carboNZnewz Issue 4, December 2008
In this issue:
carboNZeroCertTM programme - the year that was
Looking back twelve months, what a year it has been! The programme has gone from strength to strength. We are now a dedicated Strategic Business Unit of Landcare Research and our team now numbers 17 staff in total located in Auckland, Wellington and Lincoln. We have picked up numerous high profile awards from both our sustainability and business peers, which are a great endorsement of the work of the team and the quality of the programme itself. Internationally, we have been successfully licensing into the UK with our partner Achilles Information whose client base of over 32,000 companies across 24 countries is really increasing our market reach. To provide some perspective, the combined footprint of the pilot group of companies is larger than New Zealand’s total carbon liability! In addition to our UK contracts we have a number of global initiatives that are starting to take shape so watch this space.
Back home, the New Zealand carbon market-space has starting to settle down, with the various players now more clearly defining their roles and capabilities. Ours is around certification and under the guidance and leadership of our General Manager Technical, Professor Ann Smith, our team has created a world-leading certification programme that will stand up to the most extreme scrutiny both domestically and internationally, the latter being most important for our exporters.
This year more than ever, we have seen a real paradigm shift with mainstream business now understanding the need to manage their carbon risks as part of good governance irrespective of whether they are captured under a regulated framework such as the Emission Trading Scheme or for operation in the voluntary market space – be it supply chain reporting or creating market advantage through branding initiatives.
It is clear that smart businesses and individuals have understood that the key is driving reductions, particularly given these challenging economic times. Our aim over the next year will be to encourage this activity even more through the use of our CEMARS certification (Certified Emission Measurement And Reduction Scheme) as a reduction in emissions is a reduction in operational costs, which are both good for the environment and good for the bottom line.
With sustainability initiatives now becoming much more mainstream, I think that one of the words of the year would have to be “Greenwash”. Reputations that have taken years to build up can be shattered in moments. Across the ditch in Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has come down hard on individuals and companies who mislead consumers on green claims with fines of up to one million dollars! Our own Commerce Commission has started to bring green claims and questionable carbon certifications under the spotlight and we encourage this need for robust certification and the creation of a “carbon watchdog” for the marketplace.
We continue to invest in the programme and improve our systems and processes. This year we completed a substantial upgrade of our carbon accounting and management software tool E-manage. Unlike carbon calculators, E-manage has been designed to provide the most up to date emissions factors that enable companies to proactively track and report on their emissions even across international boundaries. Our database, with well over 500 emission factors and indicators, is the envy of many and we are pleased to continue to provide “free to air” access to individuals and schools with our web-based calculators to help them also understand and reduce their own carbon footprints.
Our success is based on the success of our clients, big and small and without which we would not be the business that we are today. We thank each and every one of you for your marvellous support and encouragement. Next year, one of our ongoing aims will be to further assist New Zealand businesses to increase their value proposition and price point whilst helping you focus on your bottom line through emission reductions.
On behalf of all the team here at the carboNZero programme, I’d like to extend to all our readers Season’s greetings and we trust a happy and prosperous New Year.
Mike Tournier
Business Manager
carboNZero programme
Keeping abreast of international standards developments …
The carboNZero programme aims to stay at the cutting edge of international developments in greenhouse gas measurement and reduction standards. We adopted ISO 14064-1 as the standard for preparing your organisational inventories as soon as it became available in 2006. And we actively participated in the development of the PAS 2050 standard that was published at the end of October this year for assessing the embodied greenhouse gas emissions in products and services. Keeping abreast of these developments requires us to participate in a number of national and international forums including:
- Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) product footprinting projects for wine, kiwifruit and pipfruit
- Ministry for Economic Development (MED) eco-verification projects
- Ministry for the Environment (MfE) working group on emissions factors for voluntary corporate reporting
- Joint Accreditation Service of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ)
- World Resources Institute (WRI) committee on Scope 3 emissions reporting and product and supply chain footprinting
- New Zealand national group feeding into the International Standards Organisation (ISO) committee on product footprinting
Actively participating in an international committee of 30 or 40 representatives from across many countries by telephone conferences that meet at 0400 to 0600 New Zealand time once a month just goes to illustrate how serious we are about keeping our clients up to date with these international developments.
