2025 Sustainability Report
Data Tables
Data tables on this page are referenced throughout this report website.
Priority Area
Climate Leadership
Greenhouse gas emissions by category 2025
| Category | Direct scope 1 emissions (tCO₂-e) | Indirect scope 2 emissions (tCO₂-e) | Indirect scope 3 emissions (tCO₂-e) | 2025 total emissions (tCO₂-e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary energy (gaseous fuels) | 13,800 | 2,315 | 16,035 | |
| Refrigerants | 2,244 | 80 | 2,324 | |
| Transport (land and sea) | 432 | 5,461 | 5,894 | |
| Stationary energy (LPG) | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electricity (Market-Based) | 4,644 | 4,644 | ||
| Professional services | 69,347 | 69,347 | ||
| Construction materials and services | 15,830 | 15,830 | ||
| Transport (air travel) | 8 | 20,055 | 20,063 | |
| ICT services and equipment | 7,239 | 7,239 | ||
| Products | 8,012 | 8,012 | ||
| Food | 4,055 | 4,055 | ||
| Office equipment and supplies | 3,536 | 3,536 | ||
| Accommodation and facilities | 1,552 | 1,552 | ||
| Working from home | 2,607 | 2,607 | ||
| Waste | 2,275 | 2,275 | ||
| Cleaning and chemicals | 1,673 | 1,673 | ||
| Water | 1,048 | 1,048 | ||
| Postage, courier and freight | 2,320 | 2,320 | ||
| Machinery and vehicles | 1,939 | 1,939 | ||
| Horticulture and agriculture | 314 | 314 | ||
| Raods and landscape | 0 | 0 | ||
| Gross total emissions | 16,485 | 154,222 | 170,705 | |
| Carbon offsets for scope 1 | 16,485 | |||
| Carbon offsets for scope 2 | ||||
| Carbon offsets for scope 3 | 154,220 | |||
| Net total emissions | ||||
| Electricity (Location-Based) | 107,678 | |||
Greenhouse gas emissions by scope (tCO2-e)
| Description | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 15,197 | 14,743 | 17,530 | 13,111 | 16,442 | 16,852 | 16,665 | 15,567 | 16,485 |
| Scope 2 | 118,517 | 119,113 | 114,987 | 89,990 | 74,948 | 34,444 | 31,414 | 29,098 | 0 |
| Scope 3 | 66,336 | 74,118 | 79,257 | 37,770 | 30,900 | 168,192 | 193,049 | 175,574 | 154,220 |
| Gross total | 200,050 | 207,975 | 211,774 | 140,871 | 122,290 | 219,488 | 241,128 | 220,239 | 170,705 |
| Carbon offsets | - | -15,748 | -1,710 | -3,136 | -84,778 | -54,584 | -68,852 | -54,783 | -170,705 |
| Net Total | 200,050 | 192,227 | 210,064 | 137,735 | 37,512 | 164,904 | 172,276 | 165,457 | 0 |
Greenhouse gas emissions by FTE, EFTSL, and Gross floor area
| Description | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net emissions /m2 GFA | 0.22 | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.13 | 0.03 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.00 |
| Net emissions /FTE | 23.43 | 21.40 | 22.39 | 14.99 | 3.97 | 16.81 | 16.39 | 14.96 | 0.00 |
| Net emissions /EFTSL | 3.98 | 3.64 | 3.84 | 2.64 | 0.69 | 3.13 | 3.19 | 2.86 | 0.00 |
| Net emissions /(FTE + EFTSL) | 3.40 | 3.11 | 3.28 | 2.25 | 0.59 | 2.64 | 2.67 | 2.40 | 0.00 |
| Gross emissions /m2 GFA | 0.22 | 0.23 | 0.22 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.16 |
| Gross emissions /FTE | 23.43 | 23.15 | 22.58 | 15.33 | 12.94 | 22.38 | 23.13 | 19.91 | 15.30 |
| Gross emissions /EFTSL | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4.51 | 3.80 | 2.94 |
| Gross emissions /(FTE + EFTSL) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3.77 | 3.19 | 2.46 |
Total electricity usage
