Supporting Emirates Team New Zealand to become carbonzero

The Warehouse has partnered with Emirates Team New Zealand to offset its carbon emissions for its 36th America's Cup campaign; this will see Emirates Team New Zealand become the first America's Cup syndicate to have a Toitū carbonzero certified campaign.

Taking responsibility for our impact on the environment is key to our mission here at The Warehouse, which is why we're proud to be the official Sustainability Partner for Emirates Team New Zealand and work together to make their 36th America's Cup campaign CarboNZero certified. This partnership is another step in our sustainability journey and vision to become New Zealand's most sustainable retailer.

The Warehouse founder and Sustainability Champion, Sir Stephen Tindall, says the combination of The Warehouse and Emirates Team New Zealand working together to play a part in combatting climate change is an excellent example of business and sport coming together to tackle such an important issue.

" The Warehouse and Emirates Team New Zealand are both dear to my heart, and it gives me great pride in seeing these two iconic Kiwi organisations taking action on climate change. Both organisations have calculated their carbon footprints and will continue on a journey to not only offset these in the short term, but will use technology and innovation to further reduce carbon and CO2 dramatically over the next decade”, says Tindall.

The team's emissions will be measured from July 2017 to the end of their campaign in 2021 and offset through investing in permanent native New Zealand forestry projects, in partnership with Toitū Envirocare's carbonzero programme.

Additionally, The Warehouse and Emirates Team New Zealand have supported tree planting programmes with Trees that Count around the Firth of Thames, to restore local waterways and native flora and fauna.

The Warehouse Group Chief Executive, Nick Grayston, says it is a privilege to support Emirates Team New Zealand with its environmental efforts.

“We believe that good businesses need good societies and environments to function successfully.”

"As a large New Zealand retailer with millions of customers through our doors every year, we are doing all we can to take responsibility for our impact on the environment and to help New Zealanders address climate change. Alongside Emirates Team New Zealand, we hope to encourage more action in this area and continue to do our part for the ongoing health of Kiwis, and the planet", says Grayston.

Emirates Team New Zealand Chief Executive Grant Dalton says the team is pleased to take this step to measure and take responsibility for its emissions with a long-term view of carbon reduction for New Zealand's natural environment.

"As a team that spends so much time on the water, we've always been conscious of our environment and doing what we can to minimise our impact on it as best we can. We are first to say we aren't perfect by any stretch however, we're prepared to measure our emissions. This is a step in taking responsibility for the carbon footprint we create by becoming carbonzero certified", says Dalton.

Becky Lloyd, Toitū Envirocare Chief Executive, commends Emirates Team New Zealand for their leadership. “We expect world-leading innovations from the team, so it's only fitting they are also taking world-leading climate action”.

"It's a privilege to support Kiwi icons like The Warehouse and Emirates Team New Zealand to take science-based, meaningful climate action. Together we can show New Zealanders and the world that our net-zero future is achievable", says Lloyd.

The carbon neutrality status will be achieved through Toitu’s carbonzero event certification programme. Toitū, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, has based the carbonzero event programme on ISO 14064-1 and PAS 2050 principles. The campaign’s footprint has been calculated, fully offset with high quality PFSI carbon credits and independently certified as Toitu carbonzero event operations.