Now that PAS 2050 has been published, we will adopt it as the standard for preparing product and services inventories. A gap analysis has shown that our existing requirements for products and services are effectively equivalent to the B2B option in the standard. We are preparing additional resources for our clients on PAS 2050 and we are developing tools that will enable you to calculate PAS 2050 carbon number for your products from your organisational inventory without having to set up a new measurement system. We can expect the PAS 2050 to operate for about three years. It will be withdrawn when the new ISO standard is made available.
The publication of the PAS 2050 has provided one of the most powerful drivers for ensuring that you have a robust verified greenhouse gas inventory. Retailers in overseas markets that are rushing to publish PAS 2050 numbers on products on their shelves may obtain surrogate data for your products from other sources in other countries if you are unable to provide your own measured data. Such practices will hide the efficiencies that you have achieved and your efforts to reduce emissions.
Further information on these international developments is available on our newly created password protected webpage’s for our clients and verifiers. These pages provide all clients registered on the carboNZero programme or CEMARS with 24-hour access to all the programme requirements, guidance, templates and tools needed to go through the programmes.
We congratulate the organisations that have recently achieved carboNZero or CEMARS certification:
- Achilles Information UK (CEMARS)
- Agility Logistics New Zealand
- Bio Commerce Centre
- Energy for Industry (CEMARS)
- House of Travel (Auckland)
- House of Travel (Christchurch)
- InterfaceNZ
- PaintPlus Colour Systems
- Ricoh New Zealand
- Right House
- Sato NZ
- Westpac New Zealand Limited (CEMARS)
And we are delighted to see the following companies recertified:
- Antipodes Water Company
- Meridian Energy
- South Pacific Pictures (Shortland Street)
- The New Zealand Wine Company
- Urgent Couriers
- Warren and Mahoney
Professor Ann Smith
Technical Manager
carboNZero programme
New Zealand scientist’s greenhouse gas measurement and reduction solution goes global
A century after humble New Zealand scientist Ernest Rutherford revolutionised the science world with his work, another group of New Zealand scientists is hoping to follow in his footsteps.
Landcare Research has taken its leading solution for greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement and reduction to the world after it signed a partnership earlier this year with British-based Achilles Information, the leading global provider of supplier management services.
The partnership will see the Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme – CEMARSTM - (pronounced See Mars) rolled out to Achilles’ 32,000 clients in 24 countries. CEMARS focuses solely on an organisation’s GHG emissions profile and provides the robust measurement, management and certification steps of the world-reknown carboNZeroCertTM programme.
These credentials were one key reason why the large multinational corporation was prepared to travel across the globe to seek the ultimate in business solutions for their clients, Achilles Group Chief Executive Colin Maund says.
“Achilles was looking for a credible solution to measuring carbon emissions based on proven academic and scientific research, and that centered on the premise of reducing emissions and developing long-term strategy. In Landcare Research we have found a partner whose values reflect our own, whose services can be replicated across a whole range of industry sectors and a programme which offers a practical way forward at a reasonable cost to our communities.”
CEMARS gives companies with large carbon emissions the framework to accurately measure and manage their carbon footprint and make a legitimate carbon claim about their commitment to climate change.
Mike Tournier, Business Manager for Landcare Research’s carboNZero programme, says the partnership is a clear indicator that the company is a leader in carbon footprinting schemes when there is generally an absence of quality providers.
The carboNZero programme GM Technical, Professor Ann Smith, agrees.
“For a global organisation like Achilles to come all the way down to the Antipodes and select our programme is testament to the credibility of the programme and the skills of our staff. It also shows a commitment from Achilles to search out the best business solutions for its clients around the world.”
