Our commitment to Net Zero by 2035
We have ramped up our commitment to the environment by announcing our intention to become a Net Zero organisation by 2035. The organisation is leading the way in climate change action and challenges other local companies to follow.
We are certified Carbon Neutral by Climate Active (formerly the National Carbon Offset Scheme), a network of progressive climate leaders working to drive genuine change.
This certification is a testament to our ongoing commitment within to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
Our journey
In 2015, we were the first South Australian organisation and the first registered charity in Australia to receive certification under the Federal Government’s Carbon Neutral Program.
The certification comes after an ongoing commitment within our organisation to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.
We have now built upon our carbon neutral status as the first building in SA to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification for our flagship U City building in Franklin Street in the Adelaide CBD. This modern mixed-use high-rise development is home to our social services hub, as well as short- and long-term accessible accommodation, commercial tenants and retirement residences.
We have achieved a 6 Star Greenstar rating for design and a 5 Star rating for the building’s first 12 months of operations. This further demonstrates our organisation’s ongoing commitment to reducing our carbon emissions. Since U City opened in 2019 we have measured the whole building’s carbon emissions – including natural gas, refrigerant, purchased electricity, waste to landfill and water consumed. To become a carbon neutral building we have purchasing and retiring offsets to cover the total building emissions, and reporting to the GBCA and Climate Active.
U City is setting a new benchmark for developments in Australia, and for the community and aged care sectors by doing as much as possible to reduce our environmental impact as we head towards a net zero future.
Read the Department of the Environment and Energy's case study on Uniting Communities' journey.
"... research tells us that climate change will most affect people in our client base – the elderly, socially disadvantaged and people on lower incomes."
"We committed to our Carbon Neutral program in 2010," says Simon Schrapel AM, Chief Executive Uniting Communities.
"Becoming carbon neutral makes sense for our organisation; we have a strong moral compass and research tells us that climate change will most affect people in our client base – the elderly, socially disadvantaged and people on lower incomes.
"It’s a tremendous example of a locally based company taking leadership and “walking the talk” to reduce emissions and transit to a low-carbon economy. We are hoping other South Australian businesses will follow suit and take up the challenge and opportunity to become carbon neutral."
We encourage all businesses and organisations to reduce carbon emissions
Through becoming carbon neutral, organisations can enjoy the benefits while supporting the environment in which we live, and our broader community.
Carbon offsets
Not only have we significantly reduced our carbon emissions, we’ve also taken it a step further by voluntarily purchasing carbon offsets for our remaining emissions to achieve carbon neutrality.
South Australian Climate Leaders Awards Winner 2016
Uniting Communities won the Community and Regions category at the Inaugural Premier’s Climate Change Council – SA Climate Leaders Awards 2016.
This award recognised our commitment to becoming certified carbon neutral and encouraging behavioural change in our organisation, as well as in the broader community.
CitySwitch State winners 2019 & 2020
Uniting Communities were named the CitySwitch State winners for SA in the over 2000sqm category at the 2019 & 2020 CitySwitch National Awards.
The awards recognise leading program signatories who have demonstrated outstanding environmental leadership.
We are Ambassadors for Carbon Neutral Adelaide
