Australian Clinical Labs Limited (ACL) has released its Sustainability Report, detailing its approach to measuring and managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and outlining its climate-related targets and risks. The report adheres to The GHG Protocol and includes Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from its nationwide laboratories, accredited collection centres, SunDoctors sites, and other facilities.
Material actions and disclosures
ACL’s GHG assessment covers its organisational and operational boundaries, using the financial control approach to consolidate emissions. The company reports its emissions in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (tCO₂-e), with Scope 1 emissions primarily from fuel use and Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity. The total Scope 1 and 2 emissions for the year are 8,827 tCO₂-e, with 24% attributed to Scope 1 and 76% to Scope 2.
ACL has not disclosed its Scope 3 emissions due to the transition relief available under AASB S2.C4. The company’s methodology for calculating and extrapolating Scope 1 and 2 emissions has been validated by a third-party specialist.
Forward commitments
ACL has identified fleet operations and logistics as a key area for reducing emissions. The company operates a fleet of 387 vehicles, with the majority being small passenger vehicles used for sample transportation. The Board sets progress towards these goals based on advice from the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC).
The report also outlines two climate-related risks and opportunities. One risk is the expected increase in reagent costs due to carbon pricing and the trend towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This risk is expected to have a minor impact on ACL’s strategy, with the company planning to further explore the carbon footprint within its value chain and work with suppliers to develop sustainable alternatives.
The second opportunity is the increased service demand due to climate-related health trends, which could drive higher demand for diagnostic testing and pathology services, supporting profit and revenue growth in the long term.
The report concludes with a review by Pitcher Partners, an independent Victorian Partnership, confirming that the specified Sustainability Disclosures comply with Division 1 of Part 2M.3 of the Corporations Act 2001.