Transgrid has outlined new net zero commitments, with a goal to reduce both direct, and indirect emissions, with an overall target of being net zero by 2040.
Transgrid CEO, Brett Redman, said as the company builds a better power system for all Australians and accelerates the transition to clean, renewable energy, Transgrid will work equally hard to minimise its climate impact.
“The future will be powered by clean energy and as the largest network in the National Electricity Market, our infrastructure is critical – there will be no transition without transmission,” Mr Redman said.
“We have a responsibility to deliver a fit-for-future electricity network that minimises climate impact in construction and operation and to do that, we are accelerating our program of works and rolling out credible and ambitious long-term greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets.”
To support the Federal Government’s climate change targets, Transgrid has committed to:
- Reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2030, compared with a base year of 2021 and net zero by 2040
- Reduce scope 3 emissions from Purchased Goods and Services, and Capital Goods by 48 per cent per million dollar spend on these two categories by 2030, compared with a base year of 2021 and net zero by 2050*
The targets are science-based targets (SBT) aligned to the level of decarbonisation required to keep global temperature increases to 1.5°C or well below 2°C, compared to pre-industrial levels set by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi).
*Detailed Transgrid commitments include a reduction across Scopes 1,2 and 3, including:
- Direct emissions (scope 1)
- Eliminate all emissions from our fleet of passenger and commercial vehicles by 2030
- Support industry efforts to commercialise an alternative to SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride – a gas currently used in network equipment)
- Indirect emissions (scope 2)
- Use 100 per cent renewable electricity in Transgrid offices and depots by 2025
- Reduce the amount of line losses
- Indirect emissions (scope 3)
- Support the development of low emissions products, particularly to enable expansion of the network
- Require 50 per cent of our suppliers to have science-based targets by 2025
- Support Transgrid employees to reduce their emissions footprints
“The transmission system is central to all decarbonisation scenarios for Australia,” Mr Redman said.
“We’re building the energy superhighway with major projects like EnergyConnect, HumeLink and VNI West to increase the sharing of renewable energy across the National Electricity Market; investing in battery technology and, through our commercial arm Lumea, physically connecting renewable generators to the network.
“Transgrid is enabling the biggest energy transformation of our lifetime.
“We are committed to innovative and efficient strategies to ensure the grid can decarbonise safely and quickly – while also putting downward pressure on electricity prices by delivering cheaper, cleaner energy to millions of Australians.”
