Powered by Community

2024 Sustainability Report

Our sustainability impact is powered by our community. Across the University and with our partners, we are working to embed sustainability action into everything we do, to drive positive change and to address complex global challenges. Our sustainability impact spans the breadth of our activities as a research, teaching and learning institution.

QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024

Ranked 9th globally and 1st in Australia in the QS World University rankings: Sustainability.

Produced by Video and Media, The University of Melbourne.

Read in-depth case studies about our impact in 2024, aligning to our commitments in our institutional strategy Advancing Melbourne:

Still from a video about the AIID with a render of the outside of the building

Place

Embedding sustainability from the start: The Australian Institute for Infectious Disease.

Group photo of Community Sustainability Award winners

Community

Recognising sustainability change-makers for their outstanding contributions.

Group shot of Melbourne Climate Futures Academy participants

Education

Developing the next generation of climate leaders at the Melbourne Climate Futures Academy.

Group shot of participants of Sustainability Business Clinic in front of a wind turbine

Discovery

Melbourne Law School's Sustainability Business Clinic: A Decade of Impact and Innovation.

Group panel from the Oceania Institute launch

Global

Fostering connections for a resilient Oceania.

Amplifying action

We are amplifying action through campus and communities

City parkland landscape foreground with University FBE and The Spot buildings in the background

Electrification retrofit

The first two large-scale retrofit electrification projects were delivered on the Parkville campus.

Three students in a laboratory

Living Labs

Three projects were supported under the inaugural Campus Living Laboratory Accelerator Program.

Seven photo headshots of individual people on a plant background

Associate Deans Sustainability

Associate Deans Sustainability (or similar) have now been appointed across all nine faculties.

Mobilising knowledge

We are mobilising knowledge for action

Smiling students in a lecture theatre

Education perfomance

The University ranked equal 12th globally for the Environmental Education Performance Lens in the QS Sustainability Ranking.

Students seated at benches running an experiment in a laboratory

Research Initiatives

The University is home to 27 research initiatives focused on diverse aspects of sustainability.

Image of large group of people

Melbourne Global Centre

The new Melbourne Global Centre in New Delhi, India, hosted a range of sustainability-focused events.

Walking the talk

We are walking the talk in our operations

Insect house at the entrance to Systems Garden

Biodiversity

The Biodiversity Baseline Data Project was completed, with baselines set across all biodiversity metrics.

Person putting paper into recycling bin

Waste management

Waste to landfill was 18.5 kg per person in 2024, 18 per cent below 2023 levels but significantly above our 2025 target of 10 kg per person.

Box with polystyrene packing and masking tape

Packaging reduced

The University reduced its polystyrene packaging consumption by 24 per cent.

How we're tracking against our sustainability targets

Sustainability Plan structure (3 domains, 12 priority areas, 28 targets) and timeline of 2025 interim targets, 2026 review, and 2030 deadlineSustainability Tracker showing 10 Targets on on track, 14 are in progress, 1 needs attention and 3 are not yet started

How we assessed our progress against Sustainability Plan 2030 targets

About this report Read more about our impact Search the report

Read more about our sustainability progress under each Sustainability Plan 2030 priority area