer, Sustainability Engineer:
Infrastructure Services and Sustainability
Department

At full capacity, the University’s total
water usage across all its campuses
is 1.5 megalitres (Ml), or 1.5 million
litres, per day during peak periods. Dr Andre Hefer
Up to 70% of this usage is on
South Campus, the largest of our meet its commitment to reducing
seven campuses. CO emissions, increasing energy
2
A three-pronged water efficiency, energy conservation, and
management and sustainability renewable energy supply.
strategy was implemented on the The University’s Renewable
campuses from June 2021, and is Energy Strategy has approved the
ongoing. It includes: installation of solar-photovoltaic (PV)
panels on all seven campuses over
• technology and the and above the existing 1 megawatt
implementation of water (MW) solar plant on South Campus.
saving systems The goal is for the entire daytime
• reducing the use of potable consumption of each campus’s total
municipal water by using other energy/electricity use to be solar
sources of water, such as boreholes generated.
and return effluent (RE) water In addition to solar-PV, the
• promoting behavioural change to University has introduced several
get people to use less water. energy saving initiatives, such as LED
lighting, and replacing geysers with
Energy security heat pumps in 90% of residences.
Mandela University is committed Prudent management of Eskom
to responsible and sustainable bills has been another contributing
energy management in order to factor to financial sustainability.

2022 | mandela.ac.za | 31