Frasers Property

Date Published: 01/2018

Frasers Property Australia is a leading diversified property group, with more than 650 employees and operations across five states. The organisation delivers a broad range of activities, including residential development, housing and apartments, as well as commercial, retail and industrial property investment and management.

Becoming Certified Under Climate Active

Frasers Property Australia is recognised as a leader in integrating climate action into its core business operations. Achieving carbon neutral certification under the Australian Government’s Climate Active program demonstrates the company’s commitment to managing its emissions in a carbon-constrained economy.

Pangolin Associates supported Frasers Property throughout this process, bringing extensive experience in Climate Active certification, including deep expertise in the property sector.

Timeline and Approach

Frasers Property first engaged Pangolin Associates in 2016 to support reporting under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme. While not required to report under NGER thresholds, this work enabled the organisation to establish a robust baseline emissions inventory for the 2015 to 2016 financial year.

Pangolin guided Frasers Property through the process, from completing the Australian Carbon Account Report and Carbon Inventory to helping prepare the requisite documentation. Pangolin liaised with the independent auditor and the Department of the Environment and Energy on Frasers Property's behalf.

Frasers Property received certification in September 2017.

Dual Certification Including Real Utilities

A key feature of this certification was its scope. In addition to certifying corporate operations, Frasers Property included its subsidiary energy business, Real Utilities.

Real Utilities supplies energy to residents and commercial tenants across Frasers Property developments. Through a combination of energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon offsetting, the energy supplied is carbon neutral. This enabled both the organisation and its energy offering to achieve certification under Climate Active.

Aligning Offsets with Long-Term Strategy

Frasers Property selected offset projects aligned with its long-term sustainability strategy, A Different Way. These projects support regions in which Frasers Centrepoint Limited operates and contribute to broader goals of increasing access to clean energy.

For the 2015 to 2016 reporting year, Frasers Property offset 6,673 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent using Verified Carbon Units across a diversified portfolio of international and domestic projects, including wind, hydro and regeneration initiatives.

Emissions Reduction Initiatives

Alongside offsetting, Frasers Property continues to prioritise emissions reduction through operational improvements and investment in sustainable infrastructure.

Key initiatives include:

• Transitioning corporate offices to 100 per cent GreenPower.

• Targeting 6 Star Green Star Interiors ratings across office spaces.

• Investing in renewable and low-emissions energy systems across developments.

• Implementing energy efficiency, waste reduction and sustainable design practices.

A notable example is the Fairwater residential development in Blacktown, New South Wales. Each home incorporates a geothermal heating and cooling system, delivering energy savings of approximately 60 per cent for heating and cooling.

Operational Performance and Improvements

Climate initiatives have delivered measurable outcomes across key operational areas:

Electricity

Electricity accounts for approximately 45 per cent of total emissions. Improvements include transitioning to GreenPower, relocating offices to more energy-efficient buildings, and setting targets for NABERS Energy tenancy ratings.

Waste

Waste contributes around 4 per cent of emissions. Waste audits have been undertaken across key offices to identify reduction opportunities and support participation in national efficiency programs.

Business Travel  

Business travel represents approximately 20 per cent of emissions. Investments in video conferencing technology have reduced the need for interstate travel.

Employee Engagement

Employee commuting contributes approximately 7 per cent of emissions. Engagement initiatives, including sustainability events and awareness campaigns, support behaviour change both in the workplace and at home.

Long-Term Strategy to 2030

Frasers Property’s sustainability strategy, A Different Way, sets out a holistic approach to resource management. This includes energy, carbon, water, waste, biodiversity, materials and supply chain considerations. The organisation has already achieved measurable progress, including transitioning to GreenPower and reducing emissions by over 88 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually across corporate operations.