Sustainability
When it comes to tackling the big issues of our time, there’s never been a more urgent need for the kind of bold, creative thinking that brought the Sydney Opera House itself to life. More than five decades on, we’re embedding social and environmental sustainability across our organisation – and we’re leading and inspiring positive change.
In 2019, the Opera House became the first major Australian arts institution to adopt the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, better known as the Global Goals. In 2025, we built on that commitment by joining the UN Global Compact, strengthening our resolve to inspire transformative, collective action. We recognise that real change can only be achieved by working across sectors, borders and communities. As part of our Everyone’s House strategy, we’re integrating sustainability across the organisation, creating a stage for diverse voices and inspiring others while preserving this World Heritage-listed masterpiece for future generations.
Together, we’re engaging more people in creativity and breaking down barriers to participation. To make this happen, we’re putting the final touches on an integrated social and environmental planning process to set a pathway to 2030. This will include consultation with relevant stakeholders relating to access, environment, equity and inclusion, and draw on previous plans and strategies that have guided our progress to date.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations has defined 17 goals to address the world’s most pressing challenges by 2030, from the climate emergency to education, inequality, poverty and justice. At the Opera House, we have embedded key social and environmental sustainability measures aligned with the Global Goals into our organisation-wide planning. We have identified seven priority areas where we can make the biggest difference in collaboration with partners, artists, audiences and the cultural sector. Through our responsible business practices, we also support four other goals, and we are committed to finding more effective ways to measure our impact. Thank you to our Global Goals Partner Honeywell for helping us work towards a better future. For more information about the Opera House and the Global Goals, see here.
Environmental impact
We’re preparing for the future by mitigating the Opera House's carbon footprint and adapting to the changing climate. Our building is on track to be climate positive by 2030 by maintaining building efficiency, removing fossil fuels, increasing electrification and procuring 100% renewable energy and Australian-based carbon credits, where possible, to offset residual emissions. We will continue to decarbonise operations and understand supply chains while integrating climate risk management into the business. Recent highlights include:
In 2023, the Opera House became the first heritage building to achieve a 6-Star Green Star performance rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, representing world leadership in environmental and social sustainability. We are working to maintain our Green Star certification by continuously improving building efficiency and lowering carbon emissions. Our carbon neutral certification is also a requirement for a 6-star Green Star Rating. Find out more in our Public Disclosure Statement.
Returnable cups are available in our venues to reduce the amount of single-use plastic consumed. At Vivid LIVE in 2025, more than 80% of cups were returned after use, saving nearly 6000 plastic items from being sent to landfill.
Since 2023, we’ve been powered by 100% renewable electricity. Through an innovative power purchase agreement with energy retailer Flow Power, the Opera House invests its annual $2.4 million electricity spend to source power from renewable power projects – a total investment of more than $16 million. This means that more than 85% of the Opera House’s yearly energy consumption of 16 gigawatt hours (equivalent to 2,500 households) is matched with supply from sources including Sapphire Wind Farm in Glenn Innes and Bomen Solar Farm in Wagga Wagga.
We divert 88% of operational waste from landfill, including from restaurants, venues and events, thanks to our sponsor Quayclean. We achieve this through improved signage and recycling facilities, reporting, measuring and monitoring and education training across our staff and operators.
In 2025, we electrified the Green Room kitchen for our back-of-house cafeteria and lounge, a critical step in removing fossil fuels from the site. We’re in the process of electrifying other kitchens across the precinct, too, with Opera Bar and House Canteen soon set to join Midden by Mark Olive in making the transition.
Meet the bats of Bennelong Point: A Bats in Backyard project
In the evenings across Sydney, small, insect-eating bats take to the skies above our homes, streets and parks. These long-distance flyers use echolocation to navigate and chase prey, providing natural pest control and contributing to a healthy ecosystem.
But many insect-eating bats are threatened across NSW from habitat loss, urbanisation and changes in the way landscapes are used. The Bats in Backyards project, co-delivered by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development helps to address knowledge gaps about the location of insect-eating bats, how they use different environments and what conservation measures can best support them.
The Sydney Opera House site at Bennelong Point is part of this broader effort. For more information, read more here.
Artificial reef installed on Bennelong Point
A series of modular artificial reefs are installed alongside the Opera House sea wall. The pioneering project, led by UTS Professor of Marine Ecology David Booth and funded through a NSW Government Environmental Trust Restoration & Rehabilitation grant, explores ways to increase marine biodiversity and support native species in Sydney Harbour. The artificial reef is made up of eight pods containing three hexagonal-shaped units placed underwater around Bennelong Point. Created by Reef Design Lab, the pods are constructed from marine-grade steel and concrete and feature elements of 3D printed design. The structures have become encrusted with seaweed and sea life, providing a home for smaller fish species. In 2022, we discovered an endangered species, White’s Seahorse, in the reef. It’s rare to see seahorses in this part of the harbour as their natural habitats are relatively scarce.
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust
Social impact: equity and inclusion
Consistent with our ambition to be Everyone’s House, we want who we are and everything we do to reflect and respect the diversity of the community.
Our definition of diversity encompasses people of all abilities, cultural backgrounds, intersectional identities and lived experience. We’re recruiting employees with more diversity of thought, identity and experience in leadership positions. We’re also offering accessible performances and increasing the diversity of artists and audiences while continuing to provide inclusive career programs and practices.
We want to create a safe and welcoming environment for artists, audiences and visitors. In the most recent financial year, 25 staff completed more than 193 hours of social impact training, including access, equity and inclusion.
In 2026, the Opera House began working with Community Corporate on an eight-week paid cadetship pilot program to support newly arrived skilled refugees and migrants re-launch their careers in Australia. This initiative is part of our wider inclusive career pathways program and aims to help our newest Australians experience the magic of the Opera House, gain skills and contribute to their global audience through their unique international experiences.
Social impact: access
In the most recent financial year, we delivered 104 accessible performances and programs for all ages, including audio-described, Auslan-interpreted, captioned and relaxed performances. Program highlights included Kids Sensory Music Playtime, multi-sensory classical music performances for families of young children with disability; True Grit, a partnership with The Australian Ballet and Lifestart; and Dancing Connections, dance classes for people living with Parkinson’s disease, their families, friends and care partners.
We’re proud to have established our Workplace Readiness Program, supported by the Bowness Family Foundation, JACE Foundation and Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation to employ young people with intellectual disability. The program, delivered with the support of Jigsaw, leads the way both across the arts sector and the community in supporting a successful transition to mainstream employment.
In early 2025, the Opera House became the first cultural institution in the world to install Auracast assisted-listening technology, enhancing accessibility for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons in collaboration with GN Resound. Internally, we offer deaf awareness training for the executive and senior leadership teams, as well as ongoing training related to neurodiversity, dementia and workplace readiness. We have also hired a full-time equivalent Auslan interpreter to support staff within the organisation and programming/public offerings.
For more information about accessibility, see here.
More information
Environmental Sustainability Policy
Our Environmental Sustainability Policy outlines our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
