Project Overview

YMCA Victoria (the Y) oversees a diverse portfolio of community-focused services across Victoria, including aquatic and leisure centres, early learning facilities, after-school care programs and camps. With approximately 6,000 staff and volunteers operating across 150+ locations daily, the Y plays a critical role in supporting community health, wellbeing and inclusion. YMCA Victoria also manages the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Adelaide.

Recognising the need to address climate impacts across its varied operations, YMCA Victoria partnered with Rewild Agency to establish a clear emissions baseline, develop a science-based decarbonisation pathway, and implement systems to support ongoing emissions tracking and decision-making.

Key Services Provided

• Organisational carbon footprinting and baseline emissions assessment

• Emissions boundary definition across diverse facilities and services

• Emissions reduction strategy development

• Ongoing emissions tracking and reporting support using Climate Zero

Our Methodology

• Worked with Build Enviro to undertake a comprehensive baseline emissions assessment and emissions reduction strategy

• Defined detailed organisational and operational boundaries to reflect the Y’s varied facilities, from energy-intensive aquatic centres to smaller community programs

• Tailored data collection, modelling approaches and emissions intensity metrics to each business unit to ensure accuracy and actionability

• Supported the selection and implementation of Climate Zero, configuring the platform to track facility-specific energy, waste and operational data

• Enabled benchmarking and trend analysis to identify high-impact facilities and prioritise reduction initiatives

Rewild Agency’s Impact

• Delivered a credible, organisation-wide emissions baseline to support informed decarbonisation planning

• Enabled YMCA Victoria to identify priority facilities and projects for emissions reduction, including renewable energy opportunities

• Provided clear, transparent reporting to support engagement with councils, schools, government and community stakeholders

• Supported internal capability building, contributing to the appointment of a dedicated Sustainability Manager to carry the work forward

• Established scalable systems and processes to support ongoing emissions measurement, reporting and continuous improvement.

Project Timeframe

• Baseline and strategy development completed; ongoing emissions tracking and advisory support