Mercury Energy Leads In Environmental Standards

Mercury Energy Leads Industry In Environmental Standard

Mercury Energy has become the first energy retailer to be awarded the Diamond Enviro-Mark accreditation. This is the highest achievement level of the international standard for environmental performance, administered in New Zealand by Landcare Research.

To receive the Diamond Enviro-Mark accreditation, businesses must pass through the first four tiers of the programme and hold a Platinum (second highest) rating for at least one year. It must then demonstrate an internal audit programme which assures effectiveness and drives continuous environmental improvement. Currently only two other New Zealand companies hold the Diamond status.

Mark Carter, Mercury Energy’s General Manager, Consumer Markets says the Enviro-Mark programme has guided the company in developing its environmental management processes to the current level. “Benchmarking our practices with an internationally recognised standard has assisted us in establishing targets and has provided both internal and external credibility for the results achieved.”

Since Mercury Energy began the Enviro-Mark accreditation programme in early 2003 the company has seen impressive improvements in the environmental impact of its operations. An example of this is a reduction in recyclable paper sent to landfill waste of 16.53 tonnes for the last year, equating to approximately 280 mature trees.

Carter believes that Mercury’s success in achieving and maintaining environmental improvement is based on strong staff buy-in. “Reaching the Diamond Enviro-Mark level requires a serious change of habits and would not have been achieved without the environmental commitment of all Mercury staff.”

Mercury Energy’s Diamond Enviro-Mark is further recognition of the company’s strong focus on environmental responsibility. In 2003 it won the Top 200 Brookfields Business Ethics Award and this year was awarded first prize for energy suppliers in the EECA EnergyWise Awards.

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