CEMARS provides a market opportunity for those companies that may not be able to participate in the carboNZero programme because they are unable to achieve carbon neutrality (i.e. the purchase of carbon credits is beyond economic viability).
CEMARS enables businesses to understand their carbon liabilities and discover their unrealised opportunities with the highest level of credibility and integrity. The programme requires independent verification of the steps prior to certification, which means businesses can publicly present their carbon credentials with confidence.
Formulated by world-leading environmental scientists, CEMARS could become recognised as the most credible carbon footprinting tool available on the market to date.
“There has been a lot of interest generated by this programme amongst our customers who want to tackle carbon emissions in the supply chain via the unique Achilles collaborative model,” says Frances Darton, Achilles Group programme manager.
“The partnership with Landcare Research will enable us to provide our customers with a credible and robust solution which has already proved to be very successful across a range of industries and communities.”
Mr Tournier says reducing greenhouse gas emissions is good for the environment and good for business because it requires people to make changes to the way they manage energy, water, waste and biodiversity. Furthermore, in taking up the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, businesses are setting out on a sustainability journey that will bring many other benefits. CEMARS allows businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, increase marketing value, demonstrate leadership, identify cost savings opportunities and add credibility to environmental initiatives they undertake.
Landcare Research is New Zealand’s foremost environmental research organisation providing business solutions such as CEMARS which are built on solid science and which play an active part in assisting ongoing sustainability efforts.
Lord Rutherford would, no doubt, be proud.
A world first for Westpac NZ
Westpac NZ is committed to assessing and reducing its impact on the environment and is the first bank in the world to receive CEMARSTM certification.
Westpac is building environmental sustainability into its everyday business practices, for example, they are working closely with their suppliers to ensure they reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per active customer by 20% by 2012. We are doing this through assessing our sources of emissions, such as electricity, travel and paper, and have set out a comprehensive 4-year emissions management and reduction plan”, Suzie Marsden, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Westpac NZ.
Their baseline carbon footprint was measured during the period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. Their total emissions for that period were 14,059 tonnes of CO2e or 12 kg per active customer. They have set themselves an emissions intensity goal to reduce their GHG emissions by 20% to 9.3 kg of CO2e per active customer by 2012.
carboNZero programme on a winning streak
The year 2008 has been a great year for the carboNZero programme; gaining recognition from our business peers and picking up awards around the country.
This year, the carboNZero programme was the semi-finalist for the Canterbury Export awards, winner of the Regional Sustainable Business Networks Awards, winner of the Champion Canterbury – Champion Service Awards, and received Judges' commendation for the NZI National Sustainable Business Networks awards.
Starting the year off was the Canterbury Export Awards; the carboNZero programme was semi-finalist for the ‘Lyttelton Port of Christchurch Export Deal of the Year’ category for signing of the partnership deal with UK information procurement giant Achilles Information.
The first ‘win’ of the year was the Regional Sustainable Business Networks Awards. The Southern Awards were held on 20 August, in Christchurch. We were delighted to win the ‘Sustainable Design and Innovation Award’. This award recognises sustainable design and innovation (including building) that is having proven economic, environmental and/or social benefits, contributing to sustainable development, and is a business that has the potential to influence their sector with this innovation.
After winning the SBN Southern Regional Awards, the carboNZero programme eventuated as a finalist for the NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards.
The National Awards were held in Auckland on 9 October 2008. This spectacular event celebrated those businesses that are actively integrating principles of sustainability into their daily business operations.
The carboNZero programme received Judges' commendation for the Sustainable Design and Innovation Award category, runner-up to the winner – Meridian Energy Kumutoto Building – a carboNZero-certified client. “Given that a record 180 firms entered these annual awards, to be a finalist was quite something in itself,” Mike Tournier, our Business Manager, commented, “but to achieve runner-up to Meridian Energy's new offices in Wellington was rather special.”
