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Defence partners are expected to collaborate to achieve sustainability goals.
The Department of Defence, Australia’s largest government landholder and highest energy user, reached a milestone with the launch of its net zero strategy in October 2024. It announced at the time that it would align to Australia’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and a 43% reduction by 2030.
Defence’s plan acknowledges switching to low emissions fuel sources for its tanks, helicopters, ships and aircraft as one of the most important steps. But it also concedes that it is one of the hardest to achieve since extensive supply chains are certain to draw out the process.
As it works through that challenge, the Defence estate, incorporating 800 properties, plus 70 bases and training ranges over 3.8 million hectares, will be a key target. As long as the estate runs primarily off electricity and gas, plus some diesel, reducing the emissions of its offices, laboratories, hangers, data centres, infrastructure, workshops and accommodation owned and occupied by the department will go a significant way to hitting the 43% reduction target by 2030.
Besides this, decarbonising Defence’s real estate through energy efficiency, electrification and clean energy, will unlock economic value, as proven in research by the real estate services company JLL.
“Pressure on the Defence budget gives weight to the sustainment and operation savings that a more efficient and sustainable estate provides,” says Geoff Camp, Defence lead at JLL.
It is business as usual that work conducted through the Estate Works Program and Capital Facilities Program by JLL and other partners is focused on future-proofing the Defence estate through environmental measures. This includes the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
One measure designed by JLL has been the introduction a digital sustainability portal that enables project teams to centrally collect and measure emissions reduction activities across the Defence estate, tracking its efforts towards net zero.
Other sustainability efforts include the installation of large-scale and off-grid solar and battery systems across the estate by JLL. This includes a 1.2 megawatt solar farm at the Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station near Geraldton.
“The impact of a sustainability overhaul on the Defence estate cannot be underestimated,” Camp says. “As a real estate services company, we’ve seen first-hand how measures such as switching to green energy, gathering emissions data, design and electrification can shift the dial on real estate, which currently contributes to 40% of global carbon emissions. Apply that to the public sector’s largest landholding and not only is the direct impact likely to be significant, but also the influence on other property holders.”
Although the Defence Net Zero Strategy does not fully articulate an implementation plan, it does indicate that where practical it will use real estate industry standards and benchmarks to align with the private sector. It also aims to align with the sustainability strategy for the Australian public service, the Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy, which references six-star NABERS Energy and four-star Green Star targets for newly constructed office buildings from 1 July 2026.
In addition, Defence aims for 100% renewable energy across the estate and its entire operations, seeking to achieve this through its electricity retailer contracts in alignment with the rest of the federal government.
But the other obvious opportunity that can be scaled is producing energy within its own landholdings, through solar panels, for example.
"Defence can continue to use its vast land and many rooftops to generate its own cost-effective renewable energy,” Camp says. “Having various technologies on site and under its own protection, including battery energy storage systems and renewable fuel backup generators, is critical not just for security, but also operational continuity.”
Camp adds: “Electrification, energy efficiency measures, electric vehicle fleet conversion and green charging infrastructure, onsite renewable energy and sustainable fuels will all drive down emissions. Carbon sequestration on the Defence estate will also be investigated to eliminate any residual emissions.”
Defence has acknowledged the organisational changes required to achieve its net zero goals. Its many contractors, including base services contractors, are now expected to collaborate on a new level to get there.
“Through our current remits with Defence, JLL has been working in partnership to help unlock more emissions reduction opportunities, better understand its emissions footprint and support governance and assurance of our services. We know very well this is just the beginning, with a lot more work to be done, especially for initiatives creating increased energy resilience and security outcomes,” Camp says.
