BAI Communications (BAI), a global shared communications infrastructure provider, strengthened its commitment to build a more equitable future for present and upcoming generations by sharing environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets for the first time in our first sustainability report titled ‘Creating our sustainable future today‘. In a year of accelerated growth and transformation, as an industry leader, we continue to build our vision of connecting places to create smart communities while committing to design, build, and deploy products and services in a sustainable way.

BAI’s ESG framework is based on an evolving vision to connect communities via providing resilient infrastructure and services; to maintain ethical operations and supply chain; a vision for responsible climate action; and positive action in inclusion, diversity, and equality.

We outline this vision in five commitments throughout the report which will drive our ESG journey across all BAI Group companies. These commitments align with five of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where we believe we can contribute more to drive a positive societal and environmental change, and for the first time we have incorporated ESG targets into our business strategy.

Igor Leprince, Group Chief Executive Officer at BAI said: “Our ESG framework and first sustainability report not only reflect our vision to deliver advanced connectivity that can transform lives, power business ambitions, and shape the smarter communities of the future, but also show our commitment to do so responsibly. I am excited for BAI to join an ever-growing movement of businesses, operators and governments working together to solve local and global issues through the deployment of technology, seeking to improve communities and the environment we all depend on.”

“BAI’s outstanding growth and delivery on our strategy in the past year is the result of highly committed employees in every region where we operate, who also want to make a difference in ESG. We are confident and excited to continue integrating sustainable business practices to help shape the smarter communities of the future.” he continued.

This report shares BAI’s commitments in the form of 23 ESG targets requiring ongoing action that support five priority SDGs: SDG8 Decent work & economic growth; SDG10 Reduced inequalities; SDG13 Climate action; SDG9 Industry innovation and infrastructure; and SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities. The report also highlights BAI’s progress to-date, with key milestones including:

  • Our networks are the foundation for many critical subway public safety communications systems and can help usher in smart city technologies while realising the connected communities visions of mobile and fixed network operators, government, transport, enterprise, broadcasting, and venues customers. For example, since the initial New York City subway build, over 1,100 train arrival countdown clocks and more than 3,000 help point kiosks have been added throughout the system. BAI’s long-term partnership with Sunderland City Council to deliver the digital foundation for building the UK’s most advanced smart city, coupled with the awarded 20-year contract with Transport for London to deploy a city-wide 5G-ready integrated communications network, aims for no one and nowhere to be left behind in the company’s efforts to connect and digitalize public services. This all while improving communities and the environment we all depend on.
  • When it comes to providing resilient infrastructure and services, in Australia alone, BAI provides 1,985 fully managed television and radio broadcast services on behalf of multiple networks plus its own sites 24/7, all year. These services are often required in times of emergency, and at BAI we pride ourselves on delivering and maintaining critical infrastructure for our partners. Our successful track record of working with the communications industry to respond to needs, solve problems and drive innovation, was particularly visible throughout the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–2020 in Australia. During this relentless period, our teams defended, reinforced, and repaired communications networks to ensure the continuity of emergency services. We operate several critical communications networks in Hong Kong, Toronto, and London, including the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) for first responders as part of our Transport for London contract to provide a neutral host mobile network.
  • BAI has a strong focus on taking responsible climate action for a sustainable future. Recent years have seen unprecedented extreme weather-induced events such as bushfires, heatwaves, floods, and major storms all around the world. In Australia, the company has achieved a 55% reduction in emissions scope 1 and 2 since 2010 and has committed $20 million over the next five years to install solar and batteries, as well as complete energy efficiency projects. We are now baselining our newly acquired businesses and developing carbon emissions reduction plans as part of our commitment to reaching net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040 across all businesses.
  • As part of our vision to increase inclusion, diversity, and equality BAI has established a group-wide Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Actions (IDEA) Council. Today Transit Wireless’ workforce is more than 50% ethnically diverse and 95% of its workforce has completed unconscious bias training in the past two years. BAI Australia offers 14 weeks of paid parental leave and up to 2 years of leave for primary carers. In the years ahead, we will continue to monitor and expand our inclusion and diversity metrics to include ethnicity.
  • As part of our responsible procurement focus, all BAI group businesses have procurement policies that include modern slavery considerations based on supplier self-assessments. Our key suppliers are required to comply with our Code of Conduct, which also defines the standards and behaviours we expect from our own employees and that underpin our culture and values. Also, 97% of our workforce has completed training on modern slavery risks.

The company began submitting its ESG performance in 2018 to the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), a global ESG benchmarking organisation that validates, scores, and independently benchmarks ESG data. Since then, it has been utilising the results to identify and implement improvements, demonstrating year on year progress. In October 2021, after conducting a materiality assessment, BAI joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest global corporate sustainability initiative, and is committed to a principled-based approach to doing business, in alignment with UNGC’s 10 universal sustainability principles (Ten Principles).

To download the ‘Creating our sustainable future’ report visit BAI Communications here.