Environmental and climate resilience

As local and state governments and communities commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, we are also implementing strategies to reduce emissions from our operations.

Our target is to achieve a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

Distribution line losses from our networks are the source of 89% of our carbon emissions. By enabling greater penetration of residential rooftop solar as well as large-scale renewable connections, the CO2 associated with each unit of electricity we distribute falls.

In addition, we are reducing the environmental impact of our operations through improved network efficiency, environmental protection initiatives, waste and recycling, and adoption of Zero Emissions Vehicles.

Meanwhile, the resilience of our network to the impacts of climate change is a high priority given the region in which we operate is characterised by high bushfire risk and susceptibility to the impacts of climate change such as extreme wind and storms, and rising sea-levels.

Our asset management plans provide a long-term approach for how we invest in and manage our infrastructure in this context. Increasingly, they are dependent on technology for control operations, despatch, communications and supply chain management, making a rigorous cyber security program essential for sustaining our business.

From a customer perspective, the benefit of this work is felt in highly reliable power supplies. We aim to reduce both the number of customers affected and the duration of any power outages occurring due to either planned works or unplanned reasons like animals or vegetation hitting the lines. This is reflected in targets set annually for our network by the Australian Energy Regulator. Each year we aim to outperform the targets set by the regulator.

Material issue: Network resilience

We design, augment, maintain and manage our networks to maximise their resilience to the effects of climate change and to sustain high levels of supply reliability for our customers.

Material issue: Climate change

We are committed to reducing carbon emissions to actively contribute to achieving net zero emissions targets.

Material issue: Environmental protection and resource conservation

We execute an internationally certified program of works through which we comply with legislative obligations and govern a program of work to manage, and where possible reduce, our impact on the natural environment.