Climate action
Goal: Take urgent action to achieve net zero emissions across our operations and value chain.
Why this matters
Tackling climate change is a top environmental sustainability priority for our students, staff, and communities.
Our 'Climate action' theme includes measures to reduce operational (scope 1 and 2) emissions such as transitioning to renewable energy and electrifying our campuses, as well as reducing value chain (scope 3) emissions by engaging with our key suppliers and divesting from fossil fuel investment holdings.
What we are doing
- Completing a comprehensive value chain emission inventory every year
- Tackling operational emissions by transitioning to renewable electricity and electrifying our campuses
- Going further by engaging our suppliers to reduce their emissions and divesting from fossil fuel investment holdings
Keeping ourselves on track with science-based targets
The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) methodology provides a clearly-defined pathway for organisations to reduce emissions to help prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
Our target is to reduce our total (scope 1, 2 and 3) emissions on a 1.5°C pathway, which translates to:
Source: UNSW Environmental Sustainability Report 2024, p11
Environmental Sustainability Report 2024
UNSW Electrification Program
- UNSW’s Electrification Program is a major initiative driving the University’s goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The Climate Shift
The Climate Shift: Exploring Science, Empowering Action is a 20-hour, free self-paced short course offered by the University of Tasmania. It covers environmental, economic, social and technological perspectives on climate change.
Climate Solutions
Project Drawdown's Climate Solutions 101 is the world’s first major educational effort focused solely on solutions.
Rather than rehashing well-known climate challenges, Project Drawdown centres game-changing climate action based on its own rigorous scientific research and analysis.
Interactive Carbon Dashboards
View and compare the greenhouse gas emissions of UNSW faculties and divisions (only available to UNSW staff – zID required).