In 2019-20, overall ABC energy consumption decreased 4% on the previous year.

The nature of ABC business, and in particular its reliance on technology, necessarily involves high levels of energy consumption. This is reflected in energy use figures for New South Wales where there is a significant concentration of the ABC’s workforce and production. Even during the pandemic, many ABC workers were still in office locations, keeping broadcast operations running.

Energy reduction initiatives in 2019-20 included:

• All new lighting installations and replacements were carried out using LED energy efficient bulbs, including major halogen-to-LED replacement projects at Southbank (Victoria) in the Iwaki Auditorium - saving 34kW of heating - and more than 40 edit suites and radio studios, and halogen flood lighting being replaced with an LED lighting system in the Hobart site.
• All ABC staff were encouraged to turn off computers, printers, lights, and non-essential equipment at the end of the shift, especially over holiday periods.
• All new air conditioner replacements are programmed with operational running times to match building occupancy times.
• Building Management Systems were regularly reviewed and updated to ensure alignment with operational requirements.

Energy consumption 2019-20

Emissions 2019-20

Recycled and landfill waste 2019-20

In 2019-20, personal under-desk bins in Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Perth and all New South Wales regional sites were removed, and Eco Bin Stations were introduced to the workplace. The stations consist of three bins - red for general waste, yellow for recycling and green for organic matter - all with compostable bin liners and colour coded instructional posters. Benefits have included cleaners spending less time removing waste and relining personal bins, less money spent on liners, and more waste being recycled. Centralised waste separation streams were also introduced to offices in Tasmania, and in Hobart, chickens were introduced to the site to consume organic waste.

In Victoria, the Southbank water fountain has thus far diverted 8,055 plastic bottles from landfill, and Bendigo bathroom and kitchen renovations included installation of water efficient tapware and cisterns. In Wodonga, the grounds reinstatement included drought tolerant Indigenous plantings and a bathroom renovation included installation of water efficient taps and cisterns.

Travel and transport

In 2020, reducing or even cancelling travel to or for work, as a result of COVID-19 response restrictions, became a reality for a large portion of ABC staff. However, the nature of the ABC’s operations, in particular its news and current affairs activities, usually necessitates frequent domestic and international travel. As with other years, the ABC continued to encourage employees with to reduce domestic travel as much as possible.

Employees are encouraged to consider alternatives to travel where appropriate, for instance utilising video conferencing. Usage of this medium of correspondence has of course soared during the pandemic, in particular during lockdown periods in capital cities.

Staff are also urged to use sustainable travel methods to get to and from work when they come to the office, such as walking, cycling or taking public transport. End-of-trip facilities for employees including secure bike parking, showers and lockers are provided at most capital city and some regional sites, and information about public transport is provided for staff on the ABC intranet.

When it comes to domestic travel, the ABC views every vehicle replacement as an opportunity to improve the fleet’s environmental profile by considering if there is a need to replace the vehicle or whether there is a hybrid alternative that meets operational requirements.

Travel by air

There was a 27.4% decrease in kilometres flown by ABC employees in 2019-20, compared to the previous year, due largely to travel restrictions imposed in Australia during the first half of 2020.

Air travel 2019-20

Domestic fleet travel

The number of domestic fleet kilometres travelled in 2019-20 decreased 2% on the distance travelled in 2018-19. Of the 298 vehicles in the ABC Fleet (decreased from 311 in 2018-19) 264 were leased and 34 were owned. Twenty-two were hybrid vehicles, which equates to 7.4% of the total fleet.

Domestic fleet travel 2019-20

Heritage Strategy

The ABC has prepared a Heritage Strategy in accordance with section 341ZA of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (the EPBC Act). The EPBC Act sets out the ABC’s responsibilities to protect and conserve the Commonwealth Heritage values of places that it owns or controls. The Strategy is intended to inform the Minister and the Australian Heritage Council of the identification, assessment and monitoring of those places.

The ABC’s 2018-2021 Strategy is available online.

Water

In 2019-20, The ABC's water consumption was reduced overall by 27% on the previous period.

Water consumption

Rainwater collection

Rainwater is predominately reticulated for use in toilet cisterns or watering of gardens. Brisbane rainwater tanks were empty for most of 2019-20, requiring mains water to be used for toilets and gardens. The Adelaide air cooled chiller was also out of service for a large proportion of the year. During this time, the water-cooled units were used, which raised the use of water at the Collinswood building. Darwin experienced two significant water leaks during period: in the gardens and under the main building.