Operating Sustainably

Operating Sustainably

Energy and Emissions

Over the past ten years Ingenia has materially changed the focus of the Group’s investment and as a result the scale and nature of the communities the Group owns, manages and develops.

We remain committed to establishing appropriate measurements and setting long-term goals for reductions in energy use, water use and waste recycling. These targets are expected to generate a financial benefit for Ingenia Communities and residents across our Lifestyle and Gardens communities while also reducing our environmental footprint.

In FY22 we made material progress in relation to energy and emissions. Our decarbonisation roadmap is focussed firstly on avoiding and reducing emissions through energy efficiency initiatives and generating on-site renewable energy which will provide a greater reduction in our emissions baseline. The purchase of renewable energy from the grid will assist us in eliminating the majority of remaining emissions, with carbon offsets used to remove what is left.

Our initiatives to reduce the overall emissions of our business operations include:

• Consolidating our energy and emissions data, and reporting our Scope 1,2 and resident emissions as disclosed in this Report, in Appendix A
• Installation of more than 3,500 LED lights across 21 communities in FY22, with an estimated energy saving of 257,000 kWh per annum
• Installation of 400 kW of Solar PV across 9 communities in FY22. Total solar energy
• production across all sites 1.4 million kWh with an estimated annual savings of over $350,000
• Solar optimisation with battery storage to increase on-site renewable energy use at Hervey Bay –complete in FY22, monitoring of the outcomes and benefits will be key to enhancing our understanding of the potential of this technology

Implementing our Green Star strategy in new developments. Green Star Homes require all homes to be ‘net zero’ in operation and our commitment to deliver 261 homes at our Beveridge community is a key step in reducing emissions and benefiting residents. Current initiatives include:

• Ongoing rollout of solar to our operating communities. With 52 communities now complete, we anticipate integrating new acquisitions to the program as we continue rollout across our communities and include solar through new developments
• Continuing to deliver operational efficiencies – including, but not limited to: LED Lighting upgrades, lighting sensor installation, air-conditioner set points and timers, pool pump timers, hot water heaters and appliances which are more energy efficient
• Evolution of the Group’s energy strategy – providing an integrated approach for new developments which will help us to optimise the complex products, services, and systems available in the market, while ensuring compliance, benefit and protection for our communities and residents
• Introduction of more energy efficient cabins and rental homes with key projects including first Green Star Homes at Beveridge, development of a prototype sustainable holiday cabin with Prefabulous and the University of Wollongong and installation of 6 eco ‘annuals’ cabins at Merry Beach
• Continuing to report on our energy use and emissions.

For further information on the Group’s emissions report, refer to the Sustainability Report.