Downer publishes first-ever ISC Base Case

11/08/2022

Downer is committed to improving our sustainability performance each year.

One method we use to track and validate our sustainability credentials is by delivering sustainability ratings for projects and contracts, in partnership with our customers.

Applying the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s (ISC), Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating tool for nominated projects allows us to integrate sustainability thinking into the asset’s whole-of-life through the planning, design, delivery and operational phases.

This ultimately delivers more sustainable outcomes for our customers and end users (including motorists and rail commuters).

Downer has achieved a number of ISC ratings, which include Newcastle Light Rail and Parramatta Light Rail to mention a few.

Now, we have taken our commitment to sustainability ratings a step further, by publishing our first IS rating Base Case for the works on the Warrnambool Line Upgrade, Waurn Ponds stabling and the Waurn Ponds Station upgrade. Click here for more info. 

Developing and publishing IS Base Cases adds an additional layer of scrutiny to the ratings process, as it provides a summary of all the Business as Usual assumptions for a project to compare against when modelling and measuring the performance of the project or asset (for instance resource consumption or greenhouse gas emissions footprint). This process has a substantial influence on the overall IS rating score.

Downer understands the variability of Business as Usual assumptions across industry. By publishing our Base Cases, we hope to improve transparency and provide a much wider understanding of our individual IS ratings.  

We believe transparency is crucial to the integrity of the process and hope to initiate an industry trend to share and improve on historic Business as Usual assumptions. We believe this will increase accountability and ultimately improve sustainability outcomes of the infrastructure assets we deliver to the community.

Downer commits to publishing all future IS rating Base Cases, where we have the permission of the customer.  

About the projects

The Warrnambool Line Upgrade, Waurn Ponds stabling and the Waurn Ponds Station upgrade form part of the Australian and Victorian governments’ investment in the Regional Rail Revival program, which will allow trains to run between Melbourne and Warrnambool at a greater frequency. The project includes signal upgrades between Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool, upgrades to 12 level crossings, station upgrades at Waurn Ponds and construction of a crossing loop at Boorcan and a stabling yard at Waurn Ponds.