Astonishing results from Corporate Protection head office sustainability initiative

Corporate Protection’s sustainability strategy includes 3 components:

• Ensuring that our service delivery on client sites minimises our carbon footprint including travel, vehicles
• Assisting our clients to deliver sustainable solutions through promotion of innovative initiatives such as hybrid or electric vehicles, drone technology etc. Enhancing our clients’ brand as sustainable operators
• Minimising our carbon emissions from staff and head office activities

In 2023, we saw our hybrid fleet grow by 200%. We are continuing to propose and deploy drones at sites where they reduce vehicle patrols and deliver a safer and more sustainable alternative. CPA;s use of a hybrid vehicle was highlighted in the publicly released annual report of one of our major clients, the CPA vehicle and our staff were photographed and CP acknowledged for our innovation.

2023 also saw a new HO initiative when CP partnered with Energy Aware to make solar power a reality at our Pinkenba Head Office. We commissioned a 99.9kW system, the installation of 222 solar panels, associated inverter and required upgrades to our existing electrical switchboard and additional mains protection hardware.

We estimate the system produces Solar Generation of 153,147 kWh / pa.

Based on our initial calculations, this significant investment would deliver a return on investment over 4 years, proving again that sustainability programs are not only good for our carbon footprint but good for business.

Despite our optimism, we were astonished to review the actual impact of this technology on our emissions.

CP measures our electricity usage at HO including the carbon emissions generated. Reviewing our emissions over the past 5 years, the graph below demonstrates the impact of air conditioning on our electricity usage in summer versus winter months.

Most interesting however it our 2023 emissions and the impact on the carbon emissions generated. As can be seen, the blue line is 2023 and shows a significant improvement.

The above results continue our ongoing drive to reduce HO emissions through sustainable practices such as managing lights and air conditioning generally, and investment in technology such as LED lighting as outlined in an article on this site in August 2018.

Looking at our annual emissions over the past 5 years, we are proud of the ongoing improvements, but the result in 2023 was beyond expectations with a 63% reduction in emissions, attributable to the solar power initiative. Needless to say, this reduction was reflected in our power bills!