carboNZnewz Issue 13, June 2011
In this issue:
Graham's column
To assist in the commercialisation and growth of the carboNZero programme, a new CEO with superb credentials and global contacts has been appointed. Graham Carter joins the carboNZero programme from Canada-based Axia Software Corporation, a provider of tools to help organisations maximise the efficiency of their capital investment. Graham will apply his knowledge of the government, forestry and utilities sectors to the burgeoning area of assisting businesses to measure, manage and reduce their impacts on the environment.
"I am very excited to come into the carboNZero programme at a time of unprecedented change and growth," said Carter. "Carbon markets are becoming a key feature in national policies and the global business community is increasing its efforts and search for credible solutions."
"With reports showing that businesses that give greater attention to energy efficiency report billions of dollars in savings, and millions of tonnes of avoided greenhouse gas emissions, we can only expect this market to continue booming."
Q&A
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What are your hobbies?
I enjoy playing and watching sports: squash and basketball in particular. I like a good single malt scotch, spending time with my family and spending time at the beach. -
Why is looking after the environment important?
We need to leave a legacy for future generations of a society and environment that are better than we had. -
What have you been doing the last five years?
I have been living in the great white north (Canada) and enjoying the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the high tech sector. -
What are you doing to reduce your own carbon footprint?
Well I have just purchased a clean burning diesel vehicle and am looking to begin a journey of becoming carbon neutral with as much reduction as possible with my hectic air travel schedule. -
Highlight of your career so far?
Teaching entrepreneurship and leadership in Mongolia. I was able to make a real practical difference in people’s businesses and lives. -
Worst job you have ever had to do?
It would have to be cold calling without any product knowledge or expertise. -
Who do you most admire and why?
Bill Strickland – Harvard coined the term Social Entrepreneur after Bill. He is someone who has helped the inner city people that society forgot and won Grammies and made successful businesses along the way. -
What drives you to get businesses to become more accountable for their environmental impacts?
Because it is going to be the new normal. You may not make more revenue for doing it, but you will certainly lose revenue if you don’t. -
Name two things you are very good at?
Cooking and seeing the big picture. -
Name two things you are very bad at?
Sleeping in and having relaxing holidays. -
Favourite food?
Ice cream
Ann's column
Interest in product carbon footprinting and carbon labels continues to grow internationally. Around a dozen countries now have carbon footprint schemes with government involvement and these are: Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, France, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. The European Commission is also investigating product carbon footprinting and the provision of tools and resources.
I was privileged to be invited by French colleagues to present on product carbon footprinting in New Zealand at a side event to the 19th Session of the Sustainable Development Commission held in New York in May. In the audience were representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, the China Environmental United Certification Center (a government department), the French Ministère de l'écologie, du développement durable du transport et du lodgement, Fundacion Chile and Agricom Limited, a Chilean fruit exporter.
The French government is conducting a pilot project on product footprinting and communication under its Grenelle II legislation. The reason for the focus on product footprinting came about after a recent study showed that consumption of domestic goods accounted for 75 percent of France’s national greenhouse gas inventory of 550 million tonnes CO2e per year. Some 57 individual companies and 111 groups, including 3 overseas exporters to France, are participating in the pilot project. The multi-criteria footprinting standard covers carbon, water and biodiversity. The product groups include food and beverage, hygiene and cosmetic products, textiles, paper, electronic equipment, construction materials, catering and multi products (retail). The results will be made public from July this year and after getting feedback from the public and other stakeholders on the project, the French government will make a decision on mandatory reporting of product footprints for certain product groups.
Because the intention is to make communication of product footprints mandatory, the French government has made a significant investment in developing Product Category Rules for each product group through a multi-stakeholder process and also provides calculators and the emissions factors.
We will continue to monitor this development and keep you updated.
Reduction of greenhouse gases is on the agenda in the USA
When we think about activities in the USA to reduce GHGs, high profile activities in California come to mind. California created the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) in 2001 and has passed numerous legislative instruments to encourage the energy, construction and transport sectors to reduce emissions.
