Infigen Energy believes that to be a sustainable business, we must take our social, environmental and economic responsibilities very seriously. While we want to continue to improve the performance of our business, we seek to do so in a responsible way. We have shaped our business practices to ensure that we integrate sustainability into all initiatives.
Our Commitments
- To balance the economic, social and environmental demands of all our activities;
- To provide a safe and healthy work environment for all employees, contractors and visitors at our places of work;
- To minimise our impact on the environment, with the protection of all aspects of the environment a priority;
- To strive for continued excellence with respect to both our environmental performance and community participation in our activities.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Infigen Energy's first priority is the safety of our employees, contractors, visitors and the communities in which we operate. Our goal is zero lost time incidents and injuries. Our global team consists of approximately 120 people managing 24 wind farms in Australia and the US, with activities comprising asset management, energy markets, construction, development and corporate functions.
ENVIRONMENT
As a specialist renewable energy business, we are particularly conscious of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by our activities. Since 2008 we have developed knowledge of our emissions, and we successfully fulfilled our reporting requirements under the National Greenhouse & Energy Reporting Act 2007 (NGER) for the inaugural report for the 12 months ended 30 June 2010. This report will be an ongoing requirement for Infigen Energy.
NGER requires organisations that produce or consume 500 TJ of energy or emit 125 kt CO2-e gases as a whole, or have a facility that produces or consumes 100 TJ of energy or emit 25 kt of CO2-e gases to report to the Department of Climate Change on their activities that produce greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide equivalent). Infigen Energy was required to report based on the energy produced as an organisation.
The NGER Act will underpin the introduction of an emissions trading scheme, assist all levels of government in policy formulation, programs and activities, as well as help meet Australia's international reporting obligations.
Infigen Energy's reported production of greenhouse gases, energy used and produced for Australia in FY10 was as follows:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Consumption
| Scope 1 | Scope 2 | Scope 1 & 2 | Energy Consumed | Energy Produced |
|---|
| 13 tCO2-e2 |
2,671 tCO2-e2 |
2,684 tCO2-e2 |
12,023 GJ |
3,904,233 GJ |
Infigen Energy has also participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) since 2008. The CDP is an annual emissions and energy reporting survey backed by 551 institutional investors globally.
On an operational level, all of our wind farms undergo comprehensive environmental assessments before being granted development approval. They are also bound to obligations under environmental management programs which are approved by the relevant planning authorities.
These environmental obligations cover areas such as control of soil erosion and sedimentation, management of bushfire-related risks, directions on waste handling and disposal and the minimisation of any potential impacts our wind and solar farms may have on flora and fauna habitat. At Infigen Energy we take these obligations very seriously. Our approach to the recently commissioned Woodlawn Wind Farm is an example.
Tree planting at Woodlawn Wind Farm
Some parts of Woodlawn Wind Farm were subject to soil erosion. During the construction phase Infigen Energy worked with contractors to prevent further erosion and then developed plans to repair and enhance the landscape.
We carried out extensive work on site to rehabilitate the land, including the planting of more than 1,000 trees and shrubs with the help of a local organic nursery. Each type of plant was picked to contribute to native biodiversity and build a wildife corridor giving shelter and food for animals in years to come.
Communities in which we participate
Community relationships are very important to Infigen Energy. We are involved with communities during the planning and development stages of new projects, and then during the life of each wind and solar farm. We are committed to ongoing engagement with all the communities in which we operate through regular communication and a clear flow of information, to ensure that any concerns can be easily raised and then addressed.
Infigen Energy also actively supports local communities,schools and sporting organisations through sponsorship and employee participation at events.
Infigen Energy provides employment opportunitiesin regional communities, both during the construction and the ongoing operation of our wind farms.