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Empowering Australia to Achieve Net Zero with CitySwitch

Working towards greener workplaces in Sydney

We partnered with Sydney’s CitySwitch program to accelerate its work helping Australia’s commercial office buildings and business sector reach net zero.

Empowering Australia to Achieve Net Zero with CitySwitch

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Challenge

75% percent of Australian Chief Experience Officers say their companies are very concerned about climate change — but most don’t know how or where to start taking action. Sydney’s CitySwitch program had an opportunity to capture this market. However, it needed help to clearly and simply articulate the journey that businesses would need to undertake to reduce their emissions and reach net zero.

Strategy

CitySwitch was already providing individualized support to businesses and councils to help them reduce their emissions. While this was well received, it couldn’t be scaled. So the challenge was to devise a new, scalable and replicable delivery structure. Our strategy was to shift from CitySwitch’s customized model to one based on where a business is on its sustainability journey.

Campaign

We developed a program structure that helps office-based businesses reduce their emissions by mapping a pathway to net zero and connecting them with others on the journey. This allows CitySwitch to bring the net zero journey to life and meet businesses wherever they are in the process. In addition, we developed a measurement and evaluation framework to demonstrate the impact of CitySwitch on reducing business emissions.

Impact

CitySwitch has empowered numerous Australian businesses to embark on and accelerate their journeys to net zero. Now, with a newly designed pathways model and enhanced digital experience, CitySwitch is positioned to extend its impact even further, reaching more businesses and driving sustainable progress across the region.

Participating councils recognize the pathways model as a clearer, more compelling vision for the program—one that is easier to communicate to funders and stakeholders. Program managers echo this sentiment, noting that the model simplifies support for businesses, making sustainable transitions more accessible and actionable.

Additionally, the integration of a robust data generation and evaluation framework will allow CitySwitch to track progress, optimize strategies, and maximize its regional impact, setting a new standard for sustainable business transformation in Australia.