Sustainability and ESG

We are committed to continued action to identify and progress opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We were proud to participate in the Climate Active carbon neutral certification program in respect of our corporate operations (excluding our project investments) from 2020 through 2023.  We intend to continue communicating transparently regarding our emissions footprint and the actions we are taking to reduce our organisational emissions, and will publish further information on this during the second half of 2025.

In respect of existing projects, we continue to seek to identify and advance opportunities for emissions reduction and improvements in environmental performance, subject to investment and contractual constraints.  In our new projects, we work with our clients and consortium partners to set environmental targets and ratings aimed at environmental risk management, decarbonisation and biodiversity protection.

We are members of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, a member-based, purpose-led organisation working to enable sustainability outcomes in infrastructure. 

We also hold a longstanding relationship with the Green Building Council Australia through our subsidiary, Plenary Conventions Pty Ltd. Several of the building projects in Plenary’s portfolio hold Green Star ratings. 

We are committed to diversity and inclusion, and gender equality, in our corporate operations. This commitment includes measuring key diversity and inclusion metrics and action planning to drive ongoing improvement. More information about our approach to these important topics can be found here.  

Our Australian business is firmly committed to ongoing Reconciliation Action, and has formally joined the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program following the endorsement of our inaugural RAP by Reconciliation Australia.

Plenary is a platinum partner of Victorian Aboriginal chamber of commerce, Kinaway. 

We are proud to embrace the need to raise awareness and understanding around reconciliation, and joining the RAP program represents a formalisation of a commitment to develop respectful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to foster respect for their cultures and communities, and to improve socioeconomic outcomes.

See Reconciliation for more details.

In respect of our projects, we work with relevant stakeholders on a project-by-project basis to set social targets, including in relation to diversity and inclusion and local participation.   

We focus on effective governance of sustainability-related issues throughout the project lifecycle. More information on our approach to governance is set out in our ESG & Responsible Investment Policy. 

Our Supplier Code of Conduct – Australia sets out the minimum standards that we require our supply chain partners in our Australian projects to meet regarding human rights, fair labour, the environment, and anti-corruption.  Our Supplier Code of Conduct – International applies in respect of our international projects.

In addition to project-specific reporting on ESG issues, we report against the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Established in partnership with UNEP Finance Initiative and UN Global Compact, the PRI works to understand the investment implications of ESG factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions. 

The principles encourage investors to use responsible investment – in our case, sustainable infrastructure investment – to enhance returns and better manage risks and, by implementing them, signatories contribute to developing a more sustainable global financial system. 

We are also a participant in the UN Global Compact, and we are committed to aligning strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and taking actions that advance societal goals.  

Advocacy

We contribute to the infrastructure industry by participating in policy debates and making submissions to state and federal government inquiries.

As part of our commitment to share best practices, we regularly attend, arrange, contribute to and sponsor industry conferences, task forces, project site tours, presentations, and feedback sessions with our current and prospective clients.

We are members of, and contribute to the work undertaken by, a host of key infrastructure and industry bodies.

Globally, we are members of IPFA and the Australia UAE Business Council.

In the region we are members of Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Property Council of Australia, Property Industry Foundation, Committee for Sydney, Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, Business Western Sydney, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Committee for Melbourne, Committee for Geelong, Geelong Chamber of Commerce, Infrastructure Association of Queensland and Infrastructure New Zealand.

Visit our Community page to read more about our local partnerships, sponsorships and fundraising efforts.