Port of Newcastle has released its annual report measuring the organisation’s progress towards achieving its sustainability targets.

Port of Newcastle’s CEO Craig Carmody said the 2020 Sustainability Report examined the Port’s efforts to embed the principles of sustainability across its operations.

“In a year that was defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Port of Newcastle continued to pursue a diverse range of initiatives to create sustainable social, environmental and economic benefits for the Hunter and NSW,” Craig said.

“I am especially proud to see the Port’s new fleet of electric vehicles on the road and the establishment of our first Indigenous STEM Scholarship in partnership with the University of Newcastle.

“These are just some of the initiatives that we are progressing today to create a safe, sustainable, and environmentally and socially responsible port of the future.”

The release of the 2020 Sustainability Report follows the April announcement of a landmark loan for Port of Newcastle (PON) that aligns financing for Australia’s largest east coast seaport with long-term environmentally and socially responsible outcomes.

This is the first sustainability-linked financing by an Australian seaport and the first such loan in Australia to include a modern slavery assessment metric addressing all of the borrower’s suppliers.

The other four metrics focus on emissions reduction, mental health first aid, diversity and inclusion and achieving certified recognition against the NSW Government Sustainability Advantage Scheme.

The 2020 Sustainability report uses Port of Newcastle’s sustainability framework to highlight the achievements made in 2020: Our People, Our Planet, Our Prosperity and Our Partnerships.

Highlights of the 2020 Sustainability Report include:

• Significant reduction in operational carbon emissions from previous years
• Launch of PON’s Agile Work arrangements which will continue allowing non-operational staff the choice of working flexibly from any location, including PON offices and from home.
• $30,000 partnership with University of Newcastle. Applications for the Indigenous Students in STEM Scholarship opened in September 2020 and will be awarded in 2021.
• Continued efforts to progress diversification projects such as the Multi-purpose Deepwater Terminal, the Newcastle GasDock development and the growth of existing diversified trade.

As the Port continues to embed sustainability principles across its operations, it is also pursuing a diverse range of initiatives to create sustainable social, environmental and economic benefits for the Hunter and NSW.

In 2021, some of these include:

• Reduce and maintain PON’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions in line with the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) well below 2°C scenario;
• Achieve 100 per cent renewable power for our electricity needs by 2021;
• Transition entire vehicle fleet to electric by 2023;
• Achieve Silver Partner recognition under NSW Government Sustainability Advantage Program;
• Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy;
• Develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander internship program;
• Assess 100 per cent of our suppliers for modern slavery risk;
• Develop a sustainability financing framework; and
• 100 per cent of staff undertaking mandatory cultural awareness training.

IMAGE | Wind turbine components shipped through the Port of Newcastle support renewable energy projects across NSW.