Monash University has announced that it will be ending its decade-long partnership with oil giant Woodside Energy due to mounting protests from staff and students over concerns about the relationship. The university's vice-chancellor, Sharon Pickering, confirmed at a Senate committee hearing that the existing agreement would expire at the end of this year.
The partnership, which was established in 2019, was criticized for being at odds with Monash's values and academic freedom. Staff and students had expressed concerns about the fact that Woodside, which is a major fossil fuel company, was paying the university millions of dollars while also promoting climate change. The issue came to a head last June when a climate conference held at one of Monash's campuses in Italy featured Coalition MP Tim Wilson.
Monash has stated that it will continue to prioritize its values and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals, which means that any future partnerships would need to align with these commitments. The university has also committed to supporting the faculty of engineering in pursuing research collaborations that are "in line with our ESG commitments, our Responsible Partnership Framework and academic freedom."
Woodside Energy, however, remains optimistic about its ability to continue working with Monash University in the future. A spokesperson for the company stated that it would "continue exploring ways to build on their decade-long research partnership" and emphasized that there were still many opportunities for collaboration.
The decision to end the partnership has been welcomed by some, including the National Tertiary Education Union's Monash branch president, Ben Eltham, who described it as a "dirty deal." Carina Griffin, a climate science student at Monash, started a campaign group called Stop Woodside Monash, which was instrumental in pushing for the university to end its partnership with Woodside. She said that the decision showed Monash had "decided to finally listen to staff and students."
As part of its plans, Monash will be renaming the ultra-sustainable building that is currently sponsored by Woodside as part of its commitment to ESG goals. The university has also stated that it will continue to support the faculty of engineering in pursuing research collaborations that align with its values and commitments.
The end of the partnership marks a significant shift for Monash University, which had previously been criticized for its close ties with fossil fuel companies. However, it is clear that the university remains committed to prioritizing its values and ESG goals, even if it means distancing itself from organizations that are at odds with these principles.
The partnership, which was established in 2019, was criticized for being at odds with Monash's values and academic freedom. Staff and students had expressed concerns about the fact that Woodside, which is a major fossil fuel company, was paying the university millions of dollars while also promoting climate change. The issue came to a head last June when a climate conference held at one of Monash's campuses in Italy featured Coalition MP Tim Wilson.
Monash has stated that it will continue to prioritize its values and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals, which means that any future partnerships would need to align with these commitments. The university has also committed to supporting the faculty of engineering in pursuing research collaborations that are "in line with our ESG commitments, our Responsible Partnership Framework and academic freedom."
Woodside Energy, however, remains optimistic about its ability to continue working with Monash University in the future. A spokesperson for the company stated that it would "continue exploring ways to build on their decade-long research partnership" and emphasized that there were still many opportunities for collaboration.
The decision to end the partnership has been welcomed by some, including the National Tertiary Education Union's Monash branch president, Ben Eltham, who described it as a "dirty deal." Carina Griffin, a climate science student at Monash, started a campaign group called Stop Woodside Monash, which was instrumental in pushing for the university to end its partnership with Woodside. She said that the decision showed Monash had "decided to finally listen to staff and students."
As part of its plans, Monash will be renaming the ultra-sustainable building that is currently sponsored by Woodside as part of its commitment to ESG goals. The university has also stated that it will continue to support the faculty of engineering in pursuing research collaborations that align with its values and commitments.
The end of the partnership marks a significant shift for Monash University, which had previously been criticized for its close ties with fossil fuel companies. However, it is clear that the university remains committed to prioritizing its values and ESG goals, even if it means distancing itself from organizations that are at odds with these principles.
But in this case, I think Monash made a pretty wise choice by ditching Woodside Energy - all those millions of dollars can't make up for the damage their fossil fuel business is causing to the planet. The university's decision to prioritize its values and ESG goals over financial gain is a huge step forward for them, and it sets an important example for other universities to follow.
Interesting... I mean, wow! Monash University is finally doing what they should've done a long time ago - ending their partnership with Woodside Energy due to the backlash from staff and students. It's about time they stood up for their values and academic freedom. The fact that Carina Griffin started a campaign group called Stop Woodside Monash really shows how passionate people are about this issue. I'm glad to see the university taking concrete steps to align with its ESG goals, like renaming the ultra-sustainable building. It's a positive move towards a more sustainable future! 
Monash University finally listened to its own staff and students, who were like "hey u can't sell out to Woodside Energy while pretending 2 care about climate change" 
it's kinda surprising they didn't do this sooner tho, especially with all the student activism going on these days 
it's not easy organizing people and stuff but they did it, lol. and now Monash is all about prioritizing ESG goals, which is a great move imo 
monash uni finally listened to their staff & students about partnering with woodside energy lol what a difference a year makes! i gotta respect the new dean's commitment to prioritizing ESG goals it's like, no more dirty deals for them. now they're actually using that money to make some real change in the world 
and good on carina griffin starting a campaign group to stop woodside monash it's amazing to see students taking action for what they believe in 
and I swear, seeing all those wildflowers and trees just made me think about how we can do more to reduce our carbon footprint at home. You know, little things like using public transport or carpooling? I was thinking, if Monash Uni is already prioritizing sustainability in their partnerships, why can't we all do the same? And what's up with Woodside Energy trying to spin this as a positive move for them? Anyway, back to hiking... have you ever tried the Olinda lookouts? 
. I mean, a decade-long partnership with an oil giant like Woodside Energy? It just doesn't add up, you know? 
They were basically getting paid to promote climate change and it's disgusting. The fact that they had to be pushed by students and staff to end the deal is just amazing 
And now that they're out of it, maybe they can actually focus on doing some real climate research instead of just being associated with it 
. The fact that the university is committing to supporting research collaborations that align with its ESG goals and values shows that it's not about cutting ties entirely, but about making a positive change.
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. I've got nothing but respect for the students and staff who stood up against this partnership - it's about time someone spoke out against these big oil companies and their dirty practices 
. But at the same time, I guess you gotta prioritize what matters - in this case, the planet 
! It's a step in the right direction, and we can only hope that other universities will follow suit 
. And hey, who knows? Maybe this partnership thing will become a thing of the past 
! Now, let's see more universities take a similar stance and prioritize ESG goals over profits 
. It's like, you can't have it both ways, right? The students and staff had been raising concerns for ages, and finally, the university listened 
. This new decision shows that Monash is serious about its ESG goals and academic freedom, which is pretty cool 
. Now we just gotta see if they'll stick to it 
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It's not about standing up for your values, it's about being a business and having a bottom line 
. Mark my words, this decision will come back to haunt 'em 
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. It's like they thought the uni was just some cash cow or something 
I'm stoked to see more universities taking a stand against fossil fuels