Australia is moving toward a lower-carbon future, with a national commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. Across every sector, organisations are being asked to think differently about sustainability, responsibility and long-term impact.
For the Churchill Trust, this challenge is closely tied to our purpose. Since 1965, we have helped Australians from all walks of life travel overseas to learn from the best in the world and bring those ideas home for the benefit of Australia. Churchill Fellowships are inextricably linked with international travel. Fellows cross borders, visit communities, meet experts and experience solutions firsthand. That global learning creates lasting national impact, but it also comes with a carbon cost.
In 2025 our Fellows travelled more than 5.4 million kilometres, took 1,485 flights in 22 countries, and spent more than 6,000 days travelling. This generated approximately 689,316 kilograms of CO₂ emissions.
Using the Climate Active framework, we found that most of the Trust’s emissions sit within Scope 3—indirect emissions from flights, accommodation and travel-related activities. Travel is our largest impact, and therefore the most practical place for us to focus our efforts.
As part of taking responsibility for this impact, the Trust has partnered with TEM, a leading accredited Asia-Pacific carbon offsetting solutions provider. Through this partnership, we purchase high-quality carbon credits to offset a portion of Fellowship travel emissions and to support projects that deliver environmental and community benefits.
One example is the Kenilworth Regrowth Project here in Australia, which supports native forest regeneration and long-term carbon sequestration by restoring and protecting biodiverse landscapes. Projects like this help remove carbon from the atmosphere while also strengthening habitat, biodiversity and regional environmental resilience.
The Trust also supports Renewable Energy projects across Asia, including solar, wind and hydro developments that reduce reliance on coal-fired power, and broader Native Forest Regeneration projects across the Asia-Pacific that prevent deforestation, protect biodiversity and create sustainable income streams for local communities.
Since 2014, TEM has helped finance more than 300 projects across 30 countries, reducing over 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Their focus on integrity, transparency and measurable impact provides confidence that these offsets are contributing to genuine outcomes.
Churchill Fellowships are built on the idea that learning from the world helps improve Australia. As we continue to support global travel and knowledge exchange, we are also taking practical steps to better understand and manage our environmental impact, recognising that this is an ongoing process and an important part of operating responsibly.