Environmental performance

SEC and green power transition

The State Electricity Commission (SEC) came into effect on 1 July 2025 and has transferred electricity accounts to green power, providing a shift to higher renewable energy sources and reducing Scope 2 emissions.

Air travel offsets

Until February 2025, greenhouse gas emissions from corporate air travel were offset through the CTM Climate+ program. This program was replaced by a new offset approach that allows DPC to select offset providers that align with its business objectives.

For the reporting period, commercial air travel increased, driven by two primary factors:

• Business requirements: the distance travelled by air is comparable to 2018–19 levels.
• Victorian Government entities: entities previously under DPC, continue to be captured by DPC’s reporting systems.

Fleet operations

In 2025–26, DPC operated a fleet of 27 vehicles through VicFleet to meet operational requirements.

The table below shows that:

DPC’s electricity consumption reporting covers tenancies at the following sites:

• 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
• 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne
• 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 3 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 35 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 300–304 Mair Street, Ballarat
• 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.

DPC’s total electricity consumption for 2025–26 was 2,045 MWh, up 8.4% on the previous reporting period. The increase was mainly due to higher electricity use at 1 Treasury Place, likely associated with refurbishment works from November 2025. Base building consumption at 35 Collins Street was also included this year, in addition to tenant consumption, but was not available in previous reporting periods.

DPC exclusively leases offices with electricity, gas and water as the sole energy sources, without ownership or access to any other energy sources.

Stationary fuel use

DPC’s stationary fuel consumption reporting covers tenancies at the following sites:

• 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
• 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne
• 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 35 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 300–304 Mair Street, Ballarat
• 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.
• 3 Treasury Place, East Melbourne

Total fuel consumption in buildings for 2025–26 was 3,552,904 MJ, higher than the previous reporting period. This increase was mainly due to the inclusion of base building consumption data for 35 Collins Street, which was not available previously. Fuel consumption data for 3 Treasury Place was also unavailable in earlier reporting periods and accounted for less than 3% of total fuel use in 2025–26.

Correspondingly, greenhouse gas emissions from stationary fuel consumption increased, totalling 184 tonnes CO2-e.

^{1 Electricity and gas usage data was provided by outsourced service providers through retailers operating under the State’s energy purchase contracts.
2 The 2025–26 figures contain accrued values for electricity consumption.
3 Electricity and gas usage data was provided by outsourced service providers through retailers operating under the State’s energy purchase contracts.
4 The 2025–26 figures contain accrued values for stationary fuel consumption.}

Transport

DPC uses vehicles from VicFleet and the Car Pool for operational car travel, and Chauffeur services.

The DPC Travel Policy and Procedure stipulates that government business travel should only be undertaken if it is expected to deliver a return on investment; otherwise, alternatives methods (e.g. conference calls, video calls) should be pursued. Such alternatives support the state’s environmental policy objectives by promoting resource-efficient technology.

The reported decrease in energy used in transport fuels and greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle fleet is due to a reduction in internal combustion engine vehicles.

For the reporting period, total distance travelled by commercial air decreased by 27.8%.

^{1 Reported emissions include those from both long-term VicFleet vehicles, and short-term hire vehicles from carpool and chauffeur fleet.
2 and 3. Electricity used to charge vehicles at DPC sites is not metered separately and is included in the total electricity consumption.}

Total energy use

DPC’s energy consumption covers tenancies at the following sites:

• 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
• 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne
• 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 3 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 35 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 300–304 Mair Street, Ballarat
• 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.

During the 2025–26 reporting period, DPC's total energy use was 12,644,214 MJ.

This total includes energy from both fuel and electricity; details on these contributors are outlined in the relevant sections of this report.

The total energy use is further broken down by source, with renewable energy increasing by 5% and non-renewable energy increasing by 25%.

^{1 The 2025–26 figures contain accrued values for electricity and stationary fuel consumption.}

Sustainable buildings and infrastructure

Relevant DPC leases, negotiated and managed by DGS with support from its outsourced service provider, incorporate a Green Lease Schedule within the Standard Government Lease. The schedule outlines obligations for both landlords and tenants to maintain properties at a minimum NABERS rating for energy, water, waste, and indoor environment. It is proposed to landlords or managing agents during each new lease negotiation.

Where premises are not subject to Commonwealth mandatory disclosure laws, or landlords are unwilling to include these obligations, DGS and its outsourced service provider work with landlords to implement measures that improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and cost savings. The Green Lease Schedule also mandates a NABERS energy rating for all leases, with additional performance requirements for larger tenures. It requires efficient lighting systems to be installed and energy data to be shared to support emissions reporting.

DPC discloses a summary of NABERS ratings for its occupied premises using data from the NABERS public portal. In 2025–26, three office buildings received an environmental performance rating, as detailed in the table below. No new buildings were commissioned in this reporting period, and no NABERS ratings were undertaken for owned buildings or tenancy fit-out works. There were no newly completed DPC-owned non-office building or infrastructure projects or upgrades valued over $1 million.

Sustainable procurement

DPC continued to commit to the sustainable practice of environmental considerations in tender specifications for project-specific tender documents including environmentally sustainable outputs, business practices and implementation of Climate Change Policy objectives.

Water consumption

DPC’s water consumption reporting covers tenancies at the following sites:

• 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
• 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne
• 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 3 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 35 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 300–304 Mair Street, Ballarat
• 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.

Total water consumption for DPC during the 2025–26 reporting period was 6,589 kilolitres (kL), an increase from the previous reporting period.

This increase in water consumption also coincides with the February 2025 implementation of the ‘Green our Rooftop’ project at 1 Treasury Place, delivered in conjunction with the City of Melbourne.

The consumption from 35 Collins Street, which was not available in the previous reporting period, accounts for approximately 6% of the total consumption for 2025–26.

Water consumption decreased at 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace and 121 Exhibition Street during 2025–26.

^{1 The 2025–26 figures contain accrued values for water consumption.}

DPC’s waste reporting covers tenancies at the following sites:

• 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
• 1 Macarthur Street, East Melbourne
• 1 Treasury Place, East Melbourne
• 35 Collins Street, Melbourne
• 300–304 Mair Street, Ballarat
• 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo.

During the 2025–26 reporting period, DPC generated a total of 37,852 kilograms of waste, reflecting a 6.7% increase from the previous year.

Staff participated in significant clean-up activities during the period, in line with preparation for consolidation of office spaces following building refurbishment works at 1 Macarthur Street and 1 Treasury Place. The increase in recycling is primarily attributed to a significant volume of secure document disposal during these clean-up activities, where archiving and digitising of paper records was promoted.

Refurbishment works may have also contributed to the increase in landfill, as outdated and obsolete office items were decommissioned and/or disposed of.

The update to environmental reporting systems and processes has allowed additional data sources to be captured. Reporting of secure document destruction was previously included in co-mingled recycling waste; this has been reported as a standalone category from the 2024–25 reporting period.

Greenhouse gas emissions related to waste disposal increased in 2025–26, primarily due to increased landfill. DPC continues to maintain dedicated processes for the disposal of e-waste and printer cartridges across all key office sites.

^{1 NC’ denotes ‘not collected’ in instances where data from previous reporting periods is not available. This is due to the changing key reporting indicators that came into effect in the 2022–23 reporting period.}