Green Is Good!

Do TV adds make a difference???

If you have been watching prime time mainsteam TV recently you would have seen The Energy Spot TV adds!

The current TVC relates to fuel efficient driving.

Have you watched the add?

 

 

If so, would you change your driving behaviour?

Have you visited the Energy Sport web site?

Energy wise tells us:

Take action

Wise fuel use is not just what you drive - how you drive and care for your car makes a big difference.

• Drive smoothly. Accelerate and brake gently and smoothly, including in and out of corners.
• Watch your speed. Travelling at 100 km/h instead of 110 km/h can cut around 10% off your fuel bill.
• Cut your idling time. Idling wastes fuel. If you're going to be stationary for more than 30 seconds, switch off the car.
• Check your tyre pressure monthly. If it's too low your car has to work harder, and it can impact on the way the car handles and brakes.
• Keep your load down and your car streamlined. It sounds obvious, but the heavier your load is or the more drag you've got, the harder your car's engine needs to work - it can add up to 5% onto your fuel bills. So if you're not using something - like the golf clubs or the pram - take it out of your car. Reduce drag by taking off roof and cycle racks when you don't need them.
• Love your car.A well-maintained car can use up to 10% less fuel than an inadequately maintained one. Regular servicing, the right tyres for the conditions and proper wheel alignment can all make a difference.

>> Learn more simple ways to cut your car's fuel use.

Did you know?

• The average kiwi household spends around the same amount of money on vehicle fuel as on energy for their home - about $2200 a year.
• There are about 2.5 million light passenger vehicles in New Zealand that each use, on average, over 1,200 litres of fuel a year.
• If every New Zealand motorist used 20% less fuel, NZ would use about 628 million litres less fuel each year - that's like taking 500,000 cars off our roads.
• The top driving team in the 2008 AA ENERGYWISE™ Rally - in which new cars and drivers battle to achieve the lowest running costs over a four-day route - beat the stated fuel consumption of their vehicle by a whopping 40%.

This is good advice. However I do not believe the mainstream TV consumer gets it??

Local Community Action

I have recently offered some volunteer time to help The Friends of Maara Roa.  

Here is some background information on the group:

The story is told that in former times a Maori woman, name unknown, tended a garden on a long strip of land somewhere in the northern side of this valley. She grew fruit and vegetables there, and shared them generously with Maori and Pakeha alike. So well-known did she become for her hospitality, that travellers called her home "The Long Garden - Maara Roa.The nearby Marae has honoured her by naming the Wharenui "Ukaipo Hiato" - the gathering place of the mother who provides for all the people.The Friends of "Nga Hoa o Maara Roa" intend to recreate a forest "garden" here, whose pleasures can be similarly shared by all in years to come.

Objectives

The objectives of the Friends of Maara Roa for this valley are to:
· Enhance and restore the native forest
· Guard and develop it for public ownership and enjoyment
· Cooperate with City and Regional Councils and other bodies
· Provide a venue for educational activities
· Protect all its indigenous flora and fauna

What the society does

· Grow native seedlings
· Plant and look after new native trees
· Protect existing bush
· Improve freshwater wetland
· Control pest animals and weeds
· Reinstate the big native trees
· Follow bio-diversity principles
· Open new walking tracks
· Plan for the future reserve

What we hope for

· The whole valley in public ownership
· Year round access for walks in the bush
· Mitigation of motorway impacts
· Future bush corridor across the hills to Petone

How can YOU help?????????????

· Native forest monitoring
· Collecting seeds
· Growing seedlings at home
· Helping with organisation
· Fundraising and sponsorship
· Removing exotic plants or trees
· Joining the pest control team
· Giving donations
· Lobbying, networking
· Environmental or planning advice
· Surveys

If you business is looking for an initiative to link to your corporate CSR activities then why not do you bit for nature by planting and caring for native trees in the 100ha Maara Roa Native Forrest? It is located in the Belmont Regional Park.

3 Ways to Help - Group Volunteers -Adopt a spot and Offering expertise!

For more information contact sylvan@actrix.co.nz for more information

Consultation on pre-1990 forest land allocation announced

The "Sustainable Forestry Bulletin" recently sent me this message that I want to reproduce for you all to read as it is a subject some of you will have an interest in.

 

New consultation on the pre-1990 forest land allocation

The Pre-1990 Forest Land Allocation Plan (Consultation Draft) has been released today for the allocation of New Zealand Units (NZUs) to owners of pre-1990 forest land.

