WSP Emissions Reduction Activity Recognised By Climate Leaders Coalition

Efforts by leading engineering and environmental consultancy WSP New Zealand to reduce carbon emissions have been officially recognised as meeting the requirements of the Climate Leaders Coalition’s higher ambition statement.

The Climate Leaders Coalition was set up four years ago to promote business leadership and collective action on climate change. WSP has been a member of the 105-strong membership organisation since 2018.

Signatories commit to taking climate action, including measuring and publicly reporting on their carbon emissions, setting a public emissions reduction target and working with suppliers to reduce their emissions.

The coalition’s higher ambition statement is an additional membership pledge that reflects the latest science illustrating the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C and aligns with the Government’s Zero Carbon Bill.

As an organisation that provides clients with future-ready solutions designed to withstand the impacts of climate change, WSP recognises the urgent need for climate action and has developed an ambitious carbon reduction strategy, says WSP in New Zealand Managing Director Ian Blair.

“Measuring and driving down greenhouse gas emissions has been part of our standard business practice for some time. Our internal science-based decarbonisation target is to cut WSP's own emissions by fifty percent by 2030.

"We're working towards our target in a variety of ways, including implementing air travel carbon budgets, transitioning our company's vehicle fleet to EV, focusing on the energy efficiency of our facilities, starting a carbon reduction fund and subsidising the purchase of e-bikes for WSP employees.

“We’re pleased to have met the requirements of the coalition’s higher ambition statement. Being recognised in this way reflects the work we’re doing on multiple fronts to accelerate climate action and take the lead on a zero-carbon built environment.”

Ian encourages any business that hasn’t already done so to sign up to the Climate Leaders Coalition. Aggressively pursuing carbon reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals is an essential step that all organisations, large and small, must take in helping New Zealand reach its 2050 net zero goal, he says.

WSP’s internal efforts to report on and reduce carbon emissions are complemented by a major new external commitment announced last November that will see the carbon footprint of all infrastructure designs and advice provided to clients halved by 2030.

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