The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) cut its carbon emissions by 62 percent last financial year (July 2020-June 2021) compared with the previous year.

Toitu carbonreduce certified the figures, which were also 82 percent lower than the EPA’s base year total (2017/18).

In July 2018, the EPA signed up to the environmental certification programme with Toitū Envirocare (previously Enviro-Mark Solutions) to measure, manage, and minimise our environmental impacts.

Sarah Watson, General Manager, Finance and Systems says: "Some of the ways we encourage sustainability in our office are through using motion sensor lighting in all work areas, minimising our printing and paper use, and by providing recycling and composting bins in our kitchens.

"The EPA was one of the first government agencies to sign up to the Toitū carbon reduction programme. I’m really proud of our staff who continually look for ways to help cut our emissions, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025."

Through the Toitū carbonreduce programme, the EPA is working towards three of the requirements of the Government’s new Carbon Neutral Government Programme:

- measure, verify and report our organisations’ emissions annually

- gross emissions reductions targets and longer-term reduction plans for the next decade, and

- introduce a phased work programme to reduce our organisations’ emissions.

Toitū Envirocare's Senior Technical Advisor, Andrew Mackenzie says: "The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic means some reductions are more significant than others. What sets the EPA apart is that it has reduced in every single aspect of its carbon footprint, which shows that they're moving in the right direction.

"Toitū Envirocare is proud to be supporting the EPA on its journey to carbon neutrality. By committing to the Toitū carbonreduce certification programme, the EPA is taking credible actions to meet its Carbon Neutral Government Programme requirements while contributing to a better future for us all. By doing so, EPA sets an excellent example for fellow public sector organisations to follow suit."

The Carbon Neutral Government Programme requires the public sector to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.

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