LiFE Index

The LiFE Index - measuring sustainability performance at JCU

The Learning in Future Environments (LiFE) Index is a comprehensive performance improvement system developed specifically to help tertiary education institutions manage, measure, improve and promote their social responsibility and sustainability performance.

The LiFE Index has been designed by universities to support universities in demonstrating their response to environmental and social sustainability. The system reflects not only the specific nature of the higher education sector but also the uniqueness of each institution, their context and their individual approaches to embedding sustainability.

JCU has been utilising the LiFE Index since 2013 to benchmark, record and report sustainability performance.

The LiFE Index consists of four Priority Areas, under which sit specific Frameworks. Under each Framework are eight Activity Areas that relate to good practice within that Framework. The LiFE Index structure can be seen in the below diagram with the Priority Areas (green) and Frameworks (yellow) outlined.

An example of the LiFE Index Activity Areas within the Learning, Teaching and Research Priority Area can be seen below.