In March 2026, the City of Melbourne published its first annual Sustainability and Climate Action Report. A detailed account of every meaningful step it took in 2024–25 toward its ambitious net-zero and circular economy targets.
We were honoured to read our name SDG Align in it.
“In 2025, City of Melbourne launched the SDG Align toolkit, a purpose-built digital platform to help small to medium businesses understand their sustainability impacts, implement changes and commit to action while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.“— City of Melbourne, Sustainability and Climate Action Report 2024–25
This is a significant milestone for SDG Align and for the thousands of SMEs across Melbourne and Australia who are being asked to take sustainability seriously without being given the tools to do so.
What the report shows
The City of Melbourne’s 2024–25 report is a frank and detailed account of where the city stands. A 77% reduction in council operational emissions from 2011 levels. 100% renewable electricity for council operations. 56% of solid waste diverted from landfill. A new Circular Economy Precinct in Kensington. A going-circular program. And a growing network of over 750 climate businesses through the Melbourne Climate Network.
- 77% – Reduction in council emissions from 2011 baseline
- 100% – Renewable electricity for all council operations
- 750+ – Climate businesses in Melbourne Climate Network
These are real numbers. Not pledges, outcomes. And they’re only possible because Melbourne has embedded measurement and accountability into everything it does. That’s exactly the shift we exist to support in business.
Why it matters for SMEs
The report is clear: buildings account for nearly 60% of Melbourne’s municipal emissions. Transport, waste, energy these are the systems that small and medium businesses operate in every day. The city can’t get to net-zero without the business community moving with it.
With 97% of Australian businesses being SMEs, and most have no structured sustainability pathway. They want to do the right thing. They just don’t know where to start, or how to prove what they’ve done.
Why City of Melbourne chose SDG Align
The toolkit was designed with micro, small and medium sized businesses in mind. E\xtensive user testing workshops with Melbourne-based SMEs shaped the platform before launch. The result: a tool that helps businesses future-proof, stay competitive, reduce costs and drive long-term growth in a local context, not just tick a compliance box.
Measurement is where it starts
City of Melbourne tracks its progress against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It uses data to identify where it’s performing, where the gaps are, and where to focus next. The report states it plainly: the SDGs help ensure actions achieve holistic sustainable development.
That’s the same logic SDG Align brings to businesses. Start by understanding where you are. Get a baseline. Then build a strategy from there — grounded in evidence, not good intentions.
Our Sustainability Maturity Analyser (SMA) does exactly this. It analyses your business website using AI to establish your maturity baseline in minutes. No sign-up required. No jargon. Just a clear picture of where you stand — and what to do next.
What comes next
Melbourne’s 2050 vision is “Liveable Melbourne, growing stronger together.” Eight community aspirations underpin it. Among them: a city that is green and alive, leads on climate action, and delivers for everyone.
Businesses are part of that picture. Not as bystanders — as participants. The city is building the infrastructure and policy frameworks. The SDG Align Toolkit is the business layer that connects your operations to that vision.
If you’re a Council and want to know where your local businesses stand, start using our SDG Toolkit and invite your stakeholders to come on the journey with you. It takes five minutes, and it will tell you more about your sustainability position than any report you’ve read.
Know where you stand
Run your business transformation journey through the SDG Toolkit Get your community sustainability level and practical next steps
Join City of Melbourne and other businesses already using the SDG Align Toolkit to measure, act, and grow sustainably. Start the SMA →
Source: City of Melbourne
