Environment
On a day-to-day basis, BBP strives to minimise adverse impacts on the environment and to continually improve its environmental performance operationally. BBP’s Environment and Community Policy focuses on a number of core objectives, including; the efficient use of natural resources, an integrated environmental management system, reduction in carbon emissions across all assets, utilising research for commercially viable technologies wherever practical and the compliance with all relevant legislation, codes of practice, standards and other statutory obligations.
BBP recognises that climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing the world today, and that urgent action needs to take place to respond to this challenge. It is also clear that the electricity industry, as one of the nation’s largest carbon-emitting sectors, will continue to play a key role in helping to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions in future years.
As a developer of gas-fired power stations, BBP is making a significant and positive impact on reducing carbon emissions intensity from power generation. Approximately 74 per cent of BBP’s power portfolio is gas-fired generation; gas being a lower emissions-intensive fuel than coal. BBP’s portfolio also has lower carbon emissions than the average across the National Electricity Market (NEM).
BBP is preparing to meet the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Act 2007 obligations, which provide for transparent public reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and underpin the CPRS to be introduced by 2010. A comprehensive understanding of BBP’s emissions across the entire business is fundamental. For this reason BBP has engaged a leading energy and greenhouse consultancy, Energetics, to assist with developing an accurate business wide carbon inventory. The timing of this detailed inventory work is planned to coincide with the requirements of the first round of reporting under the NGER Act in FY2009.
Given the wide-ranging impact of carbon on the BBP business, a Greenhouse Working Group has been established in order to enable successful adjustment to life in a carbon constrained environment. The working group focuses on the mitigation of risks associated with BBP’s exposure to climate change and will also concurrently seek to identify growth opportunities. These opportunities may involve participation in carbon offset markets, trading in the CPRS, renewable generation and the development of carbon abatement products for the retail business.
Carbon Disclosure Project
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is an independent not-for-profit organisation which acts as an intermediary between shareholders and corporations on climate change related issues, providing primary climate change data from the world’s largest corporations to the global market place.
The data is obtained from responses to CDP’s annual Information Request, sent on behalf of institutional investors and purchasing organisations. The Information Request covers four major areas:
1) Management’s views on the risks and opportunities that climate change presents to the business;
2) Greenhouse gas emissions accounting;
3) Management’s strategy to reduce emissions / minimise risk and capitalise on opportunity; and
4) Corporate governance with regard to climate change.
In 2008, CDP conducted its sixth annual Information Request - CDP6.
BBP participation
BBP provided a preliminary response to CDP6 in May 2008. To view the response click here.