| Description | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total on-campus solar (MWh) | 728 | 2,389 | 2,656 | 2,606 | 3,133 | 3,218 | 3,439 | 3,795 | 3,879 |
| Total grid (incl. affiliates) | 109,738 | 111,321 | 119,973 | 96,140 | 103,654 | 111,717 | 114,016 | 115,947 | 126,162 |
UoM staff commuting patterns, 2019-2025
| Item/Service | CY2019 Activity (km) | CY2022 Activity (km) | CY2023 (km) | CY2024 (km) | CY2025 (km) | Change on Previous Year Activity (2024-25) (km) | % Change on Previous Year Activity (2024-25) | CY2019 Emissions (tCO₂-e) | CY2022 Full Scope Emissions (tCO₂-e) | CY2023 emissions (tCO2-e) | CY2024 emissions (tCO2-e) | CY2025 emissions (tCO2-e) | Change of previous year emissions (2024-25) (tCO2-e) | % change in emissions (2024-25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel : Medium Car | 3,422,543 | 2,232,683 | 1,318,891 | -913,792 | -41% | 712 | 467 | 281 | -186 | -40% | ||||
| Hybrid: Medium Car | 1,155,910 | 1,232,877 | 1,396,110 | 163,233 | 13% | 159 | 179 | 206 | 27 | 15% | ||||
| Petrol: Medium Car | 18,049,248 | 10,252,907 | 9,028,877 | -1,224,030 | -12% | 4,109 | 2,326 | 2,025 | 300 | -13% | ||||
| Car | 3,047,118 | 14,720,255 | 22,627,701 | 13,718,467 | 11,743,877 | -1,974,590 | -14% | 318 | 3,135 | 4,980 | 2,971 | 2,511 | 460 | -15% |
| Motorcycle/Scooter | 404,022 | 279,587 | 661,769 | 750,906 | 783,974 | 33,068 | 4% | 36 | 41 | 95 | 108 | 112 | 5 | 4% |
| Taxi/Rideshare | - | 139,263 | - | 39,459 | 100,234 | 60,776 | 154% | - | 22 | - | 7 | 26 | 19 | 262% |
| Train | 22,280,387 | 9,356,416 | 19,114,056 | 17,207,221 | 20,628,545 | 3,421,324 | 20% | 446 | 416 | 849 | 765 | 917 | 152 | 20% |
| Tram | 3,700,385 | 1,667,784 | 4,824,065 | 2,287,334 | 2,628,545 | 629,192 | 28% | 444 | 60 | 174 | 83 | 105 | 23 | 28% |
| Bus | 1,866,660 | 592,377 | 2,035,597 | 1,490,678 | 1,426,074 | -64,604 | -4% | 224 | 75 | 259 | 201 | 186 | 15 | -8% |
| Ferry | 791 | 38,425 | 729 | 16,816 | - | -16,816 | -100% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.4 | - | 0 | -100% |
| Cycle | 4,202,454 | 2,726,351 | 6,419,454 | 3,907,551 | 3,890.517 | -17,034 | 0% | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0% |
| Walk/Run | 1,922,800 | 1,447,568 | 3,006,386 | 1,537,182 | 1,433,024 | -104,159 | -7% | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0% |
| Battery electric vehicle (BEV): Medium car | - | - | 884,789 | 1,167,760 | 1,556,663 | 388,903 | 33% | - | - | 57 | 66 | 76 | 10 | 16% |
UoM staff air travel emissions, 2016-2025
| Details | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total emissions (tCO2e) | 19,410 | 24,663 | 28,409 | 27,044 | 2,464 | 883 | 15,581 | 21,563 | 22,092 | 20,052 |
| Additional carbon emissions from DEFRA emissio factors update in 2023 (tCO2e) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 11,993 | - | - |
| Purchased offsets (tCO2e) | -765 | - | -15,748 | -1,710 | -3,136 | -883 | -15,581 | -33,556 | -22,092 | -20,052 |
| Totals GHG emissions | 19,410 | 24,663 | 28,409 | 27,044 | 27,044 | 883 | 15,581 | 33,556 | 22,092 | 20,052 |
Note: In 2024, the University transitioned from using DEFRA emission factors to calculating staff air travel emissions through Thrust Carbon, an ISO 14083–certified platform. In 2025, the two methodologies were assessed and found to produce comparable results.
