Our Journey to Calculating Our Baseline Footprint

In today's world, sustainability is more than just a trend—it's a crucial part of how businesses operate.

In late 2022, our company started to discuss sustainability and what it means to us, our customers, the end users, our suppliers and other stakeholders within our supply chain…. This was the beginning to embarking on a pathway to greater understanding of the sustainability drivers from international platforms, for example, the UN SDG’s, the GHG Protocols, ISSB and various other drivers of sustainability.

Our initial journey started by asking ourselves ‘what is our baseline carbon footprint’?  We did not know the best solution to obtain this information, so we became active in seeking out information via business networks, government seminars and aligning ourselves with sustainability platforms.

The sustainable seminars that were hosted by Queensland Government became a wealth of knowledge and a great place to collaborate with other companies that were on the same journey as us.  We were fortunate to team up with the Eco Efficiency Group who took us on the journey to gather the information and calculate our scope 1 and scope 2 carbon emissions.

 Understanding Our Baseline Carbon Footprint:

The baseline carbon footprint, is like an inventory of all the sources of CO2 emissions from our company. This baseline is the level of CO2, is what we will measure our future emissions against. By doing this, we can see if our planned actions are successfully reducing our CO2 emissions and if we are meeting our planned actions within our decarbonisation plan timeframes.

 Key Insights from the Queensland Government’s Sustainability Seminar:

At the sustainability seminar hosted by the Queensland Government, we learned that businesses will face increasing expectations at both national and international levels. Here are some key points from some of the seminars that highlighted why this is urgent:

Regulations are Tightening: Governments around the world, including in Australia, are implementing stricter rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our country's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement set specific goals to cut emissions and combat climate change.  These NDC’s are driven by National Government and siphoned down to state level so that state governments can drive sustainable projects within industry to assist in meeting Australia’s NDC’s.

 Stakeholders Expect More: Our clients and shareholders are becoming more focused on sustainability. They want to see real progress in reducing our environmental impact. Being transparent about our efforts can build stronger relationships with them and improve our company’s reputation.

Gain a Competitive Edge: Companies that lead in sustainability are more likely to stand out. As people and businesses prefer environmentally friendly options, showing our commitment to reducing emissions can help us attract aligned customers and new business opportunities.

Aligning with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

The NDCs are central to global efforts to fight climate change. Each country's NDC outlines specific goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For us, aligning with these commitments means we’re not just complying with regulations, but also contributing to a global cause. Calculating our baseline footprint helps us align our sustainability strategies with national and international goals.

Our Path:

Calculating our baseline carbon footprint is the first step in a bigger journey. With this information, we can:

Set Clear Goals: Establish specific targets for reducing emissions that match national and international goals.

Develop Strategies: Find the key areas where we can make the biggest impact and create effective plans to reduce our footprint.

Track and Report Progress: Monitor our progress regularly and report our achievements to stakeholders, showing our commitment to sustainability.

Show Responsibility: Demonstrate our dedication to corporate governance and social responsibility by actively participating in the fight against climate change.

Our decision to calculate our company’s baseline carbon footprint is driven by a mix of regulatory needs, stakeholder expectations, and the goal of achieving net zero emissions. We finalised our carbon baseline footprint at the end of 2023, to guide us in leading the way in sustainability. This journey is about making a real difference for our company, our clients, and the world.

People, Planet and Principles