Once again the carboNZero programme’s impeccable sustainability principles and goals are being recognised by other sustainability industry peers.
The highlight of the year was winning the most prestigious business award in the Canterbury Region, the Champion Canterbury Awards’ 'Champion service for a medium/large company'.
A record 130 firms entered the sixth annual awards, and a team of 35 judges, including business and community leaders, narrowed the entries to 42 finalists before choosing the overall winners.
Its one thing to be recognised for our impeccable sustainability principles and goals but to be honoured by business leaders highlights just how the carboNZero programme has “come of age”.
The GM – Technical of the carboNZero programme, Professor Ann Smith, also picked up a couple of individual awards this year to add to the fast-filling carboNZero trophy cabinet. Ann received a Highly Commended Award for her outstanding contribution to the advancement of agriculture/horticulture in Canterbury from the New Zealand institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science at their annual science awards. Later this year, Ann also received an award for the best presentation in the sustainability section at the New Zealand Organisation of Quality ‘learn-share-grow' Conference.
These awards – and the ongoing success of the carboNZero programme – would not be possible without our clients’ tremendous support, so we would like to say “thank you very much for a great year and a remarkable well done to all!”
For more information about our awards, visit www.carbonzero.co.nz/about/awards.asp
carboNZero programme forms a strategic alliance with CINZ
There is increasing awareness both nationally and internationally of the importance of measuring and reducing an event’s environmental impact and demonstrating to attendees the measures that have been taken. New Zealand event organisers are responding to these changing needs in many positive ways.
One of the industry bodies responding is Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ).
The CINZ International Strategic Plan (released in June 2008) identifies sustainability as a key issue for the convention and incentive industry as well as the wider tourism sector. To minimise the risk the industry faces, the strategy identifies a key action as being “Establish environmental accreditation as a prerequisite membership of CINZ and encourage individual events to be carbon neutral”.
To help them achieve this goal the carboNZero programme has formed a strategic alliance with CINZ to help educate its members on measuring, managing (reducing) and mitigating (offsetting) their event’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This year the carboNZero programme certified seven events:
- The Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards
- The Ministry for the Environment/United Nations Environment Programme World Environment Day Core Event Celebrations
- The Small Business Expo (the largest event held for small-to-medium size business owners in New Zealand)
- The Ecotourism New Zealand Conference
- The 4th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change & Business Conference
- The New Zealand Organisation of Quality Conference
- WA$TED! 2, the second series of TV3’s hit environmental series produced by Fumes NZ
- Events can potentially generate an enormous amount of waste and GHG emissions, particularly given the long distances delegates are often required to travel. We provide tools and resources to help you measure the GHG emissions from your event and also implement some great ideas on how to reduce those emissions. Event organisers often incorporate their carbon neutral status in their communications strategy to attendees.
Make your event in 2009 carbon neutral, call 0800 269 376.
Keep your eye on the carboNZero events pages: http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/members/events.asp
Emanage 2 - Using standards to set standards
Since spring 2004 many of our clients have been successfully using Emanage – the carboNZero programmes web based all-in-one recording, calculating and reporting application. In July of this year the team launched a much anticipated new version.
E-manage 2 takes the version 1 concepts and robust security, and combines them with a much improved reporting function, enhanced client side self administration, an easy to use central features console and a quadrupling of the number carbon emissions factors and indicators.
One of the main requirements of the new software was the ability to regionalise the emissions factors being used; indeed, the Achilles organisation and its partners are already successfully using E-manage 2 in Britain with UK carbon emissions factors and indicators.
E-manage 2 uses Microsoft Sharepoint (document management platform) to create an easy to use and uncluttered feel whilst maintaining the freedom to choose from any of the standard Sharepoint features, for example, shared documents, tree views, tasks and calendar.
