Leading technology service provider Tecala Group today announced that it has achieved the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations and is now certified as carbon neutral for its Australian business operations, the first mid-market managed services provider in Australian to achieve the certification.

The accreditation also now enables Tecala to gain membership of the Climate Active Network (CAN), a network made up of organisations and businesses leading voluntary action on climate change. 

Climate Active is an ongoing partnership between the Australian Government and Australian businesses to drive voluntary climate action. It enables organisations to meet standards of carbon neutrality, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy.

“Tecala has chosen to partner with Climate Active because its carbon neutral certification is one of the most rigorous in the world,” says Pieter DeGunst, Managing Director, Tecala. “By being Climate Active Certified we give our customers and partners the assurance that our IT services are carbon neutral, and the certainty that partnering with Tecala enables them to achieve their own sustainability objectives. 

“This is essential in the IT industry as many tech companies have complex, global supply chains and direct connections to service, support and manufacturing industries that make our products and services possible. It enables us to create partnerships with other Australian Climate Active Certified organisations to ensure the ongoing carbon neutrality of our operations.”

In order to become carbon neutral, businesses and organisations calculate the greenhouse gas emissions generated by their activities and then reduce these emissions as much as possible by investing in new technology or making operational changes. If any emissions remain, these can be 'cancelled out' by purchasing carbon offsets which are generated from activities that prevent, reduce, or remove greenhouse gas emissions.

“Here at Tecala, in order to achieve our Climate Active Carbon Neutral Certification, we’ve put in place some important policies and initiatives to reduce our carbon emissions in 2022,” says DeGunst.

“First, we have utilised 100 per cent Greenpower to power all our office locations from May 2022, and we moved our offices to environmentally conscious corporate spaces that utilise highly efficient Greenpower energy, lighting and waste management practises.  We also ensure that use of natural light is optimised throughout our offices.  

“In addition, as our data centres and network infrastructure are essential to our business, we now aim to host our servers at certified IT hosting locations which are carbon neutral and powered by highly energy efficient systems and processes.

“We’ve also promoted a flexible, hybrid modern workplace where our people are empowered to work from home. This is supplemented by across the organisation use of Microsoft Teams conferencing for appropriate communication and collaboration between Tecala team members and our clients. 

“At the same time, we’ve also reduced our carbon emissions within our air travel through carbon offsetting. For all our local staff coming to and from the office or travelling between client locations, we encourage commuting by public transport, cycling and or walking. As a result of these actions, we have reduced our emissions as much as possible by investing in new technology or changing the way it operates.”

Tecala has also 'cancelled out' any remaining emissions by purchasing carbon offsets from activities that prevent, reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere. Tecala has chosen two projects, one in New South Wales and the other in West Java, Indonesia. 

The Salt Lake Darling River Eco Corridor #9 project is active in western New South Wales. It is establishing permanent native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources (including rootstock and lignotubers) on land that was cleared of vegetation and where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project having commenced.

The Darajat Unit III in West Java is one of the most efficient geothermal plants in the world. Located on the volcanic island of Java, this geothermal project is increasing the share of renewable energy resources utilisation. This is helping to displace coal and oil in Indonesia’s electricity infrastructure and supporting the nation’s transition to renewable energy. 

“We are very proud to be a carbon neutral business and committed to environmental sustainability for a better tomorrow,” says DeGunst.

About Climate Active Carbon Neutral Certification

Carbon neutral certification against the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard (formerly the National Carbon Offset Standard) has been available to Australian businesses since 2010, with many of our certified members claiming carbon neutrality since this date. Those members that played a role in designing and bringing the Climate Active brand to life in 2019 are identified as Climate Active Founding Members.

About Tecala

Tecala is an award-winning national ICT managed services provider. We work hard to help our customers transform their businesses through the innovative use of technology, we pride ourselves on our reputation for quality and consistently delivering the right solutions for our customers. 

Our IT and Technology Solutions include managed, cloud, communication, cyber security, and intelligent automation services as well as consulting and advisory.

Tecala Group is a company originally based in Sydney and has now expanded their offices to capital cities across Australia (VIC, WA and QLD). Tecala has roughly 150 employees across Australia.