News

Auckland Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair Richard Hills has welcomed Mayor Phil Goff’s proposal for the 2020-21 Annual Budget as an important step forward for the climate. “I thank the Mayor for working with us and leading the way on climate change on his annual budget proposal. We have heard loud and clear our community wants us to act and to act faster,” says Cr Hills.

High Street is bursting with flowers, strawberries, kawa kawa and mint. For the Love of Bees has planted these, along with a range of other edible and medicinal plants, as part of a trial to create a safer and more accessible High Street that improves the environment for pedestrians and celebrates its unique character.

The world is on the cusp of big change in business, with awareness of the climate and environmental challenges the world is facing at an all-time high. Ecostore director of marketing, digital and sustainability projects Jemma Whiten shares her top tips for creating more sustainable businesses and brands.

Through life cycle assessment, Tork has found composting hand towels with commercial composters instead of disposing in landfill reduces greenhouse gas emissions by around 50 percent. Life cycle assessment was completed by thinkstep-anz as part of new Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) on a number of Tork products. Each EPD outlines the Global Warming Potential (carbon footprint), which quantifies the potential of greenhouse gases – such as carbon dioxide and methane – to increase absorption of heat reaching Earth’s atmosphere, intensifying the natural greenhouse effect.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is walking its talk on reducing emissions by becoming a certified carbon zero organisation. EECA has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by a third since 2007, and is now offsetting the difference.

Using engineered timber instead of concrete and steel on commercial buildings may not be a lot more expensive, big construction firm Naylor Love says New Zealand's largest private construction firm with 700 staff and $600 million turnover, Naylor Love has developed a calculator that quantifies the amount of carbon in building structures using different materials.

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Toyota New Zealand detailed its transition to a new business model, designed to support the commercial success and long-term viability of Toyota and its network of retailers. The new business model follows on from the successful Drive Happy Project, launched in 2018, which incorporated several customer-focused initiatives. In the year to the end of December 2018, Toyota sold 33,068 new vehicles and 10,402 used vehicles. Despite a softer market in 2019 for new vehicles, Toyota expected to maintain its consecutive 31-year New Zealand market leadership with a 20% market share in 2019.

An ambitious initiative to galvanise collaboration between Hawke’s Bay businesses and councils on climate change kicked off in Napier yesterday. The Climate Action HB: Business CoLab event on 25 November saw over 100 people from the region’s businesses and councils come together to begin plotting a way forward for Hawke’s Bay to transition to a low-emissions economy. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Hastings-based sustainability specialists 3R Group, with the support of Napier, Hastings, Central HB and Wairoa Councils, teamed up to host the event. Those that attended included major regional stakeholders such as Napier Port, Hawke’s Bay Airport, Pan Pac Forest Products, and Heinz Watties, as well as businesses from the primary industry, engineering, retail and hospitality sectors.

New Zealanders believe electricity retailers and supermarkets are doing the most to be more sustainable, however, they want brands in all industries to be more open and upfront about sustainability, and actively communicate it. The findings of the In Good Company report released today demonstrate that sustainability is not just something they care about when making a purchase, but it is contributing to how they choose what to buy.

ASB’s innovative flagship headquarters has been recognised as among New Zealand’s most energy efficient buildings. North Wharf, ASB’s six-year old site on Auckland’s waterfront, has just gained a 5 star base building rating under the NABERSNZ scale – a national scheme that rates the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. The 5 star rating denotes ‘market leading’ efficiency.