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SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS SUMMIT

KEY FACTS

Agents of change

The event had 500 participants and speakers attending, coming from a broad range of private, global and government organisations

Approx. 250 trees

will be planted including a donation from ZEN for The Forktree Project from each vote. These trees will absorb 41,000+ kgs of carbon dioxide (CO2)

1.5°C commitment

According to the voters, Australia should show leadership by ensuring our targets are in line with a 1.5°C emissions trajectory

DOWNLOAD OUR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS SUMMIT WHITE PAPER

Download

Australia’s Sustainability Leaders have their say. Download our White Paper to see the voting process and results. Together, we are leading communities into the zero-carbon world.

ZEN Energy invited attendees at the Sustainability Leaders Summit in Australia in March 2023 to cast their votes across a range of six actions that Australia could take to improve our chances of meeting our carbon emissions reduction targets.

Issues voted on:

Increase the Renewable Energy Target (RET) to 82% renewables by 2030
It’s time to develop a domestic manufacturing capacity for solar, wind, and batteries
Australia should commit to a 1.5°C science-based emissions trajectory
We need a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
We must support, at all levels, the development of our green hydrogen industry
Now is the time to impose a light vehicle emission standard

For every vote that was cast, ZEN Energy committed a tree to be planted by The Forktree Project in South Australia. The Forktree Project is a registered charity whose goal is to return a degraded 133 acre former pastoral property in South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula back to nature.

ZEN has committed to plant 250 trees as a result of the Sustainability Leaders Summit.

We will keep working consistently on its purpose of leading communities into the zero-carbon world.

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER

ZEN Energy CEO

Anthony Garnaut

My argument is that voluntary action has been remarkably successful recently at kick-starting positive change, but to finish the job we need our government to mandate further action…There’s a simple solution here, which is to embrace mandatory targets. Don’t shut down the market for renewable certificates and ramp up the Renewable Energy Target to 82% by 2030. The business case then stacks up, technology and capital get to work, and we get to 43% by 2030, or thereabouts.

DOWNLOAD OUR WHITE PAPER

The Forktree Project

KEY FACTS

17 kW

of solar energy

27 kWh

of battery storage

Approx. 300

trees planted on ZEN’s Volunteering Day

Forktree is a pioneering environmental project that is bringing nature back to South Australia’s beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula.

The Forktree Project is a registered charity initiated by Tim Jarvis AM, an environmental scientist, author, filmmaker, adventurer, and public speaker taking practical steps on climate change.

Tim is restoring tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs on the property, bringing back native animals, insects, and birds, and sequestering tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon.

Australia has one of the greatest opportunities available in the world when it comes to revegetating unused land. The Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia is a perfect place to do this, given the richness of its natural habitat and proximity to a significant population centre.

Tim advocates to return 30% of the world’s agricultural land to its original state and the Forktree Project is an example of how this can be done.

Here’s how we’ve partnered with Tim to help deliver The Forktree Project.

Forktree Campaign: ZEN donated $300 from every residential solar or battery storage energy system sold during the campaign period to help fund a renewable energy solution built on the Forktree site;
ZEN donated a solar system and battery storage, with two already installed, enabling Tim to store 27kWh of reusable green energy for the project’s operations. They are now the heart of the project.
Recently, the Adelaide team got their hands dirty, experiencing what it feels like to be immersed in this project.

This is a significant step to leading communities into the zero-carbon world.

DONATE HERE

Forktree Project Founder

Tim Jarvis AM

“We really need to urgently address the issues of climate change and biodiversity loss and live in harmony with the planet. That means living within the boundaries of the planet.”

Our Story / Case Studies / Renewable Electricity

SSROC

KEY FACTS

214 GWh

of electricity per year

150,000 Tonnes

of CO2 reduction

Over 2.4 Million

Trees For 10 years

Together with the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), we are delivering one of the largest renewable energy contracts for local governments, anywhere in Australia.

ZEN Energy will provide electricity to 25 councils in NSW, with 19 of them opting for 100% renewable and 83% of the total electricity will be supplied from solar farms.

This project involves the supply of electricity to over 300 major council facilities, powering more than 210,000 streetlights and more than 3000 small sites managed by councils. The 25 participating councils collectively represent over 3 million people, which is almost 38% of NSW population.

The deal will commence in 2022 and run until 2026, with an option to extend to 2030.

This is a remarkable deal and a significant step to lead our communities into the zero-carbon world.

READ FULL CASE STUDY HERE

Chief Executive Officer, SSROC.

Helen Sloan

“Councils are the closest layer of government to their communities. Everything that they do is driven by what the communities perceive as being the highest priority and the community is demanding change.”

Mayor of North Sydney Council

Zoē Baker

“People are really thrilled because it feels as if the council is reflecting the wishes and the aspirations of our community.”

Mayor of Randwick Council

Dylan Parker

“Hopefully this deal will serve as an example to councils, governments and communities right across the country saying look, you can go green, but you can do it a cost-effective way that works for everybody.”

Mayor of Woollahra Council

Susan Wynne

“I love the fact that we are actually leading the way. It is also that sense of pride that the residents have.”

PARTICIPATING COUNCILS

Our Story / Case Studies / Renewable Electricity

Sundrop farms

Our part of Sundrop Farms’ story

Grid Electricity Supply

ZEN Energy is proud to supply the energy Sundrop Farms requires from the grid.

ZEN Energy provides energy to Sundrop farms and are working with them on their long term sustainability goals.

Sundrop farms grow and supply all the truss tomatoes to Coles in Australia. When considering how to establish the operation they set out to rethink and repurpose how farming works, with the aim to lower environmental impact by replacing fossil fuel usage. They use concentrated solar power to control the atmosphere within the greenhouse for heating and cooling. The farm has a heavily computerised system to manage the climate the shading. Concentrated solar power replaces the majority of the conventional heating system.

ZEN Energy is proud to be supplying the grid electricity that Sundrop Farms requires to power their sustainable farming operations.

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