Office for the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment

2023 ACT State of the Environment Report

The ACT’s 4-yearly State of the Environment reporting is a requirement of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act 1993.

“I want to have a future”

A report on young people's hopes for the environment

“We need nature as much as we need buildings”

A youth perspective on environmental protection in the ACT

Environment for Young People

Check our State of the Environment Report for high school students.

Go to the website

ACT’s Lakes and Waterways

Why did we investigate our lakes and waterways?

ACT Environmental Volunteers

This website showcases volunteer environment work in the ACT

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ACT’s Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions

What are scope 3 emissions? And why do consumer products have embodied carbon?

Environmental Offsets in the ACT

What are offsets? And how can we improve them?

Find out

An independent voice for sustainability and the environment in the ACT

The Commissioner is an independent statutory position established by the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Act 1993.

View-of-smoke-over-Lake-Burley-Griffin-from-up-high_Stacey-Semiklit_2000

Protecting Canberra's air quality

They say "all you need is the air that you breathe". But what happens when we don’t have that?

Go to the article

State of the Environment Reporting in the ACT

Investigations Initiated by the Minister or the Commissioner

Resources, Annual Reports, Public Submissions & Media

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Our Vision

An environmentally sustainable ACT, region and Australia.

Our Mission

To act as an independent voice for the environment and sustainability in the ACT, and promote community engagement.

Our Values

Transparency, integrity, independence, research, rigour, inclusion.

Land health in the ACT

Human wellbeing as well as terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are dependent on healthy land.

Aquatic ecosystems in the ACT

Healthy aquatic ecosystems are essential to the ACT’s biodiversity, urban community, and agriculture.

Urban trees in the ACT

Canberra’s urban trees are invaluable for protecting and enhancing biodiversity, and as a buffer against the impacts of climate change.

Air Quality in the ACT

Air quality is one of the most tangible indicators of the state of our local environment, and directly affects human health and wellbeing.

Community Engagement

We act as an independent voice for the environment and sustainability in the ACT, and promote community engagement. Follow our socials for the latest updates.