Otago Polytechnic

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Speaking at the New Zealand Emissions Workshop on Wednesday, Sustainability and community manager Gerri Ward says Z Energy is ready for the rapid expansion of electric vehicles.

As well as being a good for our business and great for the Southland region, this new contract helps Meridian to take action on climate change. The more aluminium that is produced in New Zealand using mainly renewable energy, the more this displaces production of aluminium using fossil fuel alternatives overseas.

Meridian Energy and Westpac NZ are proud to support a new carbon calculator that gives farmers a guide to the size of their carbon footprint. The tool has been developed by Lincoln University’s Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) and Agrilink NZ, with financial assistance from Meridian Energy and Westpac NZ. It is available at www.lincoln.ac.nz/carboncalculator.

In a first for Auckland, Ports of Auckland has committed to build a hydrogen production and refuelling facility at its Waitematā port. The company, and project partners Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and KiwiRail, will invest in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles including port equipment, buses and cars as part of the project.

Toyota New Zealand has become one of the first vehicle manufacturers to join the recently established New Zealand Hydrogen Association. Hydrogen fuel cell development is a key component of Toyota’s commitment to alternative fuel sources and sustainable motoring. Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Alistair Davis said joining the new Hydrogen Association was a first step towards developing an eco-system for hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in New Zealand.

Source: Voxy
KPMG has committed to measuring and making further reductions across the full scope of its emissions, as well as working with suppliers to reduce their emissions, by 2020. Meanwhile, the firm has committed to becoming fully carbon neutral - through the offsetting of unavoidable emissions - by 2030 at the latest.

Enviro-Mark Solutions is now only the second New Zealand company to have their science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction target approved by the international Science Based Targets Initiative. Enviro-Mark Solutions has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 74% by 2030 from a 2017 base-year. They have also committed to reducing absolute scope 3 emissions from business travel and employee commuting by 57% by 2030, from a 2017 base-year.

Stuff launches a long-term project – Quick! Save the Planet – to report the latest science on the local impacts of climate change; catalogue the tools available to mitigate the causes of global warming; examine how people, communities, businesses and governments are adapting; and discuss how individuals can make a difference.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu has launched a strategy that will help Papatipu Rūnanga further prepare for the effects of climate change. He Rautaki Mō Te Huringa o Te Āhuarangi - the Ngāi Tahu Climate Change Strategy - provides the overall framework that will support decision making within the tribe in the years ahead.

Joining with 70 of New Zealand’s business leaders, Orion’s membership of the Climate Leaders Coalition signals its dedication to measuring and reporting its greenhouse gas emissions, setting targets and working with suppliers to reduce greenhouse emissions, to help keep global warming within two degrees. Orion CEO Rob Jamieson, says: “This is an important step in making sure our business is doing all it can to contribute to a sustainable future for New Zealand, and the world.

Projects funded and pioneered over the past three years by Waitematā Local Board have revealed the low-carbon potential for the ward. As part of the board's plan to ensure that the natural environment is valued, protected and enhanced, funding has been allocated to projects looking at low-carbon lifestyles and multi-unit dwellings, reducing food waste from businesses and the Waitematā Low Carbon Network.

“Being part of the Climate Leaders Coalition represents our commitment to view climate change as an opportunity to innovate and create a positive future for New Zealanders,” said Suncorp New Zealand CEO Paul Smeaton. “Climate change has a direct impact on Suncorp New Zealand’s operations and we have first-hand knowledge of how it is affecting our customers through things like extreme weather events. I am thrilled that we will be collaborating with other businesses to find ways to address climate change.”

Countdown, in partnership with WEL Networks, has today installed three charging sites at five of its Waikato supermarkets – a first for the retailer. Countdown’s General Manager Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Kiri Hannifin, said today's launch was another step in the right direction towards the business meeting its commitment to help create a cleaner and greener Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Fonterra’s Brightwater milk processing plant in Nelson is now co-firing on wood after the site’s newly converted boiler was officially switched on by the Minister of Energy and Resources, Hon Dr Megan Woods, today.

When it comes to tackling climate change it’s often hard to know where to start, it’s such a massive subject and it’s easy to get lost in all that it entails. Communication around it seems to come in ebbs and flows as well, and as a business we have always tried to maintain the ‘flows’, as sustainability, lowering our carbon emissions and reducing our carbon footprint have been long-term goals of ours. But we still ask ourselves what else can we do to make a difference, and even though we recently became re-certified as a CEMARS certified business and have been certified for 8 years now (read our blog post), it’s still a work in progress and it’s a constant, ever-evolving process for us.

We are thrilled to have achieved our carboNZero certification again, after becoming the first Zoo in the world to be carboNZero certified in 2013. As part of our carboNZero certification, we've made a commitment to continually work on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past six years, we've implemented a range of initiatives to cut back on our power use and waste generation.

Auckland Council has recommitted to membership of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group with the council’s Environment and Community Committee endorsing Auckland’s reapplication for C40 affiliation. Councillor Penny Hulse, chair of the Environment and Community Committee, says the C40 report stresses that cities and nations must commit to bold and coordinated climate action in the next few years.

Transport has a key role to play in New Zealand’s low-carbon future. thinkstep has published a new report presenting four future visions for New Zealand in which the carbon footprint of transport is reduced by up to 90% of 2015 levels by 2050 through a combination of new vehicle technologies and behavioural changes.

