Stephen Smith, General Manager Sustainability, nbn
By December 2025, Australia’s nbn® network aims to be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity purchases. As property companies sharpen their focus on supply chain emissions, connectivity and climate action can be achieved in tandem, says nbn’s Stephen Smith.
Australia’s nbn network provides digital connectivity to more than 12 million premises nationwide, with 8.3 million of those active. As use of the nbn network continues to increase, greenhouse gas emissions are planned to fall in line with Australia’s net zero targets.
When NBN Co was established in 2009 by the Australian Government, it had a clear direction – to design, build and operate a wholesale broadband access network for Australia.
Since then, almost three quarters of home internet connections have been connected to the nbn network, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and nbn has become synonymous with fast, reliable# network connectivity.
Connectivity may be a strategic differentiator for property companies, but so is sustainability – and nbn is looking to establish strong partnerships with Australia’s property leaders because it can support both.
“As a government business enterprise, we have been established, in part, to create social value. Our purpose is to lift the digital capability of Australia, and to maximise the economic and social benefits for our customers and communities,” says Smith, nbn’s General Manager for Sustainability. “This puts sustainability at the heart of our purpose.”
Earlier this year, NBN Co announced an ambitious three-year roadmap to support Australia’s move to net zero emissions, which includes a commitment to reduce annual energy use by 25 GWh by December 2025, purchase 100 per cent renewable electricity by December 2025, and transition to an all-electric or hybrid petrol-electric vehicles, where suitably available, by 2030.
In September 2022, NBN Co submitted science-based targets for validation by Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI). It was also the first Australian telecommunications company to sign up to RE100, an initiative that brings together hundreds of the world’s largest and most ambitious businesses committed to 100 per cent renewable electricity.
In April 2022, nbn issued its first green bond under an Australian Medium-Term Note (AMTN) program, raising $800 million from investors. “Sustainable finance is a critical lever that can be utilised to support our purpose and sustainability objectives. Our first green bond demonstrates our intention to reduce emissions and address climate risks in support of a more sustainable network and a low carbon Australia,” Smith says.
To progress this 100 per cent renewable electricity commitment, NBN Co has signed a power purchase agreement in relation to a solar farm at West Wyalong in New South Wales. Once complete, the 260-hectare solar farm will deliver 80 gigawatt hours a year – about 19 per cent of the nbn’s power demand or enough to power the equivalent of 27,000 homes.
Aerial photo (south west) of the Wyalong Solar Farm under construction. Location Wyalong, NSW.
“It’s particularly pleasing that we are moving from ambition to action and demonstrating, through deeds rather than words, our commitment to reducing emissions, and supporting and creating regional jobs.”
The nbn optical-fibre that forms part of Australia’s fixed-line network technology is also an “inherently more energy efficient technology” than legacy copper-based ADSL technology, as it allows for a far more efficient communication at high data rates of gigabits. Fibre is not only faster and more energy efficient – it can also be more resilient to climate-related risks due to fewer active elements in the network.
Network resilience is an integral part of NBN Co’s decision-making. A comprehensive assessment of more than 60,000 assets has unpacked the network’s climate-related risks over the next three decades.
“Telecommunications are interconnected with many of society’s life-supporting systems, from financial institutions to healthcare facilities. It is therefore essential that we enhance the resilience of the network to safeguard against increasingly extreme physical climate risks,” Smith notes.
NBN Co has subsequently established a network resilience team to explore climate adaptation opportunities. This includes temporary network infrastructure that can be “rolled out on wheels” to support communications during emergencies like floods and bushfires.
Smith, who spent 17 years in the construction industry, including a decade delivering ground-breaking projects in Europe, North America and the Middle East for Multiplex, understands the property industry and its fundamental challenges.
“Our Scope 2 emissions are 17 per cent of our entire footprint, and we are one of the top 50 electricity users in the country. The rest of our emissions are Scope 3 – which means a lot of our work is in our supply chain, so collaborative partnerships are going to be absolutely key.
“The kicker is that fibre is inherently more efficient – and this will drive down energy demand. We think this makes a compelling value proposition for Australia’s property industry.”
Find out more about how nbn is working with Australian property developers to drive sustainability at speed.
# Your experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn network, depends on the nbn access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to your premises, whether you are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside nbn’s control (like your equipment quality, software, broadband plan, signal reception and how your service provider designs its network). Speeds may also be impacted by the number of concurrent users on the nbn Fixed Wireless network, including during busy periods. Satellite end customers may also experience latency.