New York too is actively reducing its GHG emissions and has one of the lowest footprints in the world for a city of its size. I had the privilege of meeting with the Mayor’s Office to hear about New York’s achievements in reducing emissions. They deliberately focus on projects that will reduce emissions. Additionally, Mayor Michael Bloomberg chairs the C40 Cities group established by the world’s top cities to combat climate change. The C40 group is developing best practice and a standard for the consistent measurement of city footprints.
The Mayor’s Office publishes an annual GHG inventory for New York City which the staff prepare in-house. The plan is to reduce citywide emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and municipal government emissions 30 percent below fiscal year 2006 by 2017. The municipal target will require reductions of 1.68 million tonnes CO2 annually. GHG emissions were reduced citywide by 12.9 percent below 2005 levels by the end of 2009. Landmark legislation has been passed to improve the energy efficiency of 20,000 existing buildings. As an example, the Empire State Building has been retrofitted and aims to reduce energy use by 38 percent to achieve impressive cost-effective reductions in its GHG emissions. Its annual footprint is 25,000 tonnes CO2.
Version 2 of CEMARS and the carboNZero programme released
After two years consultation and development based on your feedback, we have issued version 2 of the Programme. The result should be a more pragmatic set of rules while retaining credibility through our robust research-based approach to keep us at the leading edge of international best practice. We are now working with a consultant to enable registered clients to access the guidance interactively online rather than through documents.
How does this affect you? All new clients will be registered on version 2. Existing clients can choose to stay on version 1.2 for the time being or move to version 2 now. The version 1.2 documents will be withdrawn on 31 December 2012.
Key changes include:
- 40-month certification
- Separation of organisation and product certification – two inventories are required if seeking both certifications
- Product certification in compliance with PAS 2050 – we will move to ISO 14067 as soon as it is available
- Technical Requirements document that spells out the Programme, Measure, Manage and Mitigate rules
- Carbon credits must be cancelled in our account on the relevant registry to ensure integrity of the offset action
More details of the technical changes are provided with the new scheme documents.
We will assist existing clients registering for product certification in the transition. Where there is not an existing product specification, we will work in partnership with you as a pilot company along with any relevant industry groups to develop a draft specification and the emissions factors for that product group. Once you have been certified, the draft specification will go through further review and consultation (where required) before being published for general use by registered participants in our Programme. The focus is on compliance with the relevant international standards and consistency in their interpretation so that clients with the same product have been certified in the same way.
Professor Ann Smith
General Manager, Technical
carboNZero programme
Recognition for our certified wineries
Leading companies are coming up with new and innovative ways to reduce their overall environmental footprint, or that of their supply chain or customers, as sustainability concerns become more mainstream.
UK magazine The Drinks Business hosted the 2011 Green Awards, these reward leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change by drinks companies worldwide. Designed to raise awareness of green issues in the industry and boost the role of marketing in influencing consumer behaviour, the Awards provide a high-profile platform for companies to showcase their positive commitment to the environment.
With support from a range of influential supporting partners and an eminent panel of expert judges, the awards emphasise how sustainability is core to development in the drinks industry.
This year’s Green Company of the Year was awarded to CEMARS certified Cono Sur Vineyard (Chile). The award demonstrates that the vineyard is committed to the environment through changing and improving its business practice to reduce its carbon footprint, improve its own direct impact on the surrounding environment and has promoted this effectively to a wider audience.
Congratulations must also go to CEMARS certified Villa Maria Estate who was among the companies shortlisted for this award. Both Cono Sur and Villa Maria are responding to the pressing challenges of global sustainability and a key part of their long-term response strategy is the successful achievement of CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme).
Both wineries demonstrate how low-carbon, environmentally sustainable business strategies can work commercially, from greener industrial processes, eco-design of products to green marketing and staff incentive schemes.
Chile’s commitment to protecting its natural environment and providing a sustainable future has long been at the heart of winery ideology. Blessed with a natural geography that allows wineries of all shapes and sizes to adopt a green approach, Chile has been a pioneer of the environmentally aware, organic, and biodynamic movements for decades.