“As with all the carboNZero programme web applications, a Microsoft SQL Server database sits at the heart of the solution, providing rock solid security and reliability. Also with SQL Reporting Services dishing out dynamic Excel ready reports on the fly, we believe we have developed a world class winning carbon emissions management application” says Guy Harris, carboNZero programme Systems and Project Manager.
For more information about E-manage 2 please contact your key account manager or Guy Harris 0800 269 376.
Project Litefoot - Green is the new gold
The carboNZero programme has partnered with Project Litefoot, a green initiative that seeks to inspire New Zealanders to live more sustainable, environmentally conscious lifestyles. Project Litefoot is led by New Zealand’s most prominent athletes – Michael Campbell, Barbara Kendall, Brendan McCullum, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, Daniel Kereopa and Conrad Smith – who are known as the Project Litefoot Ambassadors. The carboNZero programme is delighted to work with Project Litefoot and the participating ambassadors to assist them in measuring and managing their greenhouse gas emissions, and in turn help reduce their own impacts on climate change. The carboNZero programme believes that the ambassadors are influential role models who can encourage all Kiwis to follow their lead, and take action to make changes and create a sustainable future.
All of the Project Litefoot Ambassadors have now measured thier personal household footprint, and completed house visits to help produce a comprehensive house efficiency report; they are well on their way to understanding the environmental impact of their household and lifestyle. The carboNZero programme is now helping them manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible; this involves setting goals and reduction plans.
All the ambassadors are highly committed and enthusiastic about completing the carboNZero programme’s Leaders’ Climate Change Challenge as well as promoting a sustainable lifestyle. This exercise is both an awareness raising and educational one. Before joining up to Project Litefoot and taking up the Leaders’ challenge, the ambassadors had no idea about their power usage nor had the habit of collecting all their petrol receipts. Therefore, their first 12 months’ measurement is based on estimates and assumptions. As part of the awareness, going forward, the ambassadors are now actively collecting all power bills, fuel receipts, boarding passes and recording any other career related travels to ensure their next measurement is as accurate as it can be. This is a very important achievement as being conscious of what you are spending is vital for understanding your footprint and in turn, the reduction of your footprint.
For more information on the Leaders’ challenge and Project Litefoot, visit www.carbonzero.co.nz/members/leaders.asp and www.projectlitefoot.org/ International accreditation...Watch this space!
As part of our plans to ensure that the carboNZero programme has the highest level of credibility and integrity, carboNZero programme strategic business unit is seeking international accreditation as a conformity assessment body (certification body) so that we can offer carboNZero certification as an accredited greenhouse gas programme under ISO 14065: Greenhouse gases – Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition.
We are seeking accreditation from the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) for the carboNZero programme. This accreditation comes under the auspices of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) of which JAS-ANZ is a member. JAS-ANZ accreditation will mean that carboNZero certification must be recognised in all the countries in the world that are IAF members, covering some 50 economies.
Tips for a more sustainable Christmas
- Do your Christmas shopping with reusable bags – less plastic bags means less energy is used to produce them, and therefore less carbon is released into the atmosphere.
- Purchase local and energy efficient gifts that are minimally packaged.
- It's estimated that 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper end up in our rubbish bins each year so use reusable or recycled gift wrap.
- Limit your travel – ride with other friends and family to reduce the per person carbon emissions.
- Send electronic or recycled Christmas cards.
- Don’t forget to turn off your fairy lights, Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 12 balloons.
- Deck the halls with real holly - Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations that won't biodegrade, let nature decorate your home. House decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials.
- Real trees are the more eco friendly choice. Although artificial trees last for many years they are made from metal and derivatives of PVC, which requires large amounts of energy to make. Real trees are carbon neutral, absorbing as much carbon dioxide as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose.
For more information please contact Kathryn Hailes, carboNZero programme Marketing and Communications Manager, free phone 0800 CNZERO (0800 269376), or view our website: www.carbonzero.co.nz
