Sustainability Victoria celebrates 20 years of ‘Changing what’s possible’

The air was filled with pride and reflection as Sustainability Victoria (SV) celebrated its 20th anniversary on Thursday night, marking two decades of shifting Victoria’s environmental goals from policy to real-world change.

The event served not just as a look back at memorable campaigns and grassroots successes, but as a rallying cry for the “bold thinking and deep collaboration” needed to tackle the next 20 years of complex sustainability challenges.

The theme for the celebration, as highlighted by Nadia Boyce of SV, encapsulated the agency’s history:

“Changing what’s possible. Our tagline for this 20th anniversary really speaks to our decades of work, ensuring that the best ideas don’t stay on paper,” Boyce said.

The event’s tone was set early by Auntie Annette’s Welcome to Country, which called for unity and respect for ancient knowledge, incorporating it into today’s sustainable environment.

SV’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Genever spoke of the milestone as both important and emotional, reflecting on his time with the organisation.

“It is an absolute privilege to be here today, not just as a CEO, but as someone who has had the honour of working in this organisation for a good part of its 20-year journey. And what a journey it has been.

“Twenty years of changing what’s possible. It’s not just a tagline. It’s a reflection of the work, the people, and the impact that has defined SV since day one. Our legacy, hopefully, is not just the programs that we’ve delivered and all the policies that we’ve supported but the moments on the ground that we have had with Victorians – the conversations, the site visits, and the community events. Opportunities, where I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see first-hand what change looks like.”

Genever recalled notable campaigns, including the “infamous black balloon ad” and a massive black hot air balloon that once landed in the middle of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Boyce added an earlier, globe-changing example:

“I loved that one of our earliest behaviour change campaigns, ‘Change the globe’, back in 2007, involved actually going to the newsagent in person and collecting a free light bulb with your copy of the Herald Sun.”

Genever shared recent examples of SV’s reach across the state:

“Over the past couple of years, I’ve been very lucky to visit projects we’ve worked on all across the state, from compost field trials up in Swan Hill to a mobile glass crusher in Warrnambool, from a community tool library in Werribee to clean energy projects.

“Every time I come away, I’m reminded of the power of our work, not just the technical solutions, but the connections that we continue to forge.

“SV has always been about more than just grants and guidelines. We’re about enabling, about connecting, about translating ambition into action.”

Sheena Watt, Northern Metropolitan Region MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action, praised SV as a vital partner.

“It’s more than an anniversary. It’s a moment to reflect on the journey, the impact, and of course, the people who’ve managed to shape a more sustainable Victoria.

“Sustainability Victoria has been a trusted partner to government, industry and community. You’ve helped turn policy into action, ambition into outcomes and ideas into lasting change.”

Judith Landsberg, Deputy Chairperson of the SV board, underscored how the agency has been a catalyst for structural change:

“Sustainability Victoria was created by the Victorian Government to be a catalyst, not just for environmental awareness, but for structural change that’s needed to be sustainable, for transformation and for how industries operate, how materials flow and how systems are designed.”

She concluded that over two decades, SV has fundamentally shifted the conversation for businesses:

“Over the past two decades, SV has worked to shift sustainability from a nice-to-have to a strategic imperative. In 20 years across commercial industrial sectors, sustainability is no longer about compliance or reputation. It’s about resilience, innovation, competitive advantage and looking forwards.”

Looking to the future, Watt and Genever agreed that SV’s work is more critical than ever.

“As we celebrate 20 years. We also, of course, look forward,” Genever said. “We will continue to shape Victoria’s circular economy by partnering across industry and the community to reduce and stop waste before it starts in every part of the system.”