Help grow positive change
Win $500,000 in free advertising inventory across the SBS Network for your brand
The SBS Media Sustainability Challenge is back!
We champion brands that don’t just talk about change - they make it happen.
The SBS Media Sustainability Challenge is your opportunity to put sustainability at the heart of your advertising. This is more than awareness – it’s about driving positive change towards creating a more sustainable future.
We’re once again calling on the industry to rethink how sustainability is represented in their marketing and to recognise those leading the way, we’re awarding $500,000 in FREE advertising inventory across SBS.
The Challenge
SBS Media’s Sustainability Challenge invites brands, media, and creative agencies across Australia to develop a 30-second TV/BVOD commercial script that highlights how their products and business practices are actively shaping a more sustainable world and encouraging new environmentally conscious consumer behaviours.
Entries must be submitted as scripts only. Production of the final TV commercial will be the responsibility of the wining entrant, with the $500 000 prize awarded as SBS media inventory only.
Sustainability should be embedded at the concept stage, with the script developed to support low-emissions, environmentally responsible production.
Choose from one of three key areas
NATURE
How your brand protects and restores the natural environment.
CARBON
How your brand reduces carbon emissions.
WASTE
How your brand minimises waste through sustainable practices or innovations.
Entries are now open
Eligible submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges, with up to six finalists selected. The shortlisted entrants will be contacted by email on 16/03/2026
Challenge opens: 00:30 AEST on 09/02/2026
Challenge closes: 17:00 AEST on 06/03/2026
Valid entries must include:
Note: If you are shortlisted as a finalist, you will be required to provide a production budget and breakdown including a projected carbon footprint from AdGreen’s Carbon Calculator or similar tool, detailing your planned sustainable production approach to support your entry. All entries must have the appropriate approval from your client and, where applicable, your agency.
For any questions please contact [email protected].
Please read the full competition terms and conditions and judging criteria here before entering.
2025 Winner Case Study:
The NRMA
Last year’s SBS Sustainability Challenge winner, the NRMA, set a new benchmark for how brands can combine powerful storytelling with genuine environmental action. Their campaign encouraged Australians to consider switching to electric vehicles, positioning EV adoption as both an accessible and impactful step toward reducing transport emissions.
Importantly, sustainability was embedded not just in the message, but in the making of the campaign. Working with production partner 3rdspace, the NRMA adopted a low-emissions production model from remote-first casting and EV crew transport to solar-powered generators, plant-based catering and post-production powered by renewable energy. The result was a final shoot footprint of just 1.98 tCO₂e - 75% lower than the industry average.
Beyond the screen, the campaign aligned with their broader investment in Australia’s EV future, including one of the nation’s largest fast-charging networks connecting cities and regional communities. The work demonstrated that commercial creativity, behaviour change and sustainable production can coexist, setting a high bar for future entrants.