Signatory News

Air New Zealand and MBIE have announced it will look to find an operator for a commercial Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant in New Zealand. Their signed Memorandum of Understanding to run a closed RFP process will invite leaders in innovation to demonstrate the feasibility of operating a SAF plant at a commercial scale. Z Energy commends the step and intends to participate in this process.

For Z this is another opportunity to move forward on their journey to a low carbon future, says Z Energy GM Strategy and Risk, Nicolas Williams. “Z is committed to be part of the solution to climate change. We know that the way we’re using the planet’s resources simply isn’t sustainable and we must look for alternative solutions.”

Two Southland processors are decommissioning coal-fired boilers in favour of electricity in order to help decarbonise industrial process heat in the South Island.

Agreements have been signed with the A2 Milk Company to support the decommissioning of a coal-fired boiler at its Mataura Valley Milk plant, and with Alliance Group to support the decommissioning of a coal-fired boiler at its Lorneville plant, near Invercargill.

When you run out of day cream or finish off that luxe serum, your first thought might be replacing the product ASAP. But have you ever stopped to think where that packaging you are about to so carelessly dispose of will end up?

The beauty industry produces a staggering 120 billion units of waste per year – a harrowing number from a growing industry that is set to be worth $716.6 billion by 2025.

But now a New Zealand-owned skincare company is helping to change that, one refill at a time.

Aotearoa’s own Emma Lewisham has become the world’s first beauty brand to achieve carbon positive status.

Vector Group today announced a strategic collaboration with X, the moonshot factory (formerly Google [x]), which will include virtualising New Zealand’s largest electricity network, run by Vector in Auckland.

Vector and X are working together on network virtualisation and simulation technology as part of their shared vision to reimagine the design, management, and operation of electricity networks; get ahead of increasing demands for clean energy; and transform the network in order to support decarbonisation.

A proposal to build the world’s first large-scale green hydrogen plant in Southland has been met with strong interest from domestic and international businesses.
Meridian and Contact Energy’s Southern Green Hydrogen project has attracted more than 80 responses to its registration of interest process. There is a strong focus on using green hydrogen produced from renewable energy for export and also to decarbonise carbon-intensive sectors including heavy transport, aviation, shipping and agriculture in New Zealand.

Air New Zealand’s journey to net-zero has reached another significant milestone today with the Airline and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) joining forces to bring Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) one step closer to becoming a reality in New Zealand.

About 20 MG ZS EV SUVs will be distributed to Downer NZ’s vehicle fleet, with another 20 on order.

“We chose the MG ZS electric SUV as it takes just 45 minutes to charge to 80% on rapid charge and allows for up to 260km of travel per single full charge,” Downer NZ says.

In early 2021 IAG New Zealand decided to transition our 270-strong corporate vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid cars. This decision was made as part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and limiting the impacts of climate change. We have a science-based target to reduce emissions from electricity use and our vehicle fleet by 40% by 2025 (based on FY17 levels), and this change will help us deliver on that target.

Fonterra says it has reduced its greehouse gas emissions from coal by 11 per cent in a year, primarily due to the conversation of its Te Awamutu site to using renewable wood pellets.

Air New Zealand and global aviation giant Airbus are joining forces to explore how zero-emission aircraft could be flown in New Zealand.

Under a memorandum of understanding with Airbus, Air New Zealand will analyse the impact hydrogen aircraft may have on its network, operations and infrastructure.

Air New Zealand is planning to have an electric aircraft in its fleet by 2030, and its turboprop fleets will eventually be replaced with aircraft powered by alternative energy, its chief pilot says.

In an interview for Capa – Centre of Aviation, Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer, David Morgan, said the national carrier, and the aviation industry, had to find solutions to reduce emissions and combat climate change.

Walk into any boardroom or business school and you’ll often hear the same companies held up as models of excellence: Apple, Tesla, Google and so on. Sharing success stories from te ao Māori (the Māori world)? Not so much.

And that’s a shame. There are many of them, and they can teach us how to manage and grow organisations in sustainable ways that benefit the wider community – goals that often elude large Western businesses.