Energy consumption by source
| Category | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total on-campus solar (GJ) | 2,620 | 8,599 | 9,563 | 9,382 | 11,279 | 11,585 | 12,380 | 13,664 | 13,966 |
Total grid electricity (GJ) | 395,057 | 400,754 | 431,905 | 346,104 | 373,154 | 402,181 | 410,458 | 417,411 | 440,218 |
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (GJ) | 2,700 | 2778.8 | 2,524 | 514 | 1,787 | 1,967 | 2,511 | 480 | 172 |
Natural gas (GJ) | 273,260 | 274,135 | 290,667 | 230,615 | 277,466 | 290,679 | 275,754 | 265,130 | 286,836 |
Energy intensity (GJ/m2 GFA) | 0.759 | 0.758 | 0.778 | 0.572 | 0.567 | 0.688 | 0.676 | 0.672 | 0.688 |
Purchased carbon offsets and allocation 2025
| Credit Type | Certification Standard | Project Name | Project ID | Methodology | Location | Project summary | Vintage | Total offset retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | South East Arnhem Land Fire Abatement Project (SEALFA) Project, Savannah Fire Management, NT | ERF101624 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2022-23 | 9,192 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Northwest Arnhem Land Fire Abatement, Savannah Fire Management, NT | ERF179381 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2023-24 | 1,737 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | West Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (WALFA) Project, Savannah Fire Management, NT | EOP100945 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2023-24 | 25 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Jawoyn Fire 2, Savannah Fire Management, NT | ERF102021 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2024-25 | 9,000 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Oriners & Sefton Savanna Burning Project, QLD | EOP100959 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2022-23 | 2,000 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Central Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (CALFA) Project, Savannah Fire Management, NT | EOP100947 | Savanna burning | Northern Territory | This project involves the strategic and planned burning of savanna areas during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2021-22 | 46ACCU |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Maddingly LFG Project, VIC | ERF121917 | Waste Management | Victoria | This project installs a new landfill gas collection system to capture and combust gas generated at the landfill from legacy and non-legacy waste. | 2023-24 | 5,000 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Native Forest from Managed Regrowth, QLD | ERF102124 | Revegetation | Queensland | This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) on land that was subject to at least one comprehensive clearing for pastoral use. | 2022-23 | 14,766 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | Native Forest from Managed Regrowth, QLD | ERF102124 | Revegetation | Queensland | This project establishes permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) on land that was subject to at least one comprehensive clearing for pastoral use. | 2023-24 | 15,234 |
| ACCU | Australian Clean Energy Regulator | CPC Beef Herd Project, NT, QLD, WA | ERF121321 | Agriculture | Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia | This project reduces the emissions intensity of beef cattle production by adopting measures to reduce cattle emissions per kilogram of liveweight produced. | 2024-25 | 19,000 |
| VCU | Verra | Tongxu Biogas Recovery and Utilization Project, China | 3005 | Waste Management | China | Eco Australia stapled carbon credit product of Australian forest conservation units and Chinese hydropower units | 2023 | 47,237 |
| VCU | Verra | Nanning Landfill Gas Power Generation Project, China | 2464 | Waste Management | China | This project involves strategic and planned burning of savanna areas in the high rainfall zone during the early dry season to reduce the risk of late dry season wild fires. | 2023 | 47,468 |
| TOTAL | 170,705 |
Priority Area
Discovery
Percentage of SDG-related research outputs in the top 10% of citations (field weighted)
| SDGs | Scholarly outputs (2022 - 2025) | Publications in top 10% most cited worldwide (Field-weighted) |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1 - No Poverty | 424 | 20% |
| SDG 2 - Zero Hunger | 781 | 19% |
| SDG 3 - Good health and well-being | 15,195 | 20% |
| SDG 4 - Quality Education | 1,292 | 19% |
| SDG 5 - Gender equality | 1,275 | 18% |
| SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation | 661 | 17% |
| SDG 7 - Affordable and clean energy | 997 | 22% |
| SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth | 995 | 22% |
| SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure | 1,457 | 23% |
| SDG 10 - Reduced inequality | 1,617 | 20% |
| SDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communities | 1,436 | 20% |
| SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production | 838 | 20% |
| SDG 13 - Climate action | 1,624 | 26% |
| SDG 14 - Life below water | 442 | 20% |
| SDG 15 - Life on land | 1,015 | 17% |
| SDG 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions | 1,681 | 20% |
Source: SciVal. SDG mapping based on Elsevier 2023 method. Elsevier does not map SDG 17.