The Consultation Draft supersedes the Draft Forestry Allocation Plan released in October 2008. All submissions received in response to the 2008 Draft Plan were carefully considered. Where supported by the Government, options put forward in previous submissions have been included in the current proposed changes.

A new allocation plan is required because of the changes to the forestry provisions of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that are proposed in the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill (see Issue 8 of this bulletin for further details).

Note that submissions to the Select Committee considering the Amendment Bill closed on 13 October 2009. Current legislation and regulations still apply until changes are passed into law by Parliament.

The pre-1990 forest land allocation policy

Under the ETS, emissions arising from the deforestation of more than 2 hectares of exotic pre 1990 forest land after 1 January 2008 are automatically included in the ETS unless the land has been exempted. To offset some of the impact of the rules of the ETS, New Zealand Units (NZUs) are to be allocated to eligible owners of pre-1990 exotic forest land.

Eligible landowners will need to decide in the first half of 2010 whether to either:

• apply for an allocation of NZUs; or
• if eligible, apply to have their land exempted from the NZ ETS (under the less-than-50 ha exemption, or the tree weed exemption).

The allocation of NZUs is 18, 39 or 60 units per hectare depending on when and how the landowner acquired the land. All eligible recipients will be transferred part of their entitlement (38%) in Commitment Period 1 (1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012); the balance will be transferred after 2012.

The forestry allocation has significant value. Landowners will not be obliged to apply for either an allocation of NZUs or one of the exemptions but it may be in their financial interests to do so. The Government expects most, if not all, eligible landowners will apply for either an allocation or an exemption.

This consultation

The Consultation Draft of the Pre-1990 Forest Land Allocation Plan that we are seeking feedback on follows the proposed policy and process requirements in the Amendment Bill. Specifically, we seek your feedback on:

• Which landowner should receive an allocation of units if forest land was recently sold?
• When does a shareholding change become an ownership change, and how to determine when ownership was transferred?
• What information should be provided with applications?
• What records must be kept and for how long?

These elements of the Allocation Plan will not be prescribed by the ETS legislation once it is amended.

The public can make submissions on the Consultation Draft until November 22, 2009. For a copy of the consultation draft or to make an online submission, visit www.maf.govt.nz/sustainable-forestry, call 0800 CLIMATE (254 628) or email: climatechange@maf.govt.nz.

MAF grants $4 million for new forests

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has granted $4 million to 42 recipients to plant new forests.

MAF Programmes Director Clive Lilley says the third round of the Afforestation Grant Scheme's (AGS) public tender round, which closed on 30 April, saw a total of $4,020,993 granted to projects around New Zealand for the 2009/10 and 2010/11 financial years

"The 42 projects will create 2688 hectares of new forest in 2009 and 2010 at an average price of $1789 per hectare in the high sequestration pool and $650 per hectare in the low sequestration pool.

"It will be allocated to projects in the Waikato, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Wanganui, Wellington, Nelson/Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions.

"MAF received 68 tenders in this last round, double the number received in the previous round, indicating very strong interest in the Scheme."

Mr Lilley said since the AGS got underway in June last year over $6.9 million has been allocated to projects totaling over 4,495 hectares.

All available funding has now been allocated for the 2010/11 financial year, which means there will be no tender round for this October.

The next tender round is planned to close on 30 March 2010. Mr Lilley said 16 eligible tenders that have not been able to be approved due to demand exceeding available funding have been held over and may be approved as further funding becomes available.

Next year’s round will be for projects starting in the 2011/12 financial year.

For further information on the AGS or to download an AGS Public Tender Form, see: http://www.maf.govt.nz/climatechange/forestry/initiatives/ags/

The Sustainability Forestry Bulletin

The "Sustainable Forestry Bulletin" is about keeping you and others with an interest in forestry informed. Please feel free to forward it on to others who might be interested.

To subscribe to the Bulletin, please email sustainableforestrybulletin@maf.govt.nz with ‘Subscribe: Sustainable Forestry Bulletin’ in the subject line and your contact details in the body of the email.

If you have any questions relating to anything in this Bulletin or other forestry matters, please email your enquiries to: climatechange@maf.govt.nz or ring 0800 CLIMATE (254 628).

Sustainability and risk management

I have just come across some information on Harvard Business related to why investors are taking note of companies sustainability platforms.

In a time when the "s" word is out of favour in the New Zealand Government area the "s" word still has pulling power with investors and customers.

