Climate Action
The protection and restoration of ecosystems is critical to combating climate change, pollution, desertification and loss of biodiversity.
Through our research, policies, operations and teaching we are contributing to realising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action
Our researchers work in partnership with environment and community groups, government, industry and First Peoples to develop new approaches to ensure our ecosystems and natural resources are resilient, sustainable, biodiverse and protected.
LOCAL AND GLOBAL IMPACT - OUR RESEARCH CONTRIBUTING TO SDG 13: CLIMATE ACTION
See below for measurable, demonstrable, and beneficial change occurring beyond the university as a result of our research
Promoting climate action across our operations
The Victorian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (Vic Hub) is focused on delivering innovations to enable Victorian farmers and communities to become more drought resilient, and to better respond to a changing climate. The Vic Hub is led by the University of Melbourne’s Dookie Campus, in association with five regional nodes and four university partners - including La Trobe University.
La Trobe University is applying research and education to real-world climate adaptation for farmers, combining technology, knowledge transfer, and community capacity building.
La Trobe’s Dr Tim Clune is the Vic Hub Capacity Building Theme Lead.
Vic Hub is working with Hub Partners to build capacity and capability of Victorian farmers to make informed decisions that better manage drought risk and enhance drought resilience.
They are doing this by identifying opportunities to enhance resources available to regional farmers and communities and to enhance the knowledge, skills, capability and confidence of individuals and communities to implement new technology and information that enhances their resilience to drought.
This will enable Victorian farmers and regional communities to become more resilient to future drought events.
La Trobe is a signatory of Race to Zero, a global initiative for a Zero Carbon World which requires a shared and published pledge and plan at the head-of-organisation level to reach (net) zero GHGs as soon as possible, as well as a commitment to report publicly both progress against interim and long-term targets, as well as the actions being taken.
Sustainability Strategy & Action Plan (2025–2055)
La Trobe is developing a 30-year Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan. Community consultation - through engagement with staff, students, employers, and partners in the community and in government - took place between March and August 2024, and a finalized version is expected to be released in 2025. The long-term plan is designed to be aspirational and inclusive—embedding sustainability across curriculum, operations, infrastructure, research, culture and practices.
La Trobe is a member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network: A Global Initiative for the United Nations which mobilizes local knowledge to advance viable solutions to sustainable development challenges in the Australasia region.
La Trobe is a member of Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS), a not-for-profit member-led organisation that creates and supports a range of programs, resources, developmental and networking opportunities for members and organisations working towards a sustainable, just and equitable future.
La Trobe is a member of the United Nations Global Compact which includes a commitment to report specific activities that La Trobe takes in support of the UN Global Compact, including incorporating the Global Compact principles into internal operations and communicating progress, delivering education on related topics, conducting applied research and thought leadership and disseminating the Global Compact principles.
Climate Active is an Australian Government program that supports national climate policy by driving voluntary climate action by Australian businesses. Four of La Trobe’s regional campuses – Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Mildura and Shepparton – are certified by Climate Active as carbon neutral.
La Trobe’s flagship Net Zero program, launched in 2019 with a AUD 75 million commitment, outlines a bold trajectory to reach carbon neutrality by 2029. Key elements include:
- Certification of regional campuses (Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Mildura, Shepparton) as carbon neutral by 2022
- Implementation of campus-wide sustainability initiatives—LED lighting upgrades, rooftop solar, solar carports, EV infrastructure, energy analytics, Biodiversity corridors (e.g., Nangak Tamboree), and green finance mechanisms such as green bonds and sustainability-linked loans.
- A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to purchase 100% renewable electricity by 2028, significantly reducing emissions.
- Recognition through Green Star Communities certification (6 Stars) for sustainable campus development, design, community orientation, and biodiversity integration.
The Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub (Vic Hub) links regional communities with the latest science and research to help strengthen drought preparedness. It is a platform for exchanges of information, knowledge, technologies and networking with leading industry, community and academic stakeholders to drive the trials and adoption of innovations that will improve economic, environmental and social resilience to droughts and other extreme climatic events.
La Trobe University’s research on the Northern Victorian Emergency Management Cluster (published July 2025) examined how formal collaboration shapes emergency management amid climate change in regional Victoria. The study emphasises the importance of collaboration in managing extreme climate events and integrated local knowledge. Conducted jointly with the Cluster, La Trobe applied an intentional, ethical, and practical research approach.
The report recommends strengthening collaboration and resilience by prioritising climate change and local needs in policy and practice. Key improvements include legislation, funding, organisational processes for integrated emergency management, workforce training, and tools for climate risk assessment.
AquaWatch system for monitoring water quality
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency and an Australian Government statutory authority, launched AquaWatch Australia in 2023 with foundational partner SmartSat CRC and a network of collaborators, including La Trobe University, to develop a national system for monitoring water quality, including early warning forecasts. Since launching, AquaWatch has established multiple test sites with the ability to monitor bays, coastal wetlands, rivers, dams, lakes, aquaculture farming and coral reefs, including the Southern Great Barrier Reef. In 2024, it was announced that Australia’s AquaWatch system will be established in the UK, following bilateral support and co-funding from the two countries’ space agencies.
La Trobe University has a long-standing partnership taking climate action with Greenfleet - a not-for-profit organisation that restores legally protected native forests to capture carbon emissions. This collaboration includes supplying Greenfleet with native trees and plants to restore forests.
La Trobe also works with Greenfleet to offer students industry placements. Since 2023, La Trobe students from a range of disciplines who have an interest in sustainability have been getting real-world experience at the organisation.
La Trobe University is a founding partner of the Greater Bendigo Climate Collaboration founded in 2022 and designed to bring businesses, community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), households, and schools together for three years of climate change action and education. This is a three-year collaboration 2022- 2025 with the goal of reducing climate changing emissions in the region to zero by 2030.
Our regional campuses were certified carbon neutral in 2022 and the University will become carbon neutral by 2029. See Net Zero, La Trobe University
The University measures the amount of low carbon energy used across the university Microsoft Power BI