SBS Offers Agencies and Brands $500,000 in Media to Create Sustainable Ad

SBS is offering brands and agencies $500,000 in advertising inventory to create TV campaigns that normalise sustainable behaviour and promote better environmental practices.

The SBS Media Sustainability Challenge, now open for applications, aims to drive positive change by encouraging innovative and authentic representations of sustainability in marketing.

Kate Young, national manager of SBS CulturalConnect, told LBB that sustainability has been a strategic priority for SBS for several years. “As our managing director, James Taylor, has emphasised, this is an area where SBS can and should lead,” Kate explained. The broadcaster has built a robust ESG framework, measured its carbon emissions, and taken meaningful action to reduce its environmental impact.

Last year, SBS became the first Australian broadcaster to transition to 100% renewable energy and has set clear targets to reduce its Scope 3 (supplier) emissions. “This is an important milestone in our sustainability journey,” Kate added.

The winning campaign will receive $500,000 in advertising inventory on SBS, along with consulting services and training from Sustainable Screens Australia to ensure the ad meets best practices for sustainable production.

A jury of leading industry professionals will judge submissions, which must include a 30-second TV script and rationale. Entries close on 31 March, with shortlisting in April and the final winner announced in Q3 2025.

Kate highlighted SBS’s history of using such challenges to inspire industry-wide change. “In 2017, SBS Media launched the Diversity Works Challenge to encourage Australia’s advertising industry to rethink how diversity is represented in their marketing campaigns,” she said.

“We’ve seen the impact inclusive marketing has had in Australia, and we are again putting up significant inventory to help drive creativity and innovative thinking in normalising sustainable behaviours.”

Adam Liaw, host of SBS’s The Cook Up and co-chair of Sustainable Screens Australia, is among the jury members.

“I’m very proud to be involved in the SBS Media Sustainability Challenge. As co-chair of Sustainable Screens Australia, I know this is such an important initiative," Adam said.

Adam added, “The Cook Up with Adam Liaw is the first Australian television programme to have its carbon footprint approved by Sustainable Screens Australia, and we want to encourage more productions and advertisers to think about the carbon footprint of their work.”

The Cook Up’s carbon footprint was validated through the Albert Toolkit, in partnership with Sustainable Screens Australia. “This is a simple step that can be done — the first step to reducing emissions is measuring them and then looking at ways to reduce that impact,” Kate added, speaking to LBB.

“Through these efforts, we’ve learned that collaboration is essential,” Kate added. “Whether it’s working with suppliers to improve sustainability practices or encouraging industry-wide action, meaningful progress requires collective effort.”

She noted media and advertising play a powerful role in shaping public attitudes.

“The stories we tell, the brands we promote, and the messages we amplify all influence perceptions and behaviours,” Kate explained. “My hope is we can do the same in sustainability and drive a better conversation around these issues.”

She pointed to recent industry developments, such as the new AANA code on greenwashing and the launch of Ad Net Zero, as evidence of the sector’s growing commitment to sustainability. “We play a huge role in helping frame attitudes, and therefore we need to be conscious of the role we play,” Kate said.

When asked about the future, Kate said she hopes to see sustainability embedded in the way media and advertising operate. “Our hope is that sustainability becomes embedded — not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental consideration,” she said. “By normalising sustainable production practices, holding ourselves accountable to measurable targets, and fostering industry-wide collaboration, we can drive real, lasting change.”

The jury also includes Jane Palfreyman, SBS chief marketing and commercial officer (chair); John Pabon, sustainability author and consultant at Fulcrum Strategic Advisors; and Abigail Thomas, SBS head of sustainability.

Brands and agencies are encouraged to apply online before the 31 March deadline.