Our built environment is diverse and complex, comprising more than 200 buildings that support teaching, research, residential life and community use. Optimising how we use and maintain these spaces plays a big role in reducing the University’s environmental impact.
We are committed to creating low carbon, energy-efficient and adaptable facilities. This includes reducing embodied emissions through sustainable materials, improving the performance of existing buildings and ensuring all new developments meet high sustainability standards.
Our approach
We are taking a whole-of-lifecycle approach to our built environment. We are integrating sustainability and climate resilience from early planning and design through to construction, operation, renewal and end-of-life. Our approach recognises the biggest opportunities to reduce impact not only sit in new buildings, but also in how existing assets are maintained, upgraded and used over time.
Key focus areas include:
- Embedding sustainable design and construction approaches by applying Green Star Buildings principles to all new builds and major refurbishments
- Integrating circular economy principles into capital works
- Implementing campus-wide space management strategies
- Optimising asset performance and longevity
- Reducing fugitive emissions of refrigerants
Circular economy principles guide material selection, waste management and resource recovery, while proactive asset management supports electrification, resilience and long-term efficiency. Together, these actions help ensure our buildings remain fit for purpose, low-carbon, adaptable, and fit for the future.
Our goal
Strengthen the sustainability, efficiency and resilience of the built environment to reduce environmental impacts and support long-term adaptability
Our targets
ANU has set clear targets across capital works, space management and building operations and maintenance:
- Achieving a minimum 5 Star Green Star Building rating for all new buildings and rebuilds, with certification required for projects over $7.5 million. All other projects to follow Green Star principles as far as practical.
- Applying Green Star principles to all refurbishments over $7.5 million. All other refurbishment projects apply Green Star principles wherever possible.
- Achieving a minimum 80% diversion from landfill of construction waste from new builds, and a minimum 50% diversion of waste from fit outs and refurbishments (excluding non-recyclable hazardous waste)
- Reducing operating footprint by 10% by 2028 (2023 base year)
- Extending the average lifespan of major building assets through proactive, data driven maintenance
- Ensuring all facilities services contracts include sustainability requirements that support this Plan by 2030
- Reducing refrigerant fugitive emissions by 2030 (from 2026 base year)
Our progress
Progress is underway, with a focus on space management, planning frameworks and community engagement. Recent work has improved our understanding of campus space use and a campus-wide space audit and targeted utilisation study identified opportunities to consolidate underused areas, better use high-quality office space, transition away from inefficient buildings and help inform actions to reduce our operating footprint.
Sustainability requirements have been strengthened through updates to the Campus Building Requirements Manual, and ongoing engagement with building custodians and occupants is supporting shared responsibility and helping to improve efficiency across campus.
Our progress is reviewed regularly and published through various reports and publications.
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