Carbon emissions
Climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions is a global issue that concerns us all.
Since 2000, we have been measuring and managing Telstra's greenhouse gas emissions. While the increasing use of Telstra's services will require an increased use of electricity, we are committed to looking for ways to deliver our services more efficiently.
Telstra's greenhouse gas emissions are mainly derived from:
- the use of electricity and gas for lighting, heating and air conditioning in office buildings and electricity to operate the network (90.9 per cent)
- the use of fuel (LPG, petrol, diesel) for vehicles and stand-by generators (6.3 per cent)
- air travel (2.2 per cent)
- by-products of organic waste decomposition that goes to landfill (0.6 per cent).
In 2008/09, Telstra's total greenhouse gas emissions were 1,515,188 tonnes CO2 equivalent, an increase of one per cent from 2007/08. This rise reflects the inclusion for the first time of emissions from air travel. Despite the increase in total greenhouse gas emissions, our measure of tonnes CO2 per $m revenue has decreased from 60.4 in 2007/08 to 59.4 in 2008/09.
Telstra implements a range of initiatives to deliver ongoing greenhouse gas emissions savings. In 2008/09, savings due to new initiatives were 24,186 tonnes CO2 equivalent, including 11,360 tonnes CO2 in electricity savings and 12,826 tonnes CO2 in waste diverted from landfill. This saving is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions generated by 1,728 average Australian households in a year. In addition, energy efficiency measures implemented in previous years continue to deliver greenhouse gas emission savings.
1. Calculation of Telstra's greenhouse gas emissions data in this report is based on a financial control model and may differ to calculations made for other environmental reports.
2. To provide a meaningful comparison of greenhouse gas emissions throughout this section, we use information published by the Australian Government Department of Environment, Water Heritage and the Arts in Global Warming Cool It.
