Atlassian’s Sustainability Strategy: Don’t #@!% the Planet
Don’t #@!% the planet – while many companies have mission statements at their core, Atlassian’s does not beat about the bush.
The Australian software company best known for collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, Trello, Loom and Rovo, has more than 300,000 customers and a global reach. Guided by Atlassian’s Don’t #@!% the Planet Guide, Jessica Hyman, the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, has a clear mission: “We’re here to unleash the potential of every team – that includes leading on climate action.”
Jessica has overseen Atlassian’s sustainability journey for the past decade, building it from the ground up. The company’s approach is rooted in identifying the most material issues – those most closely aligned with Atlassian’s business and where it can exert real influence – that dictate its path to net zero by 2040. This process led Atlassian to focus on human rights, responsible technology and climate action.
Progress, not perfection
Atlassian’s culture of transparency – summed up in its value ‘open company, no bullshit’ core value – has shaped the company’s sustainability reporting and its willingness to admit where it has fallen short. “The journey has been one of progress over perfection, being really open and honest about our shortcomings along the way,” Jessica says.
Within a year of setting its ESG goals, Atlassian had achieved one – 100% renewable electricity goal in the first year, primarily through the purchase of renewable energy certificates. But Jessica is quick to point out that this was only the beginning. “Step one, get there, and then step two. How do you drive more impact?” she says. The company has since explored virtual power purchase agreements and voluntarily included work-from-home emissions in its reporting, reflecting the new realities of a distributed workforce.
Scope 3 emissions – those arising from suppliers and business travel – present the biggest challenge to most companies, including Atlassian. “Scope 1 and 2 are easy checkboxes, to be honest. Scope 3 is notoriously harder,” Jessica explains. For Atlassian, this means influencing 69% of its suppliers to set science-based targets and reducing business travel emissions by 25% – a tough ask as the company continues to grow.
Don’t #@!% the Planet Guide
The company’s signature initiative, the Don’t #@!% the Planet Guide, was born out of Atlassian’s role as an early adopter of science-based targets in the Australian tech sector. Jessica found herself fielding frequent requests from customers and peers: how did Atlassian set its goals and what lessons could others learn?
“One of our core values is to play as a team. How do we take that and manifest it for folks? We packaged up mostly what’s not worked and the headwinds that we face, as well as our success stories, so that others can get there faster and then share the success stories,” Jessica says.
The guide details everything from consultant recommendations to leadership buy-in strategies and progress tracking. “Not only what we did, but how we did it,” Jessica explains. “In the first month that it went out, I think it was downloaded 500 times – the demand is there”.
A second version of the guide followed, reflecting Atlassian’s commitment to transparency and continuous learning. “The thinking was how do we share what we’re learning so that others can move there faster,” Jessica says.
Employee engagement – and travel
Covid-19 brought unexpected lessons. The pandemic halted business travel, making emissions targets briefly easier to meet. But as travel resumed, Atlassian’s new distributed model – dubbed ‘Team Anywhere’ – meant the company’s more than 13,000 employees worldwide were travelling differently, often coming together from remote locations. “Travel behaviour is changing. So we need to understand – what’s the new baseline? Why are people travelling? What are the emissions hotspots?” Jessica explains.
To address these challenges, Atlassian has revised travel policies and begun exploring sustainable aviation fuel, a new tool in its emissions reduction arsenal.
“I do feel very optimistic when I think about FY25 to FY40. Do we have a plan to get after this? Yes. And today, are we behind? Yeah. And we have to kind of own that,” Jessica says.
AI, procurement, regulation and the role of the C-suite
Atlassian’s sustainability strategy is not confined to a single department. Jessica emphasises that success depends on buy-in across the business, especially from the C-suite. “Progress in this space cannot just live with a climate team or a sustainability team. You really need the entire business team to mobilise around you and take ownership,” she explains.
To that end, Atlassian moved its sustainability team into the legal and finance organisation, embedding sustainability into procurement, policy and investment decisions. “Being nested with finance has really helped the finance team set their own goals. They now have their own climate goals and are driving work without me, which helps me scale,” Jessica says.
Legal integration has also proved vital as sustainability regulation rapidly evolves. “There’s no better home for us than with the regulatory affairs and policy team that can help us understand how to prepare for some of that,” Jessica explains.
AI is another area of focus, particularly as Atlassian’s products increasingly leverage AI to help teams work smarter. The company recognises both the opportunities and risks associated with AI, including its energy demands and ethical considerations. Atlassian’s responsible tech practice is designed to ensure that AI is deployed in ways that align with the company’s values and sustainability commitments.
Atlassian has also worked closely with its procurement team to embed climate goals into supplier relationships. “We partnered with them to understand Atlassian’s detailed procurement process. How do I ask suppliers to set a net zero goal in that existing process?” Jessica says.
By leveraging supplier relationship owners, Atlassian ensures that climate conversations happen at the right level and that suppliers are supported, not intimidated, by the company’s expectations. For further support, Atlassian brought in consultants to offer free advice to top suppliers, helping them navigate the complexities of setting and achieving climate targets.
The path forward for Atlassian
For Atlassian, the sustainability journey is ongoing, marked by transparency, collaboration and a willingness to share both successes and setbacks.
“So much of our climate, human rights, foundation and social impact work is about making sure that what we're doing reflects our values,” Jessica says.
“Our founders started Atlassian with a vision of making sure that we do the right thing, that we take responsibility and that we set ourselves up to be a hundred year business.
“So all of these commitments are really authentic, and we really are putting in the hard yards when it comes to achieving them and then being open about when we've got headwinds in our way.
“That lends itself to something like the Don't #@!% the Planet Guide and puts Atlassian in this unique position – to be really open and honest about what doing this work really looks like.”
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