Powering a sustainable future
Net Zero Energy’s Sustainability Overview
The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has continued for 150 years, resulting in a 1,000 Billion Tonnes (=Gt) surplus of CO₂ remaining in the air. As The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report states, emissions and CO₂ removals must be balanced by 2050.
Our Objective:
Reduce the carbon footprint associated with mining and primary production in Western Australia.
Assist in the development of sustainable and green initiatives to benefit land-based primary producers, such as carbon sequestration through carbon re-uptake in trees and soils. At NZE, this is referred to as the Carbon Offset Development
Assist all primary producers in Western Australia, both land and marine, to achieve Net Zero for their produce.
Develop infrastructure to support the primary producer’s transition from use of fossil fuels, to other, more sustainable forms of energy.
Develop and implement Indigenous Programs, and include Indigenous Companies in the supply chain. Develop green programs to embrace indigenous knowledge of native flora and fauna and sustainable management of the land.
How?
We will supply Net Zero diesel to primary producers, miners, and all those servicing these industries. This will be achieved via our revegetation and soil sequestration carbon programs.
Install renewable energy systems for local communities to reduce power costs and, in the long term, be suitable for expansion and incorporation of large-scale energy storage.
Ongoing investigation and assessment of global technology related to continuous improvement in farming and agriculture, whilst decreasing the carbon footprint.
Further Explanation:
Net Zero Energy will implement its sustainability plan, enabling delivery of diesel with a Net Zero footprint to primary producers, miners, and all those servicing these industries in Western Australia.
In partnership with rural primary producers, we will implement Carbon Offset Development programs across the Wheatbelt and South-West of Western Australia, to create Carbon Credits equivalent to the carbon footprint of the diesel being delivered and combusted.
The costs to create and deliver the carbon credits offset programs are included in the diesel sale price. The emissions assessment covers crude extraction, petrochemical processing, delivery from around the globe to Western Australia, and the eventual combustion of diesel. Our Carbon Offset Development will result in extensive revegetation work on farming properties paid for predominantly by the mining industry.
Revegetation is achieved utilizing a broad range of native plants to each region. Our objective is to ensure excess Carbon Credits are created to cover the complete diesel carbon footprint, with additional credits available for the support of Western Australian businesses.
In order to meet the European Union’s climate and energy targets for 2030 and reach the objectives of the European Green Deal, it is fundamental to direct investments toward sustainable projects and activities. The EU taxonomy is a critical enabler in scaling up sustainable investment and implementing the European Green Deal.
The Taxonomy Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 22 June 2020 and entered into force on 12 July 2020. It establishes the framework for the EU taxonomy by setting out four overarching conditions that economic activity has to meet in order to qualify as environmentally sustainable. The Taxonomy Regulation establishes six environmental objectives:
Climate change mitigation
Climate change adaptation
The sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources
The transition to a circular economy
Pollution prevention and control
The protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems
UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
In September 2015, the Australian Government became a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, https://sdgs.un.org/goals). These goals build on the Millennium Development Goals but are a more comprehensive, progressive and innovative agenda that responds to the many challenges the world faces today and the challenges it will face in the future. The new agenda provides a roadmap for global development efforts to 2030 and beyond. The SDGs provide a framework to assess and benchmark our internal approach and progress for sustainable development as an organisation.
The morals and ethics upon which Unison was founded and continues to operate today, already embodied the fundamentals of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, but have been revised to follow the UN format. The following are the most relatable for us:
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
We support active and healthy lifestyles of our staff.
Substance abuse and the potential dangers it poses in the workplace are well documented with links to absenteeism, presenteeism, interpersonal problems, job turnover, injuries, disciplinary problems and poor job performance and productivity. Improving air quality from reducing transport emissions is part of this project.
Achieve gender equality: empower all women and girls.
We will strive to:
Create a rich, diverse workforce that is free from harassment and discrimination
Remove any gender inequalities that are still prevalent in many workplaces worldwide.
Ensure equitable access to opportunity and social wellbeing for all individuals regardless of their background.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
This project will encourage and support sustainable transport modes, which reduce overall energy consumption. This is aided by supporting the uptake of alternate fuel sources in the long term.
Decent work and economic growth.
We have processes to monitor and evaluate the stakeholders in our projects, to ensure everyone abides by the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We use all leverage available to us to ensure all stakeholders reach as far as possible in the supply chain to eliminate any act relevant to the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
The arrival of the fourth Industrial Revolution and the rapid development of multiple disruptive and innovative technologies is challenging the status quo of manufacturing and production. Technologies such as: artificial intelligence, big data and digitization, the Internet of Things, fifth, and even sixth, generation wireless technologies (5G/6G), connected and autonomous vehicle technologies, on-demand ride-sharing services and Mobility as a Service, 3D printing and the sharing economy.
We will utilise the advancement of technology to continuously improve productivity and economic growth, whilst improving sustainability.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
We are continuously seeking updated building products, technology and techniques that enhance sustainability and improve the energy efficiency of the projects we are involved with.
We are aware of the risks that climate change poses for our infrastructure and will include climate risk as part of our risk profile.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Urban air pollution is a known carcinogen and has a range of human impacts. Globally, air pollution contributes to more deaths than road accidents. Diesel vehicles contribute most to air pollution.
Our projects encourage and support sustainable construction, green initiatives and sustainable transport modes which reduce overall energy consumption which is aided by supporting the uptake of alternate fuel sources in the long term.
Responsible consumption and production.
This project is an enabler and in the short-to medium term we aim to reduce our environmental footprint by focusing on emissions, pollution, waste, land use and resources.
We aim to use materials that minimise lifecycle impacts including embodied energy and follow the hierarchy of reduce, re-use and recycle.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
We offer Net Zero fuels. We have a Carbon Reduction Plan and Target. We are focused on Scope One and Two emissions.
We are aware of the risks that climate change poses for our infrastructure and have climate as part of our risk assessments.
Climate Change is recognised as a key Sustainability issue for our farmers and regional areas particularly.
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
We will develop a culture of sustainability within our organisation, our industry and our community where possible.
It is important that our customers and industry are engaged and leveraged to develop initiatives that lead to overall benefits for sustainability.
We will offer an easy pathway for Net Zero Carbon through our work, which has co-benefits for the regions of Western Australia.