Cono Sur Brand Manager Nicola Hale accepts the award for Best Green Company of the Year
The Programme would also like to toast the following certified wineries for their success at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Tantalise your taste buds with these award winning certified wineries:
GOLD MEDAL –
Villa Maria – CEMARS certified – Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2009
SILVER MEDAL –
Cono Sur – CEMARS certified – Ocio Pinot Noir 2009, Vision Single Vineyard Riesling 2010 & Visión Single Vineyard Gewürztraminer 2010
Hunky Dory – produced by carboNZero certified Huia Vineyards – Chardonnay 2010 & Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Villa Maria – CEMARS certified – Cellar Selection Syrah 2008, Reserve Merlot 2008, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Reserve Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Reserve Pinot Noir 2008, Seddon Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 & Single Vineyard Taylor Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Wairau River – carboNZero certified – Pinot Gris 2010 & Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Yealands Estate – carboNZero certified – Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Pinot Noir 2009, Sauvignon Blanc 2010 & Tesco Finest* Pinot Grigio 2010
BRONZE MEDAL –
Cono Sur – CEMARS certified – 20 Barrels Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, 20 Barrels Limited Edition Chardonnay 2009, Reserva Riesling 2010, Sparkling Brut NV, Visión Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2010, Vision Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2010 & 20 Barrels Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Certification grows innovation
GreenWork Limited is an Auckland landscape and garden maintenance business owned and operated by brothers Geoff and Steve Rickerby.
Since starting the business in March 2009 the brothers have focused on demonstrating proactive environmental leadership, business effectiveness and innovation.
carboNZero certification, which the business recently achieved for its second year, formed an important part of the brothers long-term vision.
The brothers' plans have continued to flourish with the introduction of a new service called "We Compost". The aim of We Compost is to divert food waste from landfill by collecting it and composting it correctly, as well as promoting the various ways that businesses are recycling their food waste.
“We realised that collection and disposal of green waste was complementary to our existing work so we decided to offer it as a service in its own right,” says Steve Rickerby.
Food waste in landfill breaks down anaerobically to produce methane, which is 23 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Compost becomes a product that can help with carbon sequestration and water retention as well as help to reduce the need for petrochemical fertilisers in agriculture. It makes sense to compost!
We Compost collected all the food waste from the Grey Lynn Festival last year and composted it at Kelmarna Gardens. More recently, food waste was collected from the Kingsland Festival.
Business networks are also developing between fellow carboNZero certified businesses, for example, Soar Printing now compost all food and other biodegradable waste from its factory and office with GreenWork's weekly collection.
For more information on how the service could help you, visit www.wecompost.co.nz
Ricoh New Zealand's 2010 Sustainability Report
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| Shane Kumar, helpdesk coordinator for Ricoh NZ |
@Remote is new technology from Ricoh that makes it simple for customers to monitor the costs of printing and copying across their entire fleet of devices. The system tracks activity and produces clear charts making it easy for customers to identify high cost areas, which may include the amount of paper used, double-sided printing, even how much electricity has been consumed.
The application also provides electronic meter readings, automates toner ordering and can be used to produce comprehensive "green reports". It’s just one initiative outlined in Ricoh New Zealand’s third annual sustainability report.
Other highlights from the report include:
- Profits rose despite the difficult economic climate. Ricoh is pleased to have delivered a gross profit of $3.9 million and maintained its position as a market leader in the document solutions industry
- Product stewardship improved with some 47,603 used toner cartridges recycled, 26 percent more than the previous year, diverting about 11,246kg of waste from landfill.
The company, which was shortlisted in the 2009 ACCA New Zealand Sustainability Reporting Awards, asserts that a focus on corporate responsibility is critical to the profitability of its business, and that of its customers, even as economic conditions remain challenging. For more information, please contact: Margie Barriball, Ricoh Sustainability Advisor – mbarriball@ricoh.co.nz.
