Sustainability and the Port of Brisbane

13 February 2008

What is “Sustainability”

• Economic progress whilst protecting the environment and being socially responsible (it’s a balance)

• Minimising environmental impacts is only one aspect of sustainability

• Many resource efficiency projects save money, thus help to offset costs of broader sustainability initiatives

• But…how do we gauge how sustainable we are?

Is offsetting greenhouse-intensive behaviours OK?

… or should we reduce emissions …

Arnie’s hydrogen powered Hummer

… or avoid the emissions altogether

Changing perception of sustainability

Shifting from a subjective reflection of people’s values and “green-ness”

Climate change will modify how business is done.

Carbon metrics and financial metrics will be linked: carbon (phrased as equivalent tonnes of carbon, or T C02-e) will be the common currency

Businesses will be expected to account for, and reduce, their impacts on the environment.

Leaders will leverage their market position to make a material change through their supply chain

• Part of our business for the past 5-6 years

• We have voluntarily reported our emissions via the Commonwealth’s Greenhouse Challenge Programme since 2003

• Evolving from an environmental focus to both resource conservation and emission reduction

• Link sustainability outcomes with financial ones (eg, vehicle policy includes lifecycle cost not solely purchase price)

• Broader strategic context to be supported through employment of Sustainable Business Manager

• Strong push towards a port community approach leverage greater gains

What is the Corporation doing?

Why?

To make a positive, measurable difference to our natural environment, our people, our community and our finances.

To maintain community’s and legislator’s trust in us doing the right thing: our license to operate.

To understand and mange our own climate change risks.

Priorities

Site Development Water Conservation

Stormwater Energy

Waste

Materials

Healthy Buildings

Transport

Operation and Management

Greenhouse emission reductions are acommon metric across many of the above areas

Indicative greenhouse gas emissions

ACTIVITY TONNE

C02-e/pa

Corporate emissions from our assets*

Electricity 2,600

Petroleum Products (petrol, diesel) 17,000

300 employees

Vehicles (estimate) 3,000

Homes (estimate) 3,000

Other emissions

Land reclamation contractors ??

Cargo handling (stevedores) ???

Rail, truck, ship transit in our precinct ????

* equivalent to the emissions (home + vehicles) of around 1000 families.

What is the Corporation doing?

Pursuing ways to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, or “carbon footprint” by:

• Introducing an environmental standard for new port vehicles

• New light control technology being trialled on lamp towers

• Investigating renewable power options

• Offset our vehicles’ emissions through the purchase of BP Ultimate petrol

Planning an inventory of air emissions at the port from which further strategies can be prioritised

• New flagship office building at the Port of Brisbane

• 5 star design rating from the Green Building Council

• Port Central 2 to build on Port Central 1 initiatives and be PBC new Corporate Office

Port Central 1

Port Approach to Development

• Development guidelines take into account sustainability and aesthetic issues

• Fact sheets to assist tenants and their consultants

• Opportunity to influence design

• PBC has an internal and tenant (yet to meet) Sustainability Committee

• Internal advisory group has representatives of most Corporation Divisions

• CEO addresses staff quarterly

• Internal newsletters, Environment Day

Staff Engagement