Environmental sustainability at ANU is guided by the Environmental Sustainability Plan 2026–2030 (the Plan) which sets out how the University will reduce its environmental impacts, strengthen climate resilience and embed sustainability across governance, operations, research, teaching and community life.
The Plan is guided by three strategic drivers that define the University’s long-term direction and the goals and targets that guide our environmental sustainability efforts.
Our three drivers, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Circular Economy, establish the purpose and scope of our approach. They ensure our actions are coordinated and aligned with global and national priorities for environmental sustainability.
Climate Action
Our goal is to reach net and then below zero emissions by 2040 and strengthen climate resilience by becoming a climate-adaptive organisation.
Climate change is already reshaping how we live, work and learn, with more frequent extreme weather events, risks to health and safety and disruptions to how societies, economics, ecosystems and universities function. These impacts bring urgency and demand a clear, credible response. They also present an opportunity for transformational change. By acting now, we can reduce risk, unlock innovation and prepare our community for future climate scenarios.
The Plan serves as the University’s Climate Transition Plan which sets out a roadmap for how ANU will contribute to global decarbonisation and adapt to a changing climate. It is a strategic blueprint, practical guide and risk management tool, aligning with international best practice while reflecting our local context and responsibilities. It balances mitigation and adaptation by setting clear pathways to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement while embedding resilience into how we operate, teach and engage.
Nature Conservation
Our goal is to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity on campus and across our supply chains.
Healthy natural systems are essential for thriving communities, resilient economies and human wellbeing. They provide clean water, fertile soils, pollination and climate regulation, yet biodiversity is declining. For ANU, this creates both responsibility and opportunity to understand and embrace traditional knowledge and cultural ways to care for Country, reduce our impacts and contribute to the worldwide effort to halt and reverse nature loss.
We are embedding biodiversity conservation practices into our operations, planning and decision-making, reflecting the core elements of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This means protecting biodiversity on campus and elsewhere, restoring degraded landscapes and ensuring ecological considerations are integrated into procurement, construction and campus management.
We are joining the Nature Positive Universities Network (NPUN). By linking our operational work with education and research, we can enhance biodiversity on campus, share knowledge with partners and enable students to contribute to ecological solutions beyond ANU.
Circular Economy
Our goal is to embed circular economy principles across the University by reducing consumption, extending product life and maximising recovery of materials and resources.
A circular economy shifts the way we think about resources, valuing materials not just for their immediate use but for their ongoing potential to be recovered, repurposed and kept in circulation. By embedding circular economy practices, we can reduce consumption, avoid waste at the outset and create a campus where resources are used efficiently, costs are reduced and negative environmental impacts are minimised.
We are guided by the Australian Circular Economy Framework focusing on designing out waste and pollution and keeping products and materials in use at their highest value.
This approach supports how we procure, build, manage our resources and engage with our community.
Sustainability at ANU
Explore the Plan and strategy pillars to see how sustainability is being delivered across the ANU via the below links, or visit the Reports & Publications page to find historical progress and Environmental Sustainability Plans.
The Plan is supported by annual delivery plans, with progress reviewed quarterly and reported annually publicly through the ANU Environmental Sustainability Report. A formal review of the Plan will take place in 2028 to ensure it remains responsive to emerging risks, opportunities and community expectations.
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