Bank of Queensland CEO says Brisbane 2032 can help deliver cleaner future

THE 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games may be a decade away but the starting gun has been fired on getting Brisbane ready, writes Bank of Queensland CEO George Frazis.

THE 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games may be a decade away but the starting gun has been fired on getting Brisbane ready.

Already a new world record has been set, Brisbane 2032 will be the first ‘carbon positive’ Games.

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This is a bold target but one that is within our grasp, a feat that will take enormous heavy lifting and a healthy dose of Aussie ingenuity.

But that’s what the Games is about – to inspire us all to do our best.

Our climate is changing and as we recover from the floods and prepare for a summer of potential extreme weather events, we should all think about how we can follow the Olympics’ leadership and adopt a carbon positive approach. Not only to create a more sustainable future, but to create jobs and economic prosperity for Queensland.

From Cathy Freeman, Anna Meares and Kieran Perkins, to the new generation of superstars like Ariarne Titmus, Queensland has a long history of producing gold-medal winning talent. Just like its leading Olympic and Paralympic athletes the Sunshine State continues to be a breeding ground and incubator for innovation and highly successful family businesses.

BOQ has a proud 150-year history of standing by and partnering with Queensland businesses. Increasingly we are supporting more suppliers and customers as they embrace greater climate resilience and make the transition to a low-carbon economy. The imperative for climate change action is growing as we endure more climate-related events in the form of drought, fire and floods.

George Frazis, BOQ Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

We are proud to support businesses who are investing in new equipment and other sustainable options to combat the impacts of energy price inflation.

We are seeing more Queensland family businesses invest in hybrid and electric light and heavy vehicles, solar panels to reduce energy consumption, and new sustainable and low-energy consuming properties.

Through our purpose ‘to build social capital through banking’, BOQ Group is becoming a carbon neutral organisation and we have set clear targets to reduce our energy emissions 90 per cent by 2030. In 2022, through investing in our new electric and hybrid fleet we have reduced our emissions by 19 per cent, and we are past the halfway point in sourcing 100 per cent of our energy from renewable sources.

Long after the closing ceremony, the Games will leave Queensland with a great legacy. This is a truly exciting time and a great opportunity for all Queenslanders to do their best, get ready for Brisbane 2032, and to start investing in a cleaner and more sustainable future.