Optimise and Innovate

One of our sustainability strategy focus areas is to provide business solutions that better serve our customers while reducing our impact on the environment. As one of Australia’s largest developers and owners of real estate we have an enduring focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, eco-efficiency (including energy, water and waste management) and biodiversity management.

Resilient communities and assets

For the benefit of our stakeholders and society more broadly we are committed to creating climate resilient assets that operate with minimal disruption, as well as building strong communities that are equipped to adapt to climate change risks and opportunities.

We have a comprehensive approach to assessing and managing the physical risks of climate change for both our assets and our local communities, residents and customers. Our approach includes national risk mapping of our portfolio, undertaking climate and community resilience assessments at prioritised assets and implementing action plans based on those assessments.

This year we have extended the coverage of our assessments to any new masterplanned communities, an additional three retirement living villages and several Commercial Property assets. Details of our process and assessment scoring can be found in our Climate Resilience Deep Dive.

To complement our understanding of the physical risks, during the year we undertook scenario analysis including scenarios limiting global warming to below 2°C to enhance our understanding of risks and opportunities associated with the transition to a low carbon economy. Our 2°C scenario analysis confirmed that our existing commitments to energy efficiency and renewable energy are appropriate for leveraging low carbon opportunities. It also enhanced our understanding of risks including land development regulation and climate risk disclosure. More information on our 2°C scenario analysis is provided in the case study below.

Our work on climate mitigation, through our emissions reduction activities, and climate adaptation is highly regarded in the industry and we were the only Australian CDP Climate A List company to be recognised on the CDP A list. We were also amongst the first Australian companies to respond to the Global Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure, releasing our response to the Australian Securities Exchange with our Financial Statements in February 2018 and again in August 2018. This includes our approach to climate risk governance, strategy, risk management, targets and performance.  

Case study: What does net zero emissions by 2050 look like?

We completed a scenario analysis focused on the transition to a low carbon economy, to understand risks and opportunities for Stockland if Australia proceeds toward net zero emissions by 2050.

Read the case study

Targeting energy efficiency and renewables

The declining cost of solar infrastructure works in tandem with the increasing cost of conventional energy to make solar a sound business investment. We look to design and technology innovation and access to alternative energy supplies.

In FY18 we completed our largest solar photovoltaics (PV) installation at Stockland Green Hills (NSW, 1.85 MW), as well as an additional installation at Stockland Caloundra (Qld, 0.25 MW). This brings our total portfolio solar PV capacity in FY18 to 4.36 MW and generating approximately 6,000,000 kWh in renewable energy annually. Our total committed investment in solar is around $30 million, leading the industry with an expected 16.36 MW of solar PV capacity across our Commercial Property portfolio by the end of FY19. In addition to our investment in renewables we also completed lighting upgrades that will result in approximately 1,700,000 kWh of annual electricity savings.

We recognise that we also have an important role in encouraging more efficient living options. Examples of these initiatives include encouraging electric vehicle use by installing over 65 electric vehicle charging stations in 23 of our retail town centres; and developing a four bedroom home at our North Shore (Qld) community to achieve a NatHERS thermal comfort rating of 9.3 out of 10. The home is equipped with solar and battery storage, and acts as a sales office and education tool for prospective residents. 

Case study: Powering our portfolio - Tesla Destination Chargers

We are delivering a $200,000 national rollout of Tesla Destination Chargers across up to 31 retail town centres from Cairns to Melbourne. 

Read the case study

Find out more

For more information see our Carbon and Energy Deep Dive and our Environment Data Pack. 

Find out more

Creating sustainable and inclusive assets and developments

Asset ratings and certifications are key means of assuring and demonstrating the quality of our assets. These ratings serve as independent validation that key sustainability aspects, including social and environmental factors, have been considered in our asset designs, developments and operations.

Assets that are highly rated and can demonstrate optimal performance are often more attractive to customers and investors. Not only do they guarantee a certain level of energy and water efficiency, and therefore cost savings over the long term, they also incorporate various design features that promote social inclusion and enhance health and wellbeing. Buildings with high environmental ratings can demonstrate higher return on investment over time.

We have a strong commitment to the use of product rating and certification tools to ensure the sustainability performance of our projects and assets.

In FY18 we achieved ratings across a large portion of our portfolio with the following key achievements:

• 6 Star Green Star ‘World Leadership’ – Communities rating for our Waterlea (Vic) residential community currently under development in Melbourne
• 5 Star Green Star ‘Australian Excellence’ – Design rating (Retail Centre v1) for our Stockland Green Hills (NSW) development
• 4 Star Green Star – As Built rating (Retail Centre v1) on our Stockland Baldivis (WA) development
• completed Green Star – Performance portfolio rating on our Workplace and Business Park portfolio.
• completed NABERS Waste and Indoor Environment ratings on three assets in our Workplace and Business Parks portfolio
• registered our forthcoming Retirement Living development at Newport (Qld) under the Green Star – Design & As Built rating tool
• confirmed 11 of our standard Townhomes home plans and 10 of our Retirement Living home plans to be compliant with Livable Housing Australia (LHA) Silver design standard.

NABERS and Green Star certifications

Case study: 6 Star Green Star - World Leadership for Waterlea

Our Waterlea medium density residential development was awarded a "World Leadership" 6 Star green Star - Communities rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.

Read the case study

Find out more

For more information see our Asset Ratings and Certification Deep Dive.

Find out more

Our goal of net positive biodiversity impact

We develop new land for housing, including infrastructure and social amenities, to create sustainable, thriving communities. Development brings challenges and opportunities that we manage as we deliver our projects. In particular, developments on greenfield sites can impact local bushland habitat, ecological communities and protected or significant species.

We aim to minimise and mitigate these impacts to protect the biodiversity of our surrounding environments and appreciate that preserving biodiversity enhances the liveability and vitality of our communities over the long term. Our Liveability Index survey results tell us that our residential customers value this green space and a connection to nature.

We have identified biodiversity that will be protected on site in 20 of our projects under construction in FY18. We will have placed approximately 2,202 hectares of land into protection for the purposes of biodiversity management once these projects are complete.

Our FY20 target is to make a net positive contribution to biodiversity value across our residential developments, as measured by our biodiversity calculator. The only project with significant biodiversity assessed by the calculator in FY18 was Mt Atkinson (Vic). At Mt Atkinson our overall impact will be positive once the project is complete with 39 hectares of land rehabilitated and replanted (score of +11.94). A full list of projects scored by our calculator since FY15 is provided in our Environmental Data Pack.

Find out more

For more information see our Biodiversity Deep Dive and our Environment Data Pack.

Find out more

Find out more

For information on our waste and materials management, see our Waste and Materials Deep Dive and our Environment Data Pack.

Find out more