15 March 2007

Contact Energy grasps climate change opportunity

The Green Party today welcomed the steps taken by Contact Energy to help its electricity and gas customers to reduce their carbon emissions, and the prospect of competition between SOEs and Contact Energy over the best package of responses to climate change, Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says..

"Contact Energy's target of assisting their customers to reduce and offset 50,00 tonnes next financial year and one million tones in all by 2014 is admirable, and I look forward to seeing matching bids - or better - from SOEs," Ms Fitzsimons.

Contact Energy will be installing an Energy Calculator on its website to enable households to work out their carbon footprint, and will then suggest steps to help achieve reductions. This will be done in conjunction with the company's existing energy efficiency and home insulation programmes.

"This is the kind of role one would hope a privately owned power company would play, to show leadership on an issue as important as climate change.

"To date, business has more often treated action on climate change as a cost they seek to avoid. Contact Energy has to be congratulated for having the foresight to view it as a business opportunity. Hopefully, this example will inspire other businesses to do likewise," Ms Fitzsimons says."

ENDS

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