The University's environmental sustainability efforts are managed through the Environmental Sustainability portfolio within ANU Campus Environment (formerly Facilities & Services Division). ANU Green, the University's operational program, delivers initiatives to support these efforts.
Guided by the Dhaagun Environmental Management Plan (EMP), ANU Green works towards improving environmental sustainability across the Acton campus and regional sites through a structured approach with clear goals. Dhaagun is earth and environment in the local Walgalu (Ngambri) and Wiradjuri language.
The EMP has a four-year cycle; the current version is EMP 2022-2025. It has seven pillars: greenhouse gas management, energy management, water management, built environment, circular economy, climate risk and biodiversity and conservation. These pillars are underpinned by several cross-cutting themes: assessment, strategy development and facilitation, governance, monitoring and reporting, community engagement and integration with research and teaching.
In 2024, the EMP was updated to reflect organisational and regulatory changes. The ANU Below Zero program, a distinct climate action program launched in 2021, merged with ANU Green. Below Zero now refers to the ANU climate action ambitions, which sit within the first pillar, greenhouse gas management. The University's long-term ambition is to be below zero emissions from our operations and value-chain (scopes 1,2 and 3) by 2040 with an interim goal of carbon neutrality for direct on-campus and energy-related emissions (scopes 1 and 2) for part of 2025 (pilot) and from 2026 onwards. Climate risk was added as a seventh pillar of the EMP to ensure the University discloses and manages climate risks, adapts to future climate impacts and meets Commonwealth Climate Disclosure requirements.
To see a complete list of our environmental goals, read the Dhaagun Environmental Management Plan 2022-25. Alternatively, explore our Solutions pages for more information on our approach and projects within each pillar. You can also view our published updates on the Reports and Publications page.
