The Call for Content is an opportunity for you to share your experience, knowledge and skills in tertiary education sustainability at the annual ACTS conference. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Proposal Submission Form and we strongly recommend you review the information on this page before preparing your proposal.

Important Dates

  • Call for Content submission deadline: July 1, 2025
  • Acceptance notifications: July 22, 2025
  • Deadline to accept/decline invitations to present: August 5, 2025
  • Conference dates: October 23, 27, 28, 30

Conference Streams

Transforming Practice Learning for Change Building a Just Transition
Intended Audience
Sustainability practitioners, operational leads, governance and strategy leaders and anyone embedding sustainability in institutional systems. Educators, students, champions in curriculum and co-curriculum spaces, leadership and capability development professionals, and anyone fostering a culture of learning and transformation. Equity and inclusion leads, Indigenous staff and students, social sustainability practitioners, and others working at the intersection of justice and sustainability.
Example Topics
  • Scope 3 emissions: procurement, travel, waste and supply chains
  • Net zero strategy implementation & measurement
  • Circular economy on campus: resource recovery, reuse, and design
  • Sustainability governance and risk frameworks
  • Climate adaptation, resilience, and infrastructure
  • Biodiversity and campus land management
  • Decarbonising campus operations (energy, transport, buildings)
  • Integrated water management. 
  • Reporting & certifications
  • AI, data, and tech tools for sustainability tracking
  • Financing sustainability: business cases, green investment, and ROI
  • Challenges in aligning procurement with values and goals
  • Embedding sustainability into teaching and learning (formal and informal).
  • Co-design with students: peer-to-peer programs and partnerships.
  • Transdisciplinary and experiential learning for sustainability.
  • Carbon Literacy Training and other staff development programs.
  • Student leadership for climate and social change.
  • Gamification, storytelling, and creative learning methods.
  • Teaching planetary health, regeneration, and circularity.
  • Aligning learning outcomes with the SDGs and future capabilities.
  • Community-engaged learning for sustainability.
  • Assessing impact and outcomes of sustainability education
  • Indigenous leadership, sovereignty, and environmental knowledge systems.
  • Decolonising sustainability education and practice.
  • Climate justice and frontline communities.
  • Human rights, equity and inclusion in sustainability initiatives.
  • Intersectionality in environmental movements (race, gender, class, disability).
  • Mental health and wellbeing in the climate crisis.
  • Cultural safety in sustainability programs.
  • Youth voices and intergenerational equity.
  • Place-based, community-led regeneration.
  • Values-driven governance and ethics in sustainability decision-making.
  • Partnerships for the goals

Session Types

We are excited to invite submissions for the ACTS Virtual Conference to support a dynamic and interactive event. Through three dynamic streams—Transforming Practice, Learning for Change and Building a Just Transition—we will explore the systems, skills and leadership needed to embed sustainability across institutions and communities. Sessions will be offered in the following formats:

Lightning Talk (15 minutes)

Delivery: Pre-recorded

Format: Single presenter, 10 minute video + 5 minutes live Q&A

Purpose: To share valuable insights in a concise and engaging format.

Deep Dive (30 – 45 minutes)

Delivery: Live or pre-recorded

Format: 1 – 3 presenters

Purpose: To deepen understanding of a specific topic or build practical skills through structured presentations.

Roundtable  (30 – 60 minutes)

Delivery: Live

Format: Facilitated group discussion

Purpose: To foster peer-to-peer dialogue on key issues. These are interactive and do not include formal presentations.

Panel Discussion  (60 minutes)

Delivery: Live

Format: Panel of 3 – 5 experts + moderator

Purpose: To explore different perspectives on a topic, initiative or challenge, with time for audience Q&A.

Interactive Exchange (30 – 60 minutes)

Delivery: Live

Format: 1 – 3 presenters

Purpose: To combine content delivery with audience engagement using polls, breakout rooms, Q&A, or collaborative tools.

Masterclass  (2 – 3 hours)

Delivery: Live

Format: Facilitator-led session with activities

Purpose: To provide a deeper learning experience and develop sustainability competencies through hands-on, skills-based learning.

Satellite Event  (flexible)

Delivery: Live

Format: Flexible. Can include extended workshops, or forums.

Purpose: To host more in-depth or time-intensive events with greater scheduling flexibility.

Non-campus proposals

Non-member or non-educational organisations may only submit proposals through a sponsored session. Please contact the ACTS team to discuss sponsorship opportunities and session availability.

Proposals from member business, industry, or other non-education organisations must focus on outcome-driven case studies that are relevant to sustainability practitioners, researchers, and educators. These sessions must be co-presented with a representative from a tertiary education institution to ensure relevance and sector alignment.

Session Levels

Those submitting proposals are asked to objectively self-identify their sessions as introductory, intermediate or advanced based on the following definitions:

Introductory

Foundational in nature and sessions are designed for attendees who have no prior background or are just starting in the domain of practice presented in the session.

Intermediate

Designed for participants who have a working knowledge of the topic and a few years of experience in the domain of practice.

Advanced

Designed for participants who have a detailed knowledge of the topic and specific experience applying or using this knowledge in a professional capacity over a long period of time.

Presenter acknowledgement

By submitting a proposal and participating in the ACTS Conference, you agree to the following conditions:

  • All proposals must be submitted via the official Call for Content form on The Future of Sustainability website.
  • Submission and presentation deadlines are final. No extensions or exceptions will be granted.
  • All co-presenters must be confirmed and registered by the presenter deadline. ACTS reserves the right to limit the number of presenters per session.
  • Up to three presenters per session will receive a 10% discount on the individual conference registration fee. All remaining costs are the responsibility of the presenter(s).
  • By presenting at the conference, you grant ACTS an irrevocable, royalty-free, and exclusive license to use the recording of your session. You also agree not to share or republish the recording on other platforms or at other events without prior written permission from ACTS.
  • Presenters are expected to design their sessions with accessibility in mind, including providing clear visuals, using inclusive language, and being responsive to reasonable accessibility requests from attendees.
  • Presenters agree to assist in promoting their session through their professional networks and, where possible, share official ACTS promotional materials on social media and other relevant platforms.
  • Workshops: Facilitators of workshops will receive modest financial compensation in recognition of the time and effort required to deliver extended, skills-based sessions.
  • Presenters must be willing to incorporate feedback and suggested revisions from the ACTS Conference Working Group (ACWG) to ensure high-quality, relevant content.
  • The ACWG reserves the right to accept or decline any proposal and to reassign sessions to a different format than initially proposed. If changes are required, the ACWG will liaise with the presenter(s) involved.
  • Presenters must adhere to all deadlines and key dates. Failure to do so may result in the removal of the session from the final conference program.

Prepare your Proposal

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Proposal Submission Form below. We recommend you review the submission fields and prepare your text in advance by downloading our Proposal Template. Remember to use a character count to make sure you don’t exceed the character limits!