GOING GREEN: REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE AARE CONFERENCE

The organising committee for the AARE's 2008 Annual International Education Research Conference believes that as a professional association focussed on education, AARE has a leadership role to play in engaging with the global challenge of environmental sustainability.

With the participation of conference attendees, we hope to reduce the ecological footprint of AARE 2008, and set the groundwork for improving the sustainability of future AARE conferences.

Some of the actions the conference committee has taken or will be taking to mitigate the environmental impact of the conference are:

• We will not be printing a book of abstracts of conference papers to go in the conference satchels; the abstracts are available online now and will continue to be so during the conference - the conference venue is wireless-enabled so those who bring their laptops can consult the website (subject to payment of a small charge for internet access - see conference registration form; this must be paid before you come to the conference).
• As in past years, we encourage conference participants to take advantage of AARE's time-saving and paperless online registration system.
• We encourage conference participants to make use of Brisbane's public transport system - the QUT Kelvin Grove campus is easily accessible by bus from the city and South Bank - timetables and other information will be available at the conference registration desk for those who need them and we will also provide relevant web links before the conference.
• The conference caterers have indicated that all beverages and food will be served on crockery, and iced water will be served in a ceramic water urn.
• The conference satchels are in the style of shopping bags and are intended to be re-used as such after the conference.

We are also inviting conference participants to take a few simple actions to help reduce the ecological effects of the conference:

• Bring your own reusable cups/bottles and/or reuse the water bottles provided at registration.
• Purchase a carbon offset through your airline, or through an accredited offsetting agency (QANTAS, Jetstar and Virgin Blue all now offer carbon offsets through Greenhouse Friendly™, the only Australian Government endorsed voluntary carbon offset scheme - go to http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenhousefriendly/products/index.html for more information).
• Provide a viable suggestion for improving the sustainability of AARE on the back of your business card or a slip of paper with your name and email address for future contact.
• Brisbane public transport provides an inexpensive and environmentally sound mode of transportation for delegates staying in the city. Taxi sharing is another good way to save on transportation costs and carbon emissions.
• When in Brisbane, travel to and from the airport using Brisbane's Airtrain http:// www.airtrain.com.au . This is a quick and convenient way to travel and you will avoid the 15km trip in a cab and beat the traffic which can often be very congested. The Airtrain stops in the CBD and just outside the Brisbane
Convention & Exhibition Centre at South Brisbane Station.
• Delegates are encouraged to return their badges at the end of the conference to the designated drop-off box at the registration desk.
• Although the conference bags are intended for reuse as shopping bags, if you do not wish to keep your conference satchel, please leave it at any time during the conference in the designated box at the registration desk and we will donate these to charity after the conference.
• If you do not wish to keep your program book, please place it in the box provided at the registration desk for recycling after the conference.

The Conference Committee welcomes your suggestions for further actions that could feasibly be taken this year or in the future to make the annual conference more environmentally friendly. Please contact Conference Convenor, Mary Ryan (me.ryan@qut.edu.au), or Conference Secretary/Treasurer, Debra Cunningham (debra.cunningham@qct.edu.au).