I will be spending my study abroad exchange year at the Australian National University in Canberra. Travelling to Australia for a year inevitably carries an environmental cost. My awareness of the consequences of climate change naturally creates some guilt around long-haul flights and the consumption required in moving country. However, I believe that, with care and consideration, long-term educational exchange can be of meaningful academic and cultural value, particularly when it is accompanied by a sustainability mindset.
There are a number of sustainable choices I intend to make while abroad. I will enter on campus accommodation, thus reducing the commuting required. For necessary travel I hope to rent or buy a second-hand bike, as Canberra is a known bike-friendly city and they are the most convenient, and most eco-friendly, way to get around. On the subject of second-hand items, I hope to buy used kitchen and decor items, in part for sustainability and in part due to my limits on luggage space. The items I buy I intend to take to a charity shop at the end of my stay, to reduce the waste that is often caused by students. Additionally, though I do wish to partake in domestic travel to other parts of Australia – Sydney in particular – I plan to take the train there, rather than fly, which is both more environmentally conscious and more affordable.
These choices I am making are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly responsible consumption (SDG 12), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and climate action (SDG 13). Moreover, the act of partaking in this exchange to Australia aligns with the goals of quality education (SDG 4) and partnerships (SDG 17). I will be learning from new perspectives and broadening my own, partaking in cross-cultural learning, making friendships from other backgrounds, and taking ideas I learn back to the UK.
Although no international exchange can be entirely sustainable, I hope to approach my year thoughtfully and sustainably. By balancing educational opportunity with conscious travel and consumption choices, I aim to ensure my exchange is positive both personally and environmentally.
I am hopeful that living in this new environment will encourage me to reflect more critically on sustainability, given my awareness of environmental costs of travelling there, and I hope that following this exchange year I will continue to implement this mindset and these practices in the UK.
