Australian infrastructure platform targets emissions reductions

Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) is pursuing emissions reductions and improved energy efficiency across its Australian infrastructure platform.

MIRA, one of the world’s leading alternate asset managers, will target lower carbon emissions at assets in sectors including airports, electricity, port, rail and water.

The emissions reduction standards will focus on identifying global best practice to drive positive change. Global best practice measures include Science Based Targets (SBT), which work to achieve the Paris Agreement commitment to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

Technologies and measures that can reduce emissions and energy use in infrastructure include:

• Installation of solar PV and batteries at airports, offices, warehouses and depot facilities
• Installation of solar PV at wireless communications infrastructure sites to cut emissions as well as customer energy costs
• Building efficiency upgrades, including energy efficient lighting, demand management across heating, ventilation and cooling machinery and the replacement of hot water tanks
• Upgrades to efficient baggage handling systems and the provision of fixed ground power and pre-conditioned air at airports
• Replacement of vehicle fleets with electric vehicles at transport, distribution assets and airports
• Monitoring insulator gas loss to minimise transport and distribution resistance loss
• Demand management at transport and distribution assets.

The CEFC is investing $100 million into MIRA’s Australian infrastructure platform to further support decarbonisation in the infrastructure sector.