Big corporates are lining up to prove their carbon credentials, responding to a huge shift in public, and political opinion. The Warehouse has gone carbon neutral by buying carbon credits and planting native trees to "offset" the carbon it emits selling us stuff. Air New Zealand has signed up to the Dryland Carbon partnership with Genesis Energy and Z Energy to plant mainly "exotic" trees like radiata pine to offset emissions.

Digital services provider Spark is introducing Mini Countryman plugin hybrids (PHEVs) to its vehicle fleets – probably the first in Australasia to do so in bulk. The first 30 are due towards the end of March, with a further 40 also ordered, then another 60 or 80 leased PHEVs could be added depending upon demand. It’s part of the company’s EV strategy co-ordinated by Marc Solomon, Spark’s sourcing business partner in charge of fleets.

Ricoh has become the 81st signatory of the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC). The company joins a group of New Zealand businesses who, collectively, represent more than half of New Zealand’s gross emissions, at least a quarter of private sector GDP and employ more than 150,000 New Zealanders. CLC members are committed to measuring and reporting their GHG emissions, setting targets and working with suppliers to reduce those emissions, to help keep global warming within 1.5 degrees.

New Zealand’s work to reduce carbon emissions crossed a new frontier last night with the launch of our first-ever gamified carbon calculator – FutureFit. FutureFit for business is a new sustainability tool with a staff-engagement twist. The aim is to empower staff to reduce their carbon footprints.