In the article called :

Why Investors Should Consider Sustainability Risk Management
by Daniel Goleman

Goreman states: Here's yet another concern for investors: sustainability risk management, or SRM. While the basic concept has been around for years, emerging market forces are creating a new strain of investor sustainability risk: point-of-purchase reputation risk. Disruptive systems are on the verge of revealing ecological impacts of products that could sink some brands — and boost others

Investors are taking note. The Investor Network on Climate Riskhas 80-plus members representing over $60 trillion (including BlackRock and CalPERS). While climate concerns have been at the forefront for investors like these, social sustainability — such as how workers are treated — has been an additional focus of late. And as new ecological transparency systems come online, that focus will most certainly broaden.

TO READ THE FULL NARRATIVE - CLICK HERE

What sustainability position does your company have? How do you market your sustainability position?

Are you engaging with your suppliers and customers on your sustainability platform? Is this giving you competitive advantage?

In our view your "s" position is still as important as ever.

We come across many business that have yet to understand the business case for sustainability!

What are you doing in this regard?

China, the United States, and the Climate Change Challenge

 
I am a subscriber to the WRI's monthly digest.

In the latest edition there is a link to the research they have undertaken on China and the USA.

As the two largest current global emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs), it is imperative that the United States and China work together to support effective domestic energy and climate change programs and an effective international climate regime. As China’s domestic energy policy has transformed over the last several years to incorporate climate-friendly goals – increased energy efficiency and a greater contribution of non-fossil fuels to its energy mix – this opportunity is already becoming a reality, especially as the United States advances comprehensive climate policy.

READ MORE HERE

If you want to download a copy of the report CLICK HERE

The Business of Sustainability: What It Means to Managers Now

I am currently working my way thru the fall issues of MIT Sloan Management Review.  
This issue is focused on SUSTAINABILITY.

It is a must read as they have published information on their global research.

For example:

How are sustainability pressures altering the competitive landscape, and how are businesses responding? The first annual Business of Sustainability Survey and interview project found answers.

Key Findings

REVISED AGENDA

The survey revealed a strong consensus that sustainability is having — and will continue to have — a material impact on how companies think and act.

• More than 92% of survey respondents said that their company was addressing sustainability.

DOWNTURN?

Sustainability is surviving the downturn.

• Fewer than 25% of survey respondents said that their company had decreased its commitment to sustainability during the downturn.

BUT ACTION LAGS

Although almost all the executives in the survey thought that sustainability would have an impact on their business and were trying to address this topic, the majority also said that their companies were not acting decisively to fully exploit the opportunities and mitigate the risks that sustainability presents.

• The majority of sustainability actions undertaken to date appear to be limited to those necessary to meet regulatory requirements.
• Almost 70% of survey respondents said that their company has not developed a clear business case for sustainability.

Is "sustainability" now a bad or dirty word in New Zealand?

I have been having a number of conversations with business owners and corporate managers regarding the business case for sustainability recently.

It seems under the National Government the word "sustainability" has been banned and is seen as a legacy of the previous Nanny State!

It has not helped the business community that programmes such as Govt3and the CNPS Carbon Neutral Public Service have been canceled and a number of key roles with in the Ministry of the Environment have been disestablished! What kind of message is this sending to business and our citizens?

If you are a reader of this BLOG you will know the mantra we make which is sustainability is good for business and that with the upcoming introduction of the ETS all consumers and business owners will pay more for certain commodities such as ENERGY.

But what can we do?

EECA CEO Mike Underhill gives some sage advice in the current edition of the IN-Business Magazine. He states " An energy audit of the business is often the best way to start an energy management programme. Typically,for every dollar invested in an energy audit, $10 of savings are identified"

So what Mike is telling us is that to minimise the impacts of energy price rises we need to be more efficient. If we measure it we can manage it!

If you are interested in more information on this debate check out the following LINK to a recent article in the idealog magazine.

Let you be assured in business sustainability is not a dirty word. As we dont need the Government to tells us what to do! Being a sustainable business makes prefect sense!

The countdown is on for COP 15 at the UNFCCC in Copenhagen

 

The countdown is on and preparations are well underway for COP 15 at the UNFCCC in Copenhagen.  In recent days we have seen Japan, China and India all commit to ambitious targets.  Australia and the US are both still to gain legislative support for their targets.  UN negotiations are now back underway in Bangkok.  This is the penultimate negotiating session before COP 15 in Copenhagen in December, at which an ambitious and effective international climate change deal is to be clinched.

New Zealand will present its ETS to this meeting!

