Working 'inside and out'
At Coates, we're working ‘inside and out’ to deliver commercial solutions – both within our business and for our customers. We recognise that through our work, we have the opportunity to positively impact our people, the communities we operate in, the natural and built environments, and the industries we serve.
Our sustainability approach spans environmental, people and operational pillars. We aim to reduce environmental impacts and to improve our own environmental footprint. We've set a target to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030* and we're well on the way to achieving this interim target to net zero.
*On an intensity basis with FY20 as baseline
Our plan
Coates' sustainability plan, Towards sustainability, the smart way, recognises that sustainability is a key aspect of our current and future success. It leverages what we already do well and stretches us into new areas of focus to meet customer and stakeholder expectations.
As our first sustainability plan, it acknowledges the circular economy is at the heart of our plan and our business model. We ensure our fleet investment is optimised and equipment is shared, maintained, delivered, reused and recycled efficiently.
The plan provides an in-depth look at what sustainability means to us and how we plan to achieve it. It serves as a comprehensive guide to our goals and initiatives, and will be reviewed in FY26 as we continue on our sustainability journey.
Our progress
Eco-efficiency
- Reduced our absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 31% from FY20 baseline.
- Generated more than 1.6 GW of renewable energy across our branch network rooftop solar PV in FY25.
Fleet sustainability
- In FY25, our hire fleet enabled over 182 million asset hire-days, demonstrating our circular economy impact.
- We offer nearly 10,000 low-emission assets for hire, across 15 equipment categories.
Our people
- Achieved 24.7% representation of women in leadership roles and 4.5% Indigenous employment participation in FY25.
- 90% of employees completed cultural awareness training as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan.
Eco-efficiency
- Reduced our absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 31% from FY20 baseline.
- Generated more than 1.6 GW of renewable energy across our branch network rooftop solar PV in FY25.
2025 Sustainability Report
In FY21, SGH identified 10 environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues where its businesses could have the most impact and/or mattered most to stakeholders.
SGH’s FY25 Sustainability Report, featured on pages 20-43 of the 2025 Annual Report below, highlights strong progress for SGH and Coates in advancing sustainability. Coates achieved a 10% year-on-year reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, alongside improvements in diversity and safety - achieving exceptional results in female workforce participation and a significate reduction in incident rates.
The report also focuses on our contribution to the circular economy through our hire model, which promotes efficient sharing, maintenance, reuse and recycling of equipment. This approach reduces waste, maximises asset utilisation and conserves valuable resources, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Download SGH 2025 Annual Report
