Zero Carbon Operations (ZCO) Plan | Key Terms Avoided emission offset: Eliminate emissions from a source outside the value chain of the entity, normally by investing offsets credits into projects which establish access to renewable energy sources; for example, by replacing fossil fuel sources with solar panels. Baseline: The state against which change is measured. A baseline period is the period relative to which anomalies are computed. BOMA: Building Owners and Managers Association – an international trade association for commercial real estate professionals. Carbon capture: Refers to a range of methods which either remove CO2 from the atmosphere and/or prevent it from being released at source. Carbon Intensity: The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions released per unit of another variable such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), output energy use or transport. Carbon offset: An offset is where an avoidance, reduction, or removal of a carbon emission is used to compensate for or neutralise a CO2 emission that occurs elsewhere. CO2-equivalent (CO2e, CO2eq) emissions: The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that would cause the same integrated radiative forcing, over a given time horizon, as an emitted amount of a greenhouse gas (GHG) or mixture of GHGs. CO2-equivalent emissions are calculated by multiplying the emission of a GHG by its Global Warming Potential (GWP) for the given time horizon. CSER: Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility; Integral Group’s interpretation of Corporate Social Responsibility, which has a deeper focus on the environment Decarbonization: The process by which countries or other entities aim to achieve a low-carbon economy, or by which individuals aim to reduce their consumption of carbon. Direct Emissions: are emissions from fuel sources that are directly burned to generate energy in spaces owned or controlled by the reporting entity. Embodied Carbon (of a building): The emissions associated with the production, transportation, assembly, use and eventual decommissioning of materials used in a building’s construction. Embodied carbon is measured in KgCO2e Emissions reduction offset: Any activity that compensates for the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gases (measured in carbon dioxide equivalents [CO2e]) by providing an emission reduction elsewhere3; e.g. through installation of renewable energy sources in place of fossil fuel-based energy sources for a given asset. Energy Efficiency: A ratio of service provided to energy input. Services provided can include buildings-sector end uses, such as lighting, refrigeration, and heating; industrial processes; or vehicle transportation. Energy Use Intensity (EUI): The ratio of energy consumption to floor space, measured in kWh/m2/year in this report.
Greenhouse Gases (GHGs): Gaseous constituents of the atmosphere which properties cause the greenhouse effect. Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3) are the primary GHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere. Green Power : Electricity generated from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact biomass, and low-impact hydro resources. “Green power” is synonymous with “renewable low-impact electricity Indirect Emissions: Emissions that are a consequence of the activities within welldefined boundaries of a region, an economic sector, a company, or a process, but which occur outside the specified boundaries of the activity. Key Performance Indicator (KPI): a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving key business objectives and/or targets. NABERS Rating: the National Australian Built Environment Rating System, an initiative by the government of Australia to measure and compare the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies. Net Zero Carbon: Achieved when the amount of CO2 emissions released on an annual basis is zero or negative (through reductions and/or offsets). Net zero whole life carbon: When, in addition to net zero operational carbon, upfront carbon and other embodied carbon across the building lifecycle is reduced to a level that is consistent with reaching net zero at the global or sector level in 1.5oC pathways. Any residual emissions that remain unfeasible to eliminate should be neutralised through carbon removals4. Onsite Renewable Energy: Energy generated on site from renewable sources, such as solar or wind. Where a site is not able to export energy off the site (i.e. where the building is not connected to the electricity grid), only that energy that can be consumed (or stored and then consumed) onsite is considered onsite renewable energy. Operational carbon: Carbon emissions associated with energy used to light, heat, cool, and power a building. Renewable Energy: A source of energy that is replenished through natural process or using sustainable management policies such that it is not depleted at current levels of consumption. REC: Renewable Energy Credit, an authorized electronic or paper representation of the environmental attributes equivalent to one MWh of renewable electricity (wind or solar). See ROC in the UK market Residual emissions: Emissions which remain once all feasible methods for reducing emissions during construction and operation have been exhausted. Resilience: The capacity of social, economic and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance, responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain their essential function, identity and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning and transformation. Roadmap: Strategic plan that identifies desired outcomes or goals and includes the key milestones and metrics required to achieve success, in this case to achieve net zero carbon operations and meet the requirements of World Green Building Council’s Commitment.
INTEGRAL GROUP | ZERO CARBON OPERATIONS (ZCO) PLAN | PART 1 CONTEXT
RTO: An acronym for “Return To Office” which describes the transition of workforce back into the office after the COVID-19 Pandemic where majority of workforce had been working from home (WFH). Scope 1: Direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization (e.g., emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, vehicles) Scope 2: Indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Although scope 2 emissions physically occur at the facility where they are generated, they are accounted for in an organization's GHG inventory because they are a result of the organization's energy use. Scope 3: All indirect emissions not included in Scope 2. Emissions as a result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization, but that the organization indirectly impacts in its value chain. Scope 3 emissions are also referred to as value chain emissions, often represent the majority of an organization's total GHG emissions. For Integral Group, the Scope 3 emissions measured are waste, employee commute, business travel and embodied carbon. SDGs: The17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. Sustainability: A dynamic process that guarantees the persistence of natural and human systems in an equitable manner. Sustainability is a triple bottom line approach = People, Planet, Profit. “The Commitment”: World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment challenges business, organizations, cities and subnational governments to reach net zero carbon in operational and embodied carbon emissions for all assets under their direct control by 2030, and to advocate for the total decarbonization of the sector by 2050. Upfront carbon: Total carbon emissions produced in the production and construction process stages of a building lifecycle, including emissions from raw material supply, manufacturing, transportation, and construction or installation of a building. Water Use Intensity (WUI): The ratio of water consumption to floor space. WFH: An acronym for “work from home” which describes work being done remotely, instead of at an office. The acronym “WFH” is used as a nickname for the concept. WorldGBC: The World Green Building Council is a global network of Green Building Councils which is transforming the places we live, work, play, heal and learn. ZCO: Acronym used within this report for “Zero Carbon Operations” Zero carbon: Refers to highly efficient assets which are built and operated using 100% renewable energy sources and are fossil fuel free.
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