Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability

What Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability does

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria is an independent statutory office within the Victorian Government of Australia, established in 2003 under the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Act 2003. The office is led by Commissioner Helen Vaughan PSM and operates with a small team of approximately 7 to 17 staff including science writers, data analysts, a communication advisor, a business manager, and directors, headquartered at Level 17, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. It produces periodic scientific "State of" environmental reports covering forests, marine and coastal environments, the Birrarung (Yarra) and its parklands, and the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks, alongside biennial strategic audits of environmental management systems in Victorian Government agencies and Melbourne Strategic Assessment conservation outcomes. The flagship State of the Environment 2023 Report assesses 139 indicators across 10 chapters.

The office's analytical methodology is anchored in the Science for Sustainable Development Framework, which aligns Victorian environmental reporting with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Montreal Process criteria for forest management. Outputs follow statutory five-yearly cycles for most domains, are tabled in the Parliament of Victoria, and are made freely available to the public through ces.vic.gov.au. The Commissioner operates independently of government departments while receiving corporate and financial services support under a Service Level Agreement with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) first established in 2017 and updated in 2021.

There is no commercial product, no software, and no API. All reports are provided free of charge, and the office generates no commercial revenue. Funding flows through Victorian Government appropriations. The mandate was expanded by the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020, requiring a new periodical report on the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks, and will be further expanded by the Entities Legislation Amendment (Consolidation and Other Matters) Act 2026 effective 1 July 2026. Customer relationships are exclusively governmental — the Minister for Environment, the Victorian Parliament, and Victorian Government agencies.

Name

Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability

Legal name

Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria

Website

https://ces.vic.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria is an independent statutory office within the Victorian Government that produces peer-reviewed scientific environmental reports for the Minister for Environment, the Parliament, and the Victorian public, under five-yearly statutory reporting cycles. All outputs are free to access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Environmental Reporting

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Sustainability & ESG Reporting (GRI/SASB/ISSB/CSRD) (EUAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Environmental reporting
• State of environment
• Ecological assessment
• Sustainability monitoring
• Environmental indicators

Headquarters

HQ city

East Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability operates as an independent statutory office funded by the Victorian Government. The office receives government appropriations for operations and report production. No commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria operates as an independent statutory office that produces periodic "State of" environmental reports assessing Victoria's natural environment, including land, water, air, biodiversity, forests, marine and coastal areas, and the Yarra River. Reports are based on scientific indicators and follow the Science for Sustainable Development Framework aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The office also conducts biennial Strategic Audits of government environmental management systems and publishes Melbourne Strategic Assessment Conservation Outcomes reports under statutory mandate.

Product overview

The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria operates as an independent statutory body producing a comprehensive suite of environmental reporting products. The core offerings are periodic 'State of' environmental reports mandated by legislation including the CES Act 2003 and related Acts. The product portfolio centers on flagship State of Environment Reports (covering air, biodiversity, climate change, forests, inland waters, land, and waste), supplemented by specialized reports including State of the Marine and Coastal Environment (5-yearly), State of the Forests (5-yearly), State of the Birrarung/Yarra (5-yearly), and State of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks (5-yearly). Strategic Audits assess government agency environmental management systems and Melbourne Strategic Assessment conservation outcomes. All reporting follows the Science for Sustainable Development Framework aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. The organization does not offer a commercial software product or API; its outputs are government reports and recommendations to inform policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of the Environment Reports Comprehensive periodic assessments of Victoria's natural environment covering land, water, air, and ecosystems using scientific indicators; produced for Victorian policymakers, parliament, scientists, and the wider community under the CES Act 2003.
• State of the Marine and Coastal Environment Reports Five-yearly reports assessing the health of Victoria's marine and coastal environments, including condition, environmental/social/economic benefits, and threats, prepared for Victorian policymakers and the community.
• State of the Forests Reports Five-yearly report cards evaluating the condition of Victoria's forests based on seven criteria and 45 indicators aligned with the Montreal Process framework, prepared for the Victorian Government and community.
• State of the Birrarung (Yarra) and Its Parklands Reports Five-yearly reports assessing the environmental condition of the Yarra River corridor through 36 indicators (11 community and 25 environmental health), prepared under the Yarra River Protection Act 2017.
• State of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Reports Reports on the health of marine and coastal environments in Victoria's Great Ocean Road region, prepared under the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020.
• Strategic Audits on Environmental Management Systems Biennial audits on the implementation of environmental management systems by Victorian Government agencies and public authorities, as required by the CES Act Part 3, s 18.
• Melbourne Strategic Assessment (MSA) Conservation Outcomes Reports Strategic audits assessing the progress of conservation outcomes under the MSA program established under the Commonwealth EPBC Act 1999 to mitigate environmental impacts of urban development in Melbourne's growth corridors.
• State of the Environment Biodiversity Update Reports Interim reports providing updates on biodiversity indicators, including assessments following major events like the 2019-20 bushfires, covering 43 indicators across seven themes.
• State of the Bays Reports Baseline studies of the health of Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, providing historic assessments of Victoria's bay environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 139 indicators assessed in SoE 2023 Report across 10 scientific assessment chapters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDEECA provides corporate and financial services support to the Commissioner through a Service Level Agreement (SLA) first established in 2017 and updated in 2021. The SLA ensures clarity between DEECA and CES while protecting the Commissioner's independence in exercising statutory obligations.
• Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commissioner prepares the State of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Report under the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020, which amended the CES Act. This is a statutory reporting requirement for the coastal and marine environments managed by GORCPA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• UK Environment Agency: UK statutory body regulating environmental protection and producing State of the Environment assessments; comparable as a long-standing independent statutory authority producing multi-domain environmental indicator reports.
• CSIRO: Australia's national science agency producing flagship environmental and climate research (e.g., State of the Climate report with BoM); comparable as a large-scale scientific research and reporting institution feeding environmental indicators and policy advice.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Global authority setting environmental agendas and producing global environmental outlook reports; comparable as the highest-level scientific reporting body whose frameworks (e.g., SDGs) directly shape CES's reporting methodology.
• Bureau of Meteorology (Australia): Australian Government agency producing authoritative environmental and climate data and reports (e.g., State of the Climate); comparable as a national scientific reporting body whose datasets underpin state-level environmental indicators.
• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA): Victorian Government department that delivers environment, water, and climate programs; comparable as the parent policy portfolio that funds and supports CES's statutory operations under the Service Level Agreement.
• European Environment Agency (EEA): EU agency providing independent environmental data, indicators, and State of the Environment reporting across member states; comparable as a public-sector authority producing indicator-based environmental assessments for policymaking.
• Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA Victoria): Victoria's primary environmental regulator with broader compliance, enforcement, and pollution-control responsibilities; comparable as a state-level statutory body that produces scientific assessments and data underpinning environmental management decisions.

Direct peers

• Sustainability Victoria: Victorian statutory agency driving sustainability and resource efficiency; comparable as a sister state-level body that produces evidence-based programs and reports to inform environmental and sustainability policy in Victoria.

Regional players

• Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation: Queensland state agency responsible for environmental policy, conservation programs, and environmental reporting; comparable as an Australian state-level administration of environmental quality programs covering biodiversity, water, and land.
• NSW Natural Resources Commission: Independent NSW body providing science-based advice on natural resource management and producing state-of-environment-style assessments; directly comparable as an Australian state-level independent environmental advisory and reporting body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnOwCrp7Eu3DLV3hERUnkHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommissionerVic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commissioner-for-environmental-sustainability
• Instagraminstagram.com/ces_victoria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability