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A Sydney-based mortgage brokerage is believed to have become the first brokerage in Australia to gain carbon-neutral certification.
1st Street Financial – a Sydney-based brokerage headed up by Jeremy Fisher – has reportedly become the first mortgage brokerage in Australia to become carbon neutral after receiving carbon-neutral certification from Climate Active.
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To achieve this certification, the brokerage reduced its emissions where possible and has invested in projects that reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere so that its total overall emissions are neutral.
This includes by:
- Purchasing green power.
- Offseting travel omissions.
- Reducing consumption by avoiding purchasing “unnecessary” products and services.
- Implementing procurement controls to ensure that all products and services are sourced from Climate Active-certified suppliers.
According to the brokerage, its recent carbon neutrality certification came about after the team recognised that environmental sustainability formed part of its duty as a “prominent business in the eastern suburbs”.
Jeremy Fisher, managing director of 1st Street Financial, stated: “We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and are very happy to have reached carbon neutrality for our business operations!
“As a prominent business in the eastern suburbs and well known amongst the Jewish community, we feel it is our duty to be vocal about the importance of pushing boundaries, making these changes, and finding solutions to combat climate change.”
The company has called on other brokers join in and combat climate change.
According to 1st Street Financial, simple ways to combat climate change at home or in the office include rethinking transportation methods, conserving paper, and switching to green energy.
The company also said that using services from other climate-conscious providers is a simple method to promote sustainability.
1st Street Financial has also been active in various environmental relief campaigns in previous years.
The company has been involved in relief projects such as the “Mortgage and Finance Industry Bushfire Relief Fund”, which partnered with the Red Cross to support victims of bushfires in 2020.
Spearheading the campaign, Mr Fisher’s initial funding was followed by a push from the MFAA, FBAA, and aggregators, urging other brokers to participate in the cause.
Subsequently, the campaign led to the broker industry becoming one of the key financial donors to the Red Cross bushfire appeal.
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