You can read Ricoh New Zealand’s 2010 Sustainability Report here: http://www.ricoh.co.nz/about/pdf/Ricoh-Sustainability-2010.pdf
Certified companies winners and finalist's in Wellington Gold Awards
The Wellington Gold Awards, in association with The Dominion Post, is the premier business event for the Wellington Region each year. The key themes that linked finalists in this year’s awards, which recognise enterprise and excellence in business, were innovation and technology – both of which sit firmly behind our certification programmes.
Winners from a total of 41 companies vying for seven business categories and three best practice awards were announced at the gala dinner at the TSB Bank Arena.
Celcius Coffee were winners of the Green Gold award for positive sustainable practices and were finalists in the Emerging Gold – smaller enterprises category. Celcius Coffee, a carboNZero certified artisan coffee roasting company based in Lower Hutt, is fast developing a reputation as an exceptional coffee roaster that provides coffee with a social and environmental conscience.
Fellow carboNZero certified organisation and service Wellington Combined Taxis, who are the leading taxi transport service in Wellington City, were also named as finalists for the Green Gold award.
Certified businesses, Toyota and Meridian are two of the top five New Zealand sustainable brands
New Zealand's best known and most trusted market research company, Colmar Brunton, recently probed over 2500 New Zealanders in their recent Better Business, Better World study to see what they thought of, or knew about sustainability.
Results show when it comes to the brands Kiwis perceive as being the most sustainable, two of the top five are certified through our Programme – Toyota and Meridian Energy.
The other three are ecostore, Air New Zealand and The Body Shop.
In many cases sustainability appeared to be put on the back burner during the recession as costs were cut, but the consumer sentiment is certainly still there:
"Some 88% of respondents want to buy from environmentally and socially responsible businesses, more than half said sustainability influences their choice of provider or brand and almost half were planning to increase spend on ethically, socially and environmentally friendly products and services in the next year.”
Thirteen percent said they feel well informed on matters relating to sustainability and more than three in four said the way companies talk about their social and environmental commitments is hard to understand. Keep messaging simple, transparent and engaging.
The survey also showed six in ten people think it’s only the most innovative and progressive businesses that take sustainability seriously.
“It’s a white space from a brand positioning perspective in almost every category, and one that consumers attach leadership and innovation credentials to,” says Colmar Brunton’s Managing Director Jacqueline Ireland. “So if that’s the type of territory you’re seeking for your brand, then it’s a largely untapped goldmine of opportunity at a time where truly relevant differentiation is very hard to come by for many brands.”
It is believed the stigma around "green" is disappearing and there’s a growing appreciation among Kiwis that sustainable products and services are just as good as others.
“As long as you can stack up on both quality and price, you’d be hard pressed to find a better growth opportunity in these times,” says Ireland.
New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development Chief Executive Peter Neilson says, “Sustainability is the sleeping giant of New Zealand business; both our own ShapeNZ and Colmar Brunton surveys show New Zealanders want to buy from more environmentally and socially aware companies - but often can’t tell who to buy from.”
In ShapeNZ’s survey commissioned by the Business Council, 32% of New Zealanders are prepared to shift to a more sustainable supplier provided the product costs about the same.
Communicate your sustainability story in a meaningful and transparent way so your customers understand your certification achievement.
Good shopping handbook - 40% discount
GOOD news for CEMARS and carboNZero certified clients... get in early to book your promotional page in the very popular Good Shopping Handbook (3rd edition) and benefit from a 40% discount, dropping the standard price of $1,200 to only $720.
At the end of October, 25,000 copies of this handy guide to organic, healthy and ethical products is distributed to all subscribers and readers of Good Magazine as well as all subscribers of Dish Magazine, ensuring your product is put into the hands of a qualified and very receptive audience. To find out more about the Good Shopping Handbook please follow this link: http://good.net.nz/goodbook/
Turn sunshine into savings - Free home assessment
The sun powers our planet. Every day it bathes us in 10,000 times more energy that we consume. Just an hour’s worth of sun power could electrify our world for a year. In the last 10 years the price of power has increased by 72% and we have spent $46.5 billion dollars importing oil. Solar power is free.
SolarCity has just become the world’s first carboNZero certified solar power company. To celebrate joining this network of companies and individuals who are working together to make a difference, they want everyone in the carboNZero programme family to have access to more affordable solar power.