But what does that mean? How (and when) did Flick become carboNZero certified? And what has Flick done to reduce emissions?

Diverting food waste from landfills can help companies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Courtney Simpson, Group Manager Environment, tells the Sustainable Business Council how SKYCITY Auckland diverted the equivalent of 142 buses of food from landfill, reducing their emissions by 15% in one year.

Source: Voxy
New Zealand freight and logistics company TIL Logistics Group Limited (NZX: TLL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New Plymouth-based Hiringa Energy Limited to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology transport solutions in New Zealand. The project has the potential to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from TIL’s national fleet of 900 trucks, 310 forklifts and 170 light vehicles.

Source: Scoop
Saul Chambers, WSP Opus Manager Sustainability & Climate Change Solutions, is genuinely excited about the opportunity CLC presents to solve the challenging issues around climate change. “There’s no doubt that we’re in a time of unprecedented change as a business, local and national governments and cities get to grips with climate change, but that also brings the opportunity to collaborate for better outcomes. There’s a lot of positivity about how we can approach solutions and it’s a great time to take a breath and decide how, as a nation, we want New Zealand to be in the future.”

Auckland Council, Watercare, Auckland Transport and Panuku Development Auckland have joined over sixty leading New Zealand businesses committed to addressing the issue of climate change. By joining the Climate Leaders Coalition, the council and wider council whānau have agreed to collaborative action on the coalition’s commitments.

It was with great pride that we became signatories of the Climate Leaders’ Coalition in July of this year, joining forces with 60 other like-minded businesses from across New Zealand to work towards changing behaviours in the workplace, and everyday life, in order to reach a collective goal of reducing New Zealand’s emissions and ultimately a cleaner, greener New Zealand. But is it possible for the rest of New Zealand and the New Zealand government to take action and change a long-standing mindset? To support a low emissions economy where people still prosper? The Productivity Commission thinks so.

Toyota New Zealand is on a pathway to lowering its fleet’s emissions and preparing for a zero-carbon future as recommended by the Productivity Commission’s final report on a low emissions economy. “The actions our business has already started taking, demonstrate our commitment to action on climate change,” says Alistair Davis, the CEO of Toyota New Zealand. “We take our responsibilities to the environment seriously.”

Gerri Ward, Sustainability Manager at Z Energy, looks at the recommendations in the Productivity Commission's report and what they might mean for New Zealand.

When 60 CEOs of large New Zealand companies recently committed to a transition to a low emissions economy, some environmentalists were wary. While prepared to take the CEOs at their word, many rightly said they were keen to see evidence of the commitment.That position is understandable. These companies are responsible for more than 50% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this voluntary initiative, some may think the commercial world has appeared slow to turn around. It’s not for lack of desire. Everyone wants to be able to say they tried to leave the planet in better shape.

Otago Polytechnic continues to demonstrate its commitment to making a better world, becoming the first tertiary institution in New Zealand to join the Climate Leaders Coalition.

Source: Scoop
Auckland Airport employees are joining businesses across the airport precinct, local students and community groups, Auckland Council and government agencies over the next two days at a Million Trees / Matariki Tu Rākau community tree planting event on Puhinui Reserve in Wiri.

Source: Scoop
TIL Logistics Group welcomes the stance being taken by the coalition to drive positive change, with CEO Alan Pearson saying: “TIL is proud to be one of the first signatories of the Climate Leaders Coalition. We are committed to working together as part of the coalition to create a sustainable future for New Zealand and make it a great place to live and work - now and for future generations. This not only makes good sense for our country, but also good economic sense for our business.”

Synlait has signed the CEO Climate Change statement released today by the Climate Leaders Coalition (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1).

On a mission to reduce carbon emissions in New Zealand, 60 CEOs, including Stuff’s Sinead Boucher, have formed the Climate Leaders Coalition with the Sustainable Business Council, signing a joint statement committing their companies to action and demonstrating the role that business can play in bringing about change.

Kiwi Property has today joined more than 60 New Zealand companies to sign the Climate Change Statement and deliver a resounding message to corporate New Zealand and the world – the time is now for affirmative action on climate change.

Source: Stuff
KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy was one of 14 New Zealand chief executives who came together last year to look at what they could do about climate change. Along with 59 others, he has signed the CEO Climate Change Statement, aimed at reducing carbon emissions in New Zealand. He explains why.

Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Tony Gibson has today joined with the leaders of 60 Kiwi business to fight climate change. "Climate change is the issue of our time, and how we meet this challenge will define us. We can't expect 'The Government' to solve the problem alone, we all have to roll our sleeves up, get stuck in and fix this," said Mr Gibson.

Source: Scoop
SKYCITY Entertainment Group has today joined with other major New Zealand businesses in committing to tackling climate change. Chief Executive Graeme Stephens today signed the Climate Change Statement, officially committing SKYCITY to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with New Zealand’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Today Deloitte joins the Sustainable Business Council and some of New Zealand’s largest and most influential businesses in demonstrating our support for ambitious action by the private sector to inclusively and equitably address climate change.

3R Group has signed up to the Climate Leaders Coalition, joining a group of businesses dedicated to “forging a path to create a future that is low-emission, positive for our businesses and economy, and inclusive for all New Zealanders”.