Flinders Port Holdings – Climate Adaptation Strategy

In 2021, Flinders Port Holdings (FPH) developed its first comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, which sets out: the climate science and local projections we face; the risks and opportunities we have identified and assessed; and the short-term actions we plan to address on the road to more detailed adaptation pathways.

Climate projections show that South Australia will become hotter, with increasing periods of extreme heat and likely drier with more frequent drought but also more extreme rainfall events. Sea levels are expected to rise by up to a meter by the end of this century and the water will become more acidic and saltier.

FPH recognized the port infrastructure of tomorrow will need to be built to higher specifications of resilience and to achieve net-zero emissions. This is a sizeable challenge that FPH is embracing. FPH will also play an integral role in achieving improved outcomes for coastal ecosystems and local communities by adopting a sustainable approach to the ongoing development of our ports.

The risk and opportunity assessments underpinning our Strategy were detailed and thorough, informed by:

  • Global climate science including the latest publications issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
  • Publicly available climate projections for South Australia; and
  • Local climate data for each of FPH’s seven ports

One of the greatest opportunities articulated in our Strategy is the transition to a net zero carbon economy – committed by 2050 in our Climate Statement, released in 2021 – in which there is cheaper renewable power and more efficient supply chain logistics. The shipping industry must decarbonize to meet the International Maritime Organization and other global carbon targets, and FPH is strategically placed to play a key role in this transition. Such an approach will place FPH in an advantageous position to attract and retain funding from those seeking to decarbonize their investment portfolios, support action on climate change and help achieve outcomes for sustainable development.