About the Net Zero Tracker of Australian universities by 100% Renewables

The global movement towards net zero emissions is gaining traction, with organisations and governments worldwide committing to ambitious emission reduction targets in response to the urgent need to combat climate change. Universities have been at the forefront of this response, and 100% Renewables has closely monitored the commitments of Australian universities over several years now.

• In Aug 2017, we published our first blog post outlining several universities’ demonstrated sustainable energy leadership across research, fossil fuel divestment and action to reduce their own carbon footprint.
• Then in 2020, we published a blog post series on several sustainability leadership topics that are relevant to the tertiary education sector. This showcased 14 leading universities that had made commitments to significantly reduce their emissions and increase their use of renewables. Our series also reported on a range of related achievements such as Green Star buildings, commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fossil fuel divestment commitments.
• From 14 universities in 2020, the number of universities committing to ambitious emissions reduction and increased renewable energy use grew to 23 by our Feb 2021 update and to 24 by our July 2022 update.

In this article, we revisit and update the ambitious climate action commitments by Australian universities. Furthermore, we provide the latest update on the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges, and report on the performance of Australian universities in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings for 2023.

Free Guide – Net Zero Tracker and THE Impact Rankings of leading Australian universities 2023

Leader board of Australian universities

The list of leading Australian universities with ambitious emission reduction and renewable energy goals has increased from 24 to 29. Five new universities including University of Technology Sydney, University of Wollongong, Federation University Australia, Edith Cowan University, and Murdoch University have set near-term targets and climate positive goals.

Carbon neutral and ‘net zero’

Before we show the latest commitments by Australian universities, it is worthwhile re-visiting the differences between the terms ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘net zero’. While these terms have been used somewhat interchangeably in recent years, there is much greater clarity now on what these terms cover.

As described in our blogpost on this topic (link here):

• Carbon neutrality is achieved when the amount of greenhouse gases produced by your organisation is balanced by the number of carbon offsets you purchase. Standards such as Climate Active and ISO 14068 require organisations to include their relevant scope 3 value chain emissions in order to become carbon neutral.
• Net zero is a commitment to a long-term decarbonisation pathway that first requires taking direct actions to reduce emissions in your organisation and value chain to a minimum, and only then resorting to purchasing offsets to balance out the small amount of residual emissions.
• Under the International Standards Organisation’s Net Zero Guidelines that were released at the end of 2022, residual emissions can only be offset by purchasing removal-based carbon offsets, as these types of offsets are seen as a surer path to achieving additional emissions reductions and therefore considered to be of higher quality.

Future changes to the Net Zero Tracker

Australian universities’ commitments vary in language and coverage, reflecting differing interpretations when targets were developed. With greater clarity on the meanings of carbon neutral and net zero, and with higher stakeholder expectations for net zero emissions targets that cover operations as well as value chain emissions, it may be an ideal time for universities to re-visit and re-set and/or clarify their goals.

In our next review of the sector’s emissions reduction targets, we will look more closely at what is included and what is not covered in universities commitments and will revise our reporting to highlight commitments to achieve net zero for all emissions scopes aligned with science for 1.5C of global heating and net zero integrity principles.

Universities’ net zero, emission reduction and renewable energy commitments

List of ambitious climate action commitments by Australian universities

State	University	Renewable energy Commitment	Emissions reduction commitment
ACT	Australian National University		Net zero emissions by 2025 for direct, energy and partial scope 3 emissions. Below zero emissions by 2030 for the same scope.
NSW	Australian Catholic University	100% renewable electricity from 2021.
NSW	Charles Sturt University	100% renewable electricity from 2022.	Certified carbon neutral since 2016.
NSW	Macquarie University	100% renewable electricity from 2020.	40% reduction in emissions intensity from energy by 2030.
NSW	University of New South Wales	UNSW switched to 100 per cent renewable electricity in 2020.	Reduce total (scope 1, 2 and 3) emissions by 30 per cent by 2025, 50 per cent by 2030 and to net zero by 2050.
NSW	University of Newcastle	100% renewable electricity across Newcastle and Central Coast campuses from 1 January 2020.	Achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
NSW	University of Sydney	100% renewable electricity to all campuses on 1 July 2022.	Net zero emissions by 2030.
NSW	Western Sydney University	100% renewable electricity achieved in 2021.	Carbon neutrality by 2023, and climate and nature positive by 2029.
NSW	University of Technology Sydney	100% renewable electricity and net zero for scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025.	Achieve net zero and climate positive by 2029.
NSW	University of Wollongong		Net zero emissions by 2030.
QLD	CQ University	50% of its energy for Queensland campuses from renewable solar from 2021.
QLD	Griffith University	50% renewable electricity by 2022.	Net zero emissions by 2029 (based on defined emissions boundary).
QLD	Queensland University of Technology	50% of electricity from a newly constructed solar farm located at Columboola, Qld from 2022.	Carbon neutral by 2030 (Scope 1,2,3 emissions) Scope 1 and 2 emissions to zero by 2023.
QLD	University of Queensland	100% renewable energy from 2020 via its own solar farm.	To be a beyond carbon neutral university by 2025.
QLD	University of the Sunshine Coast		Carbon neutral by 2025.
SA	Flinders University	Zero net emissions from electricity by 2021 (achieved for SA campuses).	Vision to be climate positive.
SA	University of Adelaide		Net zero emissions from directly controlled operations by 2025 and carbon neutral as per the Australian Government's Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations by 2030.
TAS	University of Tasmania		Certified carbon neutral since 2016, divested from fossil fuel-exposed investment funds since 2021, 50% gross emissions reduction by 2030
VIC	Deakin University		Carbon neutral (energy only) from 100% renewable electricity by 2025. Carbon negative by 2030 including offsetting emissions.
VIC	Federation University of Australia		Net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2033.
VIC	La Trobe University	100% renewable energy.	Carbon neutral by 2029, regional campuses to become carbon neutral by 2022.
VIC	Monash University	100% renewable energy by 2030.	Net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
VIC	RMIT University	100% renewable electricity by 2025 (~75% achieved).	Certified carbon neutral organisation under Climate Active by 2025.
VIC	Swinburne University of Technology	Procure 100% renewable electricity from 1 July 2020.	Carbon neutral by 2025.
VIC	University of Melbourne	Achieve zero net emissions from electricity by 2021 To replace natural gas infrastructure with equipment using renewable electricity by 2030.	Carbon neutral certification by 2025 and climate positive status by 2030.
VIC	Victoria University	100% renewable electricity from 2021.	Net zero emissions by 2025.
WA	Edith Cowan University	By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.	Carbon neutrality by 2030.
WA	Murdoch University		Carbon neutral operations, zero waste to landfill and net zero transport plan by 2030.
WA	University of Western Australia	100% renewable electricity by 2025.	Energy Carbon Neutral by 2025.

Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges

Race To Zero is a global campaign to rally leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. The campaign mobilises a coalition of leading net zero initiatives, representing 1136 cities, 52 regions, 8307 companies, 595 financial investors, and 1125 Higher Education Institutions.

Since 2019, over 500 higher education institutions representing 10.9 million students have committed to be net-zero by 2050 at the latest through the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges.

Below are the Australian universities that are signatories of the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges, in alphabetical order. From last year’s list, two universities have joined this campaign – University of Sydney and La Trobe University.

 

State	University
ACT	Australian National University
NSW	University of New South Wales
NSW	University of Technology Sydney
NSW	University of Sydney
NSW	Western Sydney University
TAS	University of Tasmania
VIC	Deakin University
VIC	RMIT University
VIC	La Trobe University
VIC	Swinburne University of Technology
VIC	University of Melbourne
VIC	Victoria University

Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2023, 15 Australian universities were ranked in the top 100 universities globally, and an Australian university tops the overall rankings! Western Sydney University ranks #1 for the second consecutive year out of 1591 universities from 112 countries and regions across the globe in the University Impact Rankings of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023, scoring 99.4 out of 100 for their social, ecological and economic impact.

100% Renewables is proud to have worked with Western on its net zero emissions journey, as well as with University of Newcastle (#28) and University of the Sunshine Coast (#29) over the past few years.

The list of Australian institutions in the top 100 global universities for their THE Impact Ranking for 2023 is shown below.

 

Rank	State	University	Score
1	NSW	Western Sydney University	99.4
5	TAS	University of Tasmania	96.6
7	VIC	RMIT University	96.4
14	NSW	University of Technology Sydney	95
18	NSW	University of New South Wales	94.5
21	VIC	Monash University	94
28	NSW	University of Newcastle	93
29	QLD	University of Sunshine Coast	92.9
39	NSW	Macquarie University	92.3
57	VIC	La Trobe University	90.9
61	NSW	University of Wollongong	90.7
72	QLD	Griffith University	89.8
74	QLD	Central Queensland University	89.7
79	NSW	Charles Sturt University	89.5
92	ACT	University of Canberra	89

 

As well as the overall ranking across all Sustainable Development Goals, we have looked at the top-100 rankings of Australian universities across SDGs that are particularly relevant in terms of their response to climate change. Of particular note here is the #1 ranking for University of Tasmania for climate action globally followed by University of New South Wales in #2.

 

University	Overall Impact ranking	SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	SDG 13: Climate Action
Western Sydney University	1	21	5	7
University of Tasmania	5	29	13	1
RMIT University	7	37	19	17
University of Technology Sydney	14	58	24	26
University of New South Wales	18	36	9	2
Monash University	21		7	47
University of Newcastle	28	79	6	12
University of Sunshine Coast	29			28
Macquarie University	39	33	36	13
La Trobe University	57	301-400	201-300	201-300
University of Wollongong	61	70	67	41
Griffith University	72
Central Queensland University	74
Charles Sturt University	79	201-300	89	82
University of Canberra	92	401-600	301-100	301-400
Australian Catholic University	101-200
Charles Darwin University	101-200		92
James Cook University	101-200	601-800	201-300	401-600
Queensland University of Technology	101-200	101-200	95
Victoria University	101-200			70
Federation University Australia	201-300	401-600	101-200
University of South Australia	201-300		101-200
Swineburne University of Technology	401-600
The University of Western Australia	401-600			76
University of Queensland*	NA		18
Australian National University**	NA			19

 

*University of Queensland is not included in the overall impact rankings across all Sustainable Development Goals but they are ranked 53^rd under World University Rankings 2023.

**Australian National University is not included in the overall impact rankings across all Sustainable Development Goals but they are ranked 62^nd under World University Rankings 2023.

 

 

100% Renewables are experts in helping universities with their climate action and net zero strategies. Please download our university capability statement if you’d like to find out more about how we can help you.

 

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