3 days ago
Unison Group Launches First Group-Wide Sustainability Report
Unison Group has released its first Sustainability Report – a foundational document that brings together the collective efforts and aspirations of its specialist electricity businesses to support a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable future.
Titled Our Commitment to a Sustainable Energy Future, the document outlines the Group's shared direction, sustainability principles, and priority areas – spanning people, community, environmental impact, and network resilience. It also signals a new phase of alignment across the Unison Group to accelerate progress and increase impact.
'This report is an important first step in uniting the work already underway across the Group – from manufacturing and consulting to infrastructure and operations,' said Jaun Park, Unison Group Chief Executive. 'It reflects a clear and collective intention to operate more sustainably, transparently and collaboratively – and to help power a better future for the communities we serve.'
As energy makes up nearly 40% of Aotearoa's total greenhouse gas emissions, the transition to a low-emissions economy relies heavily on electrification. Unison Group plays a critical role in enabling that shift – supporting renewable integration, energy efficiency, and resilience across its networks and operations.
'Electricity is central to building a low carbon future,' said Jaclyn Hankin, Group General Manager Strategy and Sustainability. 'As a consumer owned organisation we recognise we have a responsibility, and opportunity to shape a sustainable energy future.'
· 543kg of SF gas reclaimed – avoiding 12,760 tonnes CO-e emissions through PBA's SF monitoring and leak detection services (PBA)
· 120,000 litres of oil regenerated for new transformer use as part of ETEL's oil recycling initiative (ETEL)
· NZ's first 36kV Non-SF switchboard installed (RPS Switchgear)
· 9,200 native trees planted in Hawke's Bay through Unison's partnership with Maraetōtara Tree Trust
· 276 in-home visits across Unison's network regions in Hawke's Bay, Taupo and Rotorua as part of the EnergyMate programme, helping whānau reduce power bills (Unison-sponsored)
· 1,385 children completed Unison's Safe Sparks electricity safety programme in Hawke's Bay, Taupo and Rotorua.
Unison started as a small local lines company just over a century ago serving Hawke's Bay. Today it is owned by the Hawkes Bay Power Consumers Trust and comprises a group of complementary businesses operating across electricity networks, high-voltage contracting, transformer and switchgear manufacturing, and specialist consulting – each playing a role in enabling electrification and future-proofing energy infrastructure.
This Group-wide Sustainability Report represents the next phase in bringing the companies and their people closer together under a shared purpose. It introduces six principles to guide ongoing activity: Balanced approach, Equality for all, Stakeholder engagement, Design for the future, Success-driven evolution, and Ensuring compliance.
