Minimizing the environmental impact of our operations
We work to understand and manage any existing or emerging risks to the environment that our business activities may pose. We are subject to federal, state, and local regulations and laws globally and we have procedures in place to ensure that we are compliant to all applicable environmental regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
We aim to minimize our resource usage and invest in energy efficient and environmentally sustainable practices.
We are committed to making a positive change by encouraging environmental sustainability practices within our operations and through our software. Increased productivity through our software can have environmental benefits including reduction in futile trips, optimized load configuration and the elimination of delays in intermodal transportation. Efficiency improvements also allow automation and the removal of numerous manual tasks.
As a software solutions provider, WiseTech is not directly involved in the manufacture or physical transportation of goods. While our global environmental footprint is relatively small across our operations, we are committed to reducing our environmental impacts where they exist.
We continue to explore best approaches to reduce our environmental footprint and mitigate our impacts, and improve our data collection, tracking, and reduction initiatives.
We report our environmental performance in our Annual Report.
Energy and emissions
We recognize that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and are committed to taking action to reduce, and eventually eliminate, emissions from our operations. We have set out a pathway to achieve our net zero global operations ambition, which we will be working to achieve over the coming years.
We measure and report our Scope 1 and 2 emissions in line with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. We have also reported selected Scope 3 emissions categories since FY23. To see our latest greenhouse gas inventory, read our Annual Report.
We are committed to reducing our energy consumption across our facilities and to be as energy efficient as possible.
In addition to steps taken to reduce our own environmental footprint, we invest in research and development design to deliver efficiencies that reduce the environmental footprint of our customers. This includes the ability for our customers to utilize our cloud based, centralized data centers, removing inefficient self-hosted energy intensive environments, and CargoWise software updates that streamline customer logistic routes.
Measure and track our emissions → Offset 100% of carbon emissions from global operations1 → Improve our energy efficiency → Use 100% low or no emissions electricity → Net zero global operations1
1 Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Waste
We recognize the importance of minimizing the waste we generate. The main sources of waste for WiseTech include electronic equipment used by our employees in offices, office waste and packaging.
As a software business in the IT sector, our waste footprint is relatively low compared to other industries as we do not produce any goods or extract raw materials. Therefore, any potential negative impacts of our waste activities are not considered to be significant as they predominantly occur downstream in the value chain.
WiseTech works with partners to recover and recycle our e-waste such as desktops, laptops, servers, headsets, keyboards, mouses, docking stations and monitors. Equipment is tested and inspected to assess the equipment’s working condition. If approved, assets with commercial value are resold via local, global, and retail channels. Any devices that are determined to have no commercial value are processed through industrial shredders, ready to be recycled.
Offsets
We recognize the best way to reduce emissions is by moving to clean energy sources. In WiseTech’s net zero pathway, transitioning to 100% low or no emissions electricity is the most critical step given electricity represents the largest source of our energy consumption. While we transition, we will offset 100% of carbon emissions from our global operations.
To offset our emissions, we have partnered with TEM, an Australian provider of carbon offsets to some of the largest companies in Australia. We have purchased a mixed portfolio of offsets from offset projects in Australia, evenly split between projects in Australia, India and the US. These offsets are aligned to the Emissions Reduction Fund, Clean Development Mechanism and Verified Carbon standards.
We have offset our Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions since FY22 using a mixed portfolio of offsets from cool fire projects conducted at Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory, and wind power projects in southern India and the United States.
Through controlled burning and active bushfire management, cool fire burning projects aim to prevent devastating bushfires which release carbon into the atmosphere and harm people and wildlife. This project is under the exclusive management of Indigenous communities.
Wind power projects support rural electrification and renewable energy use in these communities, reducing emissions and pollution. While avoiding carbon emissions, the offsets we purchase also have important co-benefits for local communities, including employment and training, preservation of culture, improvements in air quality, and reliability of electricity supply.
WiseTech purchases carbon emissions offsets from Tasman Environmental Markets1 (TEM). These offsets were held in the Australian National Registry of Emissions Offsets (ANREU) and the VERRA Registry.
Project ID |
Project name |
Offset type |
Site location |
| EOP100947 | KACCU-AUS-WALFA2 | Fire – Avoidance | Northern Territory, Australia |
| CER5921 | CER-IND-Wind Energy Andhra Pradesh | Wind - Avoidance | Andhra Pradesh, India |
| VCS740 | VCS-USA-Prairie Winds ND1 | Wind - Avoidance | North Dakota, USA |
| VCS756 | VCS-USA-Crow Lake Wind | Wind - Avoidance | South Dakota, USA |
| VCS468 | VCS-USA-Capricorn Ridge | Wind - Avoidance | Texas, USA |
1 Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM) is an authorized representative (CAR 001248300) of TEM Financial Services Pty Limited (ABN58 142 268 479, AFSL430036). TEM is authorized to provide financial services to wholesale clients (within the meaning of Australia’s Corporations Act 2001).
Water
Water is an essential resource in both natural and built environments. We recognize the importance of tracking our water consumption and reducing our water-related impacts where possible.
Our WiseTech operated data centers in Sydney and Chicago are designed to use water efficiently. For cooling, these data centers use a split air conditioning system, as opposed to more water intensive chillers or cooling systems.