Number of patent, policy and news/social media mentions for research outputs mapped to SDGs
| SDGs | No. of research outputs mentioned in Patents | Policy-related mentions | News and social media mentions |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDG 1 - No Poverty | 0 | 6 | 17 |
| SDG 2 - Zero Hunger | 6 | 32 | 731 |
| SDG 3 - Good health and well-being | 564 | 676 | 55,989 |
| SDG 4 - Quality Education | 7 | 48 | 6,263 |
| SDG 5 - Gender equality | 0 | 30 | 5,286 |
| SDG 6 - Clean water and sanitation | 1 | 32 | 248 |
| SDG 7 - Affordable and clean energy | 34 | 12 | 1,009 |
| SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth | 0 | 31 | 844 |
| SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure | 1 | 1 | 48 |
| SDG 10 - Reduced inequality | 1 | 29 | 1,032 |
| SDG 11 - Sustainable cities and communities | 6 | 27 | 400 |
| SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production | 8 | 8 | 224 |
| SDG 13 - Climate action | 15 | 193 | 9,639 |
| SDG 14 - Life below water | 3 | 13 | 1,503 |
| SDG 15 - Life on land | 5 | 65 | 2,844 |
| SDG 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions | 0 | 52 | 916 |
| SDG 17 - Partnerships | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Source: Altmetric Explorer. SDG mapping based on SpringerNature/Digital Science method.
Priority Area
Healthy ecosystems
The University's performance on seven key biodiversity metrics across its seven campuses
| Metric | Parkville | Southbank | Burnley | Werribee | Creswick | Shepparton | Dookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metric 1: Plantable Area (%)* | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | + |
Metric 2: Number of Areas of Ecological & Environmental | + | 0 | 0 | - | + | + | + |
Metric 3: Number of Plant Species | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
Metric 4: Number of Trees | - | - | + | - | + | - | -* |
Metric 5: Number of Tree Species | +* | + | + | - | + | - | -* |
Metric 6: Canopy Cover (%)* | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
Metric 7: Number of Fauna & Fungi Species | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
Totals 'net gain' or 'no net loss' by campus | 5/7 | 5/7 | 7/7 | 4/7 | 7/7 | 4/7 | 5/7 |
* Estimated result, calculations pending
+ = Net gain
0 = No net loss
- = Net loss
These results will help the University prioritise its resources to achieve a net gain in biodiversity across all campuses by 2030.
Priority Area
Healthy water cycles
Total water use 2017-2025
| Description | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal potable water usage (ML) | 447.343 | 468.081 | 485 | 478 | 445 | 317 | 263 | 373 | 356 | 439* | 474 |
| Municipal recycled water usage (ML) | 17.0 | 8.4 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 11.6 | 5.7 | 7.4 | |||
| Municipal water usage intensity (ML/m2GFA) | 0.533 | 0.530 | 0.545 | 0.526 | 0.469 | 0.309 | 0.225 | 0.363 | 0.347 | TBC | 0.447 |
| Sustainability Plan 2030 target: Total water consumption by 2025 (ML) | 407 | 407 | 407 |
*Note: As of publication, approximately 5 per cent of water bills for 2024 are outstanding due to delays with external billing systems
Priority Area
Just and circular economy
Total waste to landfill and recycling 2017-2025
| Description | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total waste to landfill (excl. demolition and construction waste) (Tonnes) | 1589 | 1699 | 1929 | 804 | 906 | 781 | 1484 | 1379 | 1269 |
| Total waste recycled (Tonnes) | 1030 | 842 | 916 | 593 | 574 | 617 | 801 | 762 | 1511 |
| Waste to landfill intensity (kg per person) | 26.3 | 27.5 | 29.2 | 13.1 | 12.9 | 11.8 | 22.6 | 18.5 | 18.3 |
| Sustainability Plan 2017-2020 waste to landfill intensity target (kg per person) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |||||
| Sustainability Plan 2030 target: waste to landfill intensity by 2025 (kg per person) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Our sustainability strategy
At the University of Melbourne, our efforts in sustainability are guided by Sustainability Plan 2030 - a roadmap for sustainable delivery of the University's Strategy 2030: Resilience.
Read more about how we are advancing sustainability at the University:
