Kaikoura an example of sustainability for all

Tourism Minister Mark Burton is today congratulating Kaikoura for becoming the first town in the world to gain full certification from Green Globe, the world’s only global tourism certification programme.

Kaikoura was benchmarked two years ago to measure its environmental and social performance. And today, after achieving all its targets, it received Green Globe certification.

Mark Burton says it’s great to see Kiwis leading the world—again.

“The Kaikoura District Council has worked in partnership with local businesses and the community, and the result is outstanding. Because of their commitment, Kaikoura now has the honour of becoming the first local authority in the world to achieve Green Globe 21 certification. No other local authority in the world has played such an important role in the certification of their community.

“Kaikoura is the embodiment of The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010’s vision of a truly sustainable tourism market—one that balances tourism’s obvious economic benefits with the care, protection, and wherever possible, the enhancement of the natural and cultural environments of New Zealand. “Research shows that New Zealand’s target market—Interactive Travellers—are looking for an authentic Kiwi experience. These guests tend to be well educated, travel internationally on a regular basis, and quite often sport a relatively high level of discretionary income. They are as keen as we are to interact with and protect the very environments and heritage that have drawn them here.

“Clearly, the Kaikoura community understands this. They have invested considerable time, energy, and planning, and they will reap the benefits of responsible, sustainable tourism growth.

“I cannot congratulate them enough for this world-leading achievement, and I encourage other communities around New Zealand to follow their lead.”

To earn Green Globe certification, Kaikoura adopted zero waste policies, looked at its CO2 emissions, and had to measure its environmental performance against energy, water use, solid waste production, water quality, resource conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, travel, tourism, and biodiversity.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>