SBS has revealed the shortlisted brands for its 2026 Media Sustainability Challenge, as it also released its second annual sustainability report to mark Earth Day.
Four brands have progressed to the final pitching stage: the Australian Museum, MobileMuster, Recycle All, and Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings.
$500k in media up for grabs
Now in its second year, the initiative offers $500,000 in advertising inventory to the brand that delivers the most compelling TV creative promoting sustainable behaviour.
The winning campaign will also receive consulting support from Sustainable Screens Australia to ensure best practice in sustainable production.
Agencies behind the work
The shortlisted campaigns include:
Enigma for MobileMuster
Focus Creative for Vehicle Emissions Star Ratings
Howatson+Company for Australian Museum
Sandbox Media for Recycle All
Focus areas evolve
For 2026, SBS refined the challenge to focus on three key themes: nature, carbon and waste.
Kate Young
Kate Young, National Manager CulturalConnect at SBS, said the quality of entries remained strong.
“We were so impressed with how this year’s entrants adapted their entries to meet the new criteria and address the areas of nature, carbon and waste. ,” she said. “It is a clear demonstration of how brands are thinking about these topics in their business practices and ensuring they are communicating this to consumers.”
Industry-led judging
The judging panel includes Adam Liaw, Arum Nixon, Abigail Thomas, Young and Angus Gordon.
Young added that the updated criteria reflect how brands are adapting to sustainability challenges.
“It is a clear demonstration of how brands are thinking about these topics in their business practices and communicating this to consumers,” she said.
Sustainability report released
Alongside the shortlist, SBS published its 2026 Sustainability Report, outlining progress toward its net-zero targets.
Thomas said the report highlights the broadcaster’s broader environmental strategy.
“This is the second year where we have released a detailed Sustainability Report which explains our sustainability journey, outlines our progress towards our ambitious Net Zero target, and also captures our early work on a Nature and Biodiversity strategy for SBS.,” she said.
The report includes validation from the Science Based Targets Initiative, confirming SBS’s emissions reduction targets align with global climate standards.
The winning campaign for the 2026 SBS Media Sustainability Challenge will be announced later this year.
Main image: SBS