In Nelson working alongside the city council they created the Solar Saver scheme and together have driven down the cost of solar hot water heating by up to 20% compared with the national average.
Solar hot water heating makes more sense now than ever before, and SolarCity are making it a simple, sustainable option for Kiwi families and businesses. It can give you up to a week’s free power every month and reduces one and a half tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
If you are interested in a free home assessment for solar hot water, and the chance to enjoy a week’s free power every month then email: jamie.fear@solarcity.co.nz
Congratulations to our newly certified organisations
It is our pleasure to welcome and congratulate all the certified organisations, products, services and events from around the globe that have successfully achieved CEMARS and/or carboNZero certification.
For a complete list please visit:
New appointments
Craig Muir, General Manager – International Sales
Craig is based in Auckland and is responsible for the sales functions of the Programme with a particular emphasis on developing our international markets.
Auckland born, Craig has 10 years' experience in the certification industry having worked for the world’s largest certification company, SGS, in various roles in New Zealand and overseas, including postings at SGS World Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was Global Business Development Manager and later in the New York office as Global Key Account Manager and Sales Director for SGS North America.
Craig’s experience covers a wide range of systems and product certification programmes with experience in quality, environmental, food safety (HACCP), corporate governance and social responsibility areas.
Craig is a QSA approved Quality Systems Lead Assessor, has a diploma in Food Hygiene from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (UK), is a registered HACCP practitioner and trainer and holds numerous certificates within the engineering field.
Rick Brown, Business Development Manager – New Zealand
Rick is based at Auckland and is responsible for the coordination, development and acquisition of domestic business for the Programme. Rick has over twenty years' experience working with private corporations such as 3M, and with regional and national government institutions in sales, marketing and business development roles.
Rick has a strong commitment to sustainability. He was Business Development Manager for the Green Globe programme for the New Zealand and South Pacific region and selected as a New Zealand delegate to participate in the Al Gore Climate Project training. Rick is also the founder and principal educator for the Sustainability Education Trust, delivering sustainability workshops to year 12 students in primary schools.
Rick was born and raised in East Africa. He now lives with his wife Deb and step son Flynn, on their ten acre property based in the beautiful Kauaeranga Valley on the Coromandel, where they farm a heritage breed of pigs and manage a large organic orchard based on 250 olives trees.
Rick has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato.
Chris Thurston, Sales and Account Manager
Chris is based in Auckland and is the first contact for enquiries about the Programme and helps support the development and acquisition of domestic business. Chris works directly with potential clients from all sectors to ensure they fully understand the Programme and the certification services that are on offer.
Chris has been campaigning for environmental sustainability since a young age and now looks to cement himself within the industry. He has a passion for football and experiencing different cultures. He joins the team after watching the All Whites remarkable displays in South Africa in 2010.
Chris has a Bachelor of Commerce with an endorsement in marketing from the University of Canterbury.
Stacey Bates, Administration Assistant
Stacey is based at Lincoln and provides administrative assistance and support for the Programme’s certification activities and technical development.
Stacey is new to greenhouse gas certification but this is an area that she has always wanted to gain more knowledge. Coming from a legal background means Stacey is a real asset for the team as there are many standards and rules to which the Programme must adhere.
Stacey has practiced karate for the last 15 years and is currently completing a Legal Executive Diploma by correspondence through the New Zealand Law Society.
World Environment Day 2011
On Sunday the globe united to celebrate World Environment Day 2011. In honour of this day we congratulate the businesses that have committed to reducing their impact on the environment through world leading GHG certification and we encourage all other businesses to take action!
Thank you...
Finally, thank you to those who provided feedback and completed our newsletter survey. We have implemented some of the suggestions already and will continue to work towards making the newsletter informative for you. Sue Jackman from First Direct Taxis won the carboNZero certified bottle of wine.
ISSN 1178-3990
For more details or to submit ideas for consideration for the next newsletter please contact
Chris Thurston +64 9 574 4152 (general enquiries)
Alan Carnaby +64 9 574 4188 (marketing enquiries)
