Western Sydney University recognised as a global leader for community impact, top three in the world

Advancing equity in Western Sydney

Western Sydney University is anchored in one of Australia’s fastest growing and most diverse regions, home to Australia’s largest urban Indigenous population and people from all over the world, many of whom are refugees.

More than 170 languages are spoken across the region, and two-thirds of our students are the first in their families to attend university. Many balance study and work alongside family commitments, bringing lived experience that shapes the University’s commitment to equity and inclusion.

Addressing student food insecurity through practical, community-focused initiatives is a priority. The Western Pantry provides students with free access to fresh produce, pantry staples and hygiene items, helping to reduce immediate financial pressure and improve wellbeing. The initiative is complemented by community meals and free cooking classes that build students’ practical skills in preparing affordable meals, strengthening food literacy and budget management while also supporting wellbeing and community connection. More than 5,600 students have accessed Western Pantry this semester, and we are on track to support over 10,000 visits to the pantries in 2026.

Western Sydney University is also recognised nationally for its commitment to gender equity and inclusion. The University has been awarded its fourth and fifth SAGE Athena Swan Cygnet Award, marking an important milestone in the University’s long-term commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. The fourth Cygnet recognises achievements in ensuring gender equity in the University’s COVID-19 response, while the fifth acknowledges work undertaken to better understand and support parents and carers at Western.

The University continues to respond to the rise in global conflict and displacement by offering a personalised entry point to the University and higher education, known as the People Fleeing Conflict Program to support people seeking refuge in Australia.

Research also plays an important role in addressing inequality across the region. A study from our Centre for Western Sydney has found the lack of accessibility and affordability of childcare has made most of Western Sydney a care ‘desert’, which impacts on parents’ ability to fully participate in the workforce, while researchers from the School of Nursing and Midwifery led Australia’s first study into obstetric violence, helping inform the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma.

Driving sustainable operations and circular solutions

Western Sydney University is embedding sustainability across its teaching, research, campus operations and community engagement. Through its Sustainability and Resilience 2030 strategy, the University has committed to more than 50 long-term actions that support a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous future.

Across our Western Sydney campuses, our electricity continues to be 100 per cent renewably sourced, while the University is certified carbon neutral for business operations by Climate Active. By 2029, we strive to become climate and nature-positive.

Since 2024, electric vehicle (EV) chargers with solar carparks have been installed across four campuses including Hawkesbury, Kingswood, Campbelltown and Parramatta South, with fast-charge units accessible for all staff and students using EVs, and increasing our total solar generation.

We are also proud to be utilising innovative waste management practices. For example, our Teaching and Research Technical Services – Advanced Manufacturing team have diverted an estimated 50 kilograms of single-use plastic waste from landfill and turned it into other products and prototypes.

Water conservation forms another important part of Western’s sustainability approach. Recycled water and harvested stormwater are used extensively on Western’s Hawkesbury campus for a range of uses, along with rainwater being used for toilet flushing and irrigation in some of the buildings in Penrith, Parramatta, and Campbelltown campuses.

Our researchers are engaged in projects protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems including rivers, lakes and waterways. Funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments program, Western Sydney University in collaboration with the Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper Alliance, is working to protect our urban platypus populations.

Building heat-resilient communities

Western Sydney is already experiencing one of the most severe urban heat island effects in Australia. During heatwaves temperatures can reach up to 8–10°C higher than Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and the region currently experiences an average of 15.4 days per year above 35°C.

As climate change and urban heat intensifies, projections suggest the region could face up to 46 days a year above 35°C by 2090. These conditions present significant challenges for health, infrastructure, productivity and community wellbeing.

Western Sydney University researchers are addressing both the causes and consequences of urban heat through interdisciplinary research and place-based solutions. Projects such as Living with Urban Heat are co-developing practical cooling strategies with socially diverse communities in public housing, while research into sustainability bonds is exploring new ways to finance large-scale urban greening. Other initiatives are strengthening the resilience of green infrastructure to heat, flooding and fire, supporting long-term liveability.

Western researchers are also developing practical solutions to help communities adapt to rising temperatures. In partnership with Cumberland City Council and industry, researchers designed and tested the Cool Roof System, a nature-based cooling structure that uses fast-growing vines on a trellis system to create shade in exposed urban environments.

Trialled at a commuter carpark in Wentworthville, the system reduced surface temperatures by up to 35°C, lowered UV radiation by up to 80 per cent and improved thermal comfort by as much as 10°C. The structure generated more than 100 square metres of shade in less than two years, providing a faster alternative to traditional tree canopy establishment.

The project demonstrates how low-cost, scalable solutions can help reduce urban heat, improve public comfort and strengthen climate resilience in rapidly growing communities across Western Sydney and beyond.

Protecting biodiversity and restoring ecosystems

Western Sydney University is committed to protecting, restoring and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, through sustainably managing forests, combating desertification, and halting and reversing land degradation and biodiversity loss.

A key example is the restoration work taking place at Hawkesbury campus, where 15,000 new trees have also been planted at Hawkesbury in partnership with Greater Sydney Landcare, with a focus on restoring nature.

The University’s research is also contributing to a broader understanding of ecosystem change across Australia. A major study led by the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment found that forests nationwide are experiencing accelerating rates of tree loss, highlighting the growing impacts of climate change on natural systems.

Drawing on 83 years of records from more than 2,700 forest plots, the study provides critical evidence to inform conservation efforts and support the long-term health and resilience of Australia’s forests.

Western researchers from the School of Science are also helping protect vulnerable species through projects such as Bogong Watch, one of Australia’s largest insect-tracking studies. The project is tagging up to 10,000 Bogong moths and engaging citizen scientists across south-eastern Australia to better understand the migration patterns of this Endangered species and support its long-term conservation.