Another Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability

Another Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability

By Kathryn Hailes, Marketing & Communications Manager

As if being the worlds first and only greenhouse gas certification scheme to be accredited by the Joint Accreditation System – Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) isn’t enough, the carboNZeroCertTM programme continues to prove why this burgeoning New Zealand business, created on a restaurant napkin 9 years ago, now leads the way in greenhouse gas certification.

We are dleighted to announce that Professor Ann Smith, the carboNZero programmes’s General Manager – Technical, was selected as the joint winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Energy Award at the prestigious EECA 2009 Awards which took place on Thursday 21 May at Sky City in Auckland.

The Judges said that Professor Smith is at the forefront of the carboNZero programme - a living certification scheme that is making a big difference to New Zealand businesses and setting a standard on the international stage for best practice.

Not only has she been instrumental in the development of the carboNZero certification concept, she was also closely involved in developing the Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme (CEMARS). With considerable uptake in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, CEMARS recognises the actions of businesses and organisations who measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, understand their carbon liabilities, and put in place management plans to reduce emissions in their organisation and more widely through their supply chain.

This has wider implications for New Zealand businesses and our economy, and is a win-win for organisations involved in the export economy that not only benefit from energy efficiency initiatives but also address the issues of food miles and passenger miles.

The judges believed that part of New Zealand's economic differentiation in the future will be based on renewable energy and carbon footprint, and the carboNZero programme has a significant role to play in helping achieve this.

It was also very pleasing to see Energy for Industry (CEMARS certified) and Yealands Estate Wines (carboNZero certified) recognised at the Awards. This demonstrates that participation in the programme assists and facilitates businesses with innovative and outstanding results in energy efficiency.

Everyday, innovative Kiwis across the country are implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that help their organisations to reduce costs, improve productivity and improve their brand credentials through lower greenhouse gas emissions – something that is increasingly more important in the current economic climate.

The carboNZero programme is leading the way in GHG certification, and the team is delighted to see Ann singled out from the 100 entries for her outstanding contribution to climate change, greenhouse gas measurement/reduction and carbon monitoring. Having helped certify nearly 200 organisations, she is undoubtedly one of the driving forces behind Landcare Research’s very successful carboNZero programme.

Credible GHG certification is an efficient and smart way to help contribute towards combating both the recession and climate change.

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