Climate Action category

The Australian National University’s Carbon Smart approach is a whole-of-organisation response to climate change, empowering people to make low-emissions choices, embed carbon awareness into decision-making, and direct efforts to where impact is most significant. The program targets emissions reductions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, supporting ANU’s ambition to reach below zero emissions by 2040 while adapting to emerging climate risks.

The multi-dimensional program combines infrastructure transformation, systems change, and behavioural and cultural engagement. This includes electrifying heating with innovative heat pump technologies, transitioning towards 100% market-based renewable electricity, improving building energy performance, transforming their travel policy, mapping value-chain emissions, expanding EV infrastructure, and creating tools and education opportunities for staff and students.

By integrating research, teaching and operations with real-world climate action, ANU’s Carbon Smart approach demonstrates how a large institution can embed climate responsibility across infrastructure, governance, culture and daily decision-making.

The Australian National University – Glass Furnace

Impacts & Benefits

  • Reduced operational emissions, including a 6% reduction in Scope 1 emissions and 100% reduction in market-based Scope 2 emissions since 2019.
  • Cut travel-related emissions by 38%, supported by the Carbon Smart Travel Program, behavioural tools and improved emissions tracking.
  • Improved energy performance, with 94% market-based renewable electricity across campuses and an 11% reduction in energy-use intensity since 2019.
  • Advanced infrastructure decarbonisation, including building electrification, cold-climate heat pump systems, EV chargers and replacement of the gas-fired glass furnace.
  • Built climate literacy and practical learning, with sustainability education, internships, living lab projects and over 41% of students enrolled in at least one sustainability-related course in 2025.

 

Leadership & Engagement

  • Embedded climate action into institutional strategy, including the ANU’s Environmental Sustainability Plan and Corporate Plan 2025–2028 emissions reduction KPI.
  • Engaged staff and students at scale, including over 400 staff in the Carbon Smart Travel Program and more than 1,000 staff and students in commuting and working-from-home research.
  • Used participatory design to build ownership, enabling staff, students and researchers to co-design tools, policies and practical solutions.
  • Shared leadership across the sector, contributing to ACTS, TEFMA, Go8, IARU and climate scenario work for tertiary institutions.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Created replicable decarbonisation models for public institutions, heritage buildings and complex campuses, particularly through cold-climate electrification.
  • Shared open tools and methodologies, including Carbon Smart guides, Scope 3 reporting methods, travel emissions tracking and carbon removal principles.
  • Supported climate capability beyond the ANU, helping other institutions and sectors adopt stronger approaches to carbon accounting, electrification and behaviour change.
  • Prepared graduates for climate-focused careers, giving students practical experience in emissions tracking, climate risk, sustainable procurement, Scope 3 emissions and transdisciplinary problem-solving.
logo

Top 3 learnings

  • Effective climate action requires integrated top-down leadership, grassroots engagement, and empowering individuals to act.
  • Optimising existing systems before replacement delivers immediate savings and reduces capital risk.
  • Cross-portfolio collaboration unlocks greater impact than isolated initiatives, embedding sustainability throughout the organisation.

Watch the case study video

Supported by

logo

Category finalists

Learn more

logo
Climate Action category

The Australian National University’s Carbon Smart approach is a whole-of-organisation response to climate change, empowering people to make low-emissions choices, embed carbon awareness into decision-making, and direct efforts to where impact is most significant. The program targets emissions reductions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3, supporting ANU’s ambition to reach below zero emissions by 2040 while adapting to emerging climate risks.

The multi-dimensional program combines infrastructure transformation, systems change, and behavioural and cultural engagement. This includes electrifying heating with innovative heat pump technologies, transitioning towards 100% market-based renewable electricity, improving building energy performance, transforming their travel policy, mapping value-chain emissions, expanding EV infrastructure, and creating tools and education opportunities for staff and students.

By integrating research, teaching and operations with real-world climate action, ANU’s Carbon Smart approach demonstrates how a large institution can embed climate responsibility across infrastructure, governance, culture and daily decision-making.

Top 3 learnings

  • Effective climate action requires integrated top-down leadership, grassroots engagement, and empowering individuals to act.
  • Optimising existing systems before replacement delivers immediate savings and reduces capital risk.
  • Cross-portfolio collaboration unlocks greater impact than isolated initiatives, embedding sustainability throughout the organisation.

Impacts & Benefits

  • Reduced operational emissions, including a 6% reduction in Scope 1 emissions and 100% reduction in market-based Scope 2 emissions since 2019.
  • Cut travel-related emissions by 38%, supported by the Carbon Smart Travel Program, behavioural tools and improved emissions tracking.
  • Improved energy performance, with 94% market-based renewable electricity across campuses and an 11% reduction in energy-use intensity since 2019.
  • Advanced infrastructure decarbonisation, including building electrification, cold-climate heat pump systems, EV chargers and replacement of the gas-fired glass furnace.
  • Built climate literacy and practical learning, with sustainability education, internships, living lab projects and over 41% of students enrolled in at least one sustainability-related course in 2025.

 

Leadership & Engagement

  • Embedded climate action into institutional strategy, including the ANU’s Environmental Sustainability Plan and Corporate Plan 2025–2028 emissions reduction KPI.
  • Engaged staff and students at scale, including over 400 staff in the Carbon Smart Travel Program and more than 1,000 staff and students in commuting and working-from-home research.
  • Used participatory design to build ownership, enabling staff, students and researchers to co-design tools, policies and practical solutions.
  • Shared leadership across the sector, contributing to ACTS, TEFMA, Go8, IARU and climate scenario work for tertiary institutions.

 

Wider Societal Impact

  • Created replicable decarbonisation models for public institutions, heritage buildings and complex campuses, particularly through cold-climate electrification.
  • Shared open tools and methodologies, including Carbon Smart guides, Scope 3 reporting methods, travel emissions tracking and carbon removal principles.
  • Supported climate capability beyond the ANU, helping other institutions and sectors adopt stronger approaches to carbon accounting, electrification and behaviour change.
  • Prepared graduates for climate-focused careers, giving students practical experience in emissions tracking, climate risk, sustainable procurement, Scope 3 emissions and transdisciplinary problem-solving.
For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Privacy policy.

Supported by

logo

Category finalists