Operating buildings sustainably is a granular endeavour. Britomart gathers detailed monthly data on energy and water use, and monitors refrigerant losses and waste volumes in order to refine and reduce our resource use. Five years into our greenhouse gas reduction programme, our emissions are down almost 20 percent on our baseline year.
TOITŪ ENVIROCARE
In 2019, Britomart Group began working with Toitū Envirocare to develop a base-case emissions profile for our group of businesses*, which gives an overall picture of our climate impact. The Toitū Carbonreduce plan that we are working to includes a five percent reduction in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2026, which we plan to achieve through a wide range of undertakings, including monitoring building air temperatures to improve energy efficiency and upgrading plant (building systems) over time to improve efficiency and reduce refrigerant loss.
This year our total GHG emissions from all sources were 592t CO2e. This is a 19 percent reduction in total GHG emissions from our 2019 baseline emissions of 730t CO2e, and the first time that our emissions have fallen below that baseline (although last year was only 2t over the original baseline).
This is good progress, but we know it doesn’t guarantee ongoing reductions. Unpredictable events – like refrigerant leaks, which are behind most spikes in our emissions in previous years – can cause totals to vary from one year to the next.
In the year we’re currently reporting on**, our electricity and gas usage were both up slightly – in line with our expectations as we see growth in workers returning to city offices – and we also saw a slight increase in air travel emissions.
However, our emissions from accidental losses of refrigerant gases (which are very GHG-intensive) to the environment decreased substantially. Most of this decrease is thanks to the repair of a major refrigerant leak in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning) system in the Stanbeth Excelsior Building, and repairs of smaller leaks in the Charter Customs Building. However, as the Stanbeth Excelsior Building’s HVAC system is coming towards its end of life, the chance of future leaks is fairly high.
“We may see new leaks in it over the summer, when the system is working harder and there’s a higher chance of sudden changes in pressure,” says Shane Belch, head of facilities for Britomart. “In the long-term, replacing the system is the solution, which we will take the opportunity to do while the building is unoccupied in its next lease changeover.”
*Britomart’s emissions profile is calculated on the emissions of 15 buildings within the precinct, as well as from outdoor usage like fairy lights, exterior uplighting and Takutai Square lights, and electricity supply for activations in Takutai Square. The Hotel Britomart has its own Toitū Envirocare emissions profile and Carbonreduce plan. In the 2022/23 year, The Hotel Britomart’s total carbon emissions were 247tC02e.
**Base year period: 01 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 | Current year period: 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
A new approach to our emissions reporting is coming
To improve the accuracy of emissions reporting, our accreditation partner Toitū Envirocare is changing their requirements. Until now, our reporting has covered Scope 1 (direct emissions from burning fuel or refrigerant losses) and Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions associated with burning fuel), as well as a small number of Scope 3 emissions (such as staff air travel and emissions produced by waste to landfill).
From the 2024/25 financial year, our reporting will include all Scope 3 emissions, which are generated through the full value chain of the organisation. While this will result in an increase in reported emissions, it will give us a more complete picture, while also allowing us to reset our baseline measurements to a year that better reflects the post-Covid flexible working environment and its effects on office occupancy.
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