At a press conference held midway through the Talks in Bangkok (2 Oct), Yvo de Boer spoke of encouraging signals that the Talks can deliver the tools and rules essential to a successful climate change deal in Copenhagen. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO

What do you think of the speech? Is it all talk and will there be action!! Let us know your thoughts!

So right - So smart

Went to the opening night of the Fifth Environmental Film Festival at The Paramount in Wellington NZ.

The opening movie was the winner of the Reel Earth's best feature film award winner "So Right - So Smart".

The movie is about Ray Anderson and the sustainability journey of Interface Carpets.

This is an excellent and must see movie for all business owners and anyone who cares about the future of our planet.

Here is some background on the movie:

CO Directors: Justin Maine,Leanne Robinson-Maine,Guy Noerr & Michael Swantek

Producer:
Leanne Robinson-Maine

Executive Producer: Guy Noerr

USA 2008

Nominated for Best Feature Film

Winner: Destination Manawatu Award for Best Feature Film

"I was a plunderer of Earth; stealing my grandchildren’s future. And that is not the legacy one wants to leave behind.” One of the slickest, most professional films submitted to this year’s festival, So Right So Smart tells the story of how, in an epiphanal moment, Ray Anderson, founder of the hugely successful Interface Corporation, realised the implications of his company’s way of operating. Describing it as “like a spear in the chest,” Anderson accepted the ethical imperative to ensure Interface no longer imperilled but in fact contributed to a sustainable future. The decision, he believed, was “So right.” As his vision turned into action, he realised sustainability was also “So smart”—it helped, not hindered, his business goals. So Right So Smart also shows how ecologically sound business practices foster better business in general, using examples such as clothing company Patagonia, the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, rock stars the Bare Naked Ladies and others. Insights from luminaries like Paul Hawken, David Suzuki, Lester Brown, and many others entertain and inform, and the narration by Daryl Hannah links the various aspects of the film to help create a truly inspirational film that should be required viewing for all our politicians and captains of industry. Highly recommended.

CHECK OUT A TRAILER OF THE MOVIE HERE

 

COP15 Copenhagen 7-18 December 2009

All the talk is on the Copenhagen climate chnage talks in December 2009.

What are they?

The sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are open to Parties of the Convention and Observer States (Governments), the United Nations System and observer organizations duly admitted by the Conference of the Parties.

Parties: Governments nominate their respective representatives to participate and negotiate at the sessions of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. This may include ministers, negotiators, and those who the Governments consider are necessary to achieve their goals during the sessions. Eg. New Zealand

CMP
The Conference of the Parties (COP) serves as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. This is referred to as the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP).

Conference of the Parties

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the "supreme body" of the Convention, that is, its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries that are Parties to the Convention.

The COP is responsible for keeping international efforts to address climate change on track. It reviews the implementation of the Convention and examines the commitments of Parties in light of the Convention’s objective, new scientific findings and experience gained in implementing climate change policies. A key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties. Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.

I hope this helps?

Proof that supports our claim that sustainability is good for business!

If you have read this BLOG on a regular basis you will know the mantra of "sustainability is good for business" here is some proof that supports this claim.

EurActiv.com, 21 September 2009 - Global revenues from climate-related businesses such as energy efficiency rose by 75% in 2008 to $530 billion and could exceed $2 trillion by 2020, HSBC Global Research estimated on Friday (18 September).

In the 2006 Stern Review on the economics of climate change, climate-related revenues were forecast to climb to $500 billion by 2050.

"We can see that this seemingly huge figure has already been surpassed well ahead of time as more and more businesses adapt their business model," said Joaquim de Lima, global head of quant research for equities at HSBC.

The climate sector has surpassed the size of the global aerospace or defence industry, with the United States, Japan, France, Germany and Spain accounting for 76% of global climate revenues, the report found.

For revenues to rise to $2 trillion, the way energy is generated and used needs to change and continued government support is needed.

The four core investment pillars will be low-carbon energy production, energy efficiency, control of water, waste and pollution and climate finance, the report said.

Energy efficiency recorded the highest investment returns in the year to date at 30%, followed by carbon finance at 24%.

"This is a very significant trend given the substantial share of climate stimulus funds that have been directed at energy efficiency and energy management by governments across the globe," HSBC analysts said.

New Zealand business should take not of the content above. As we go forward into the NZETS it simply makes economic sense to be sustainable in business!

Organisational changes taking place within the Sustainable Business Network

I received the following message this morning that I thought would be of interest to readers of this BLOG.

Letter from Chris Morrison, Chair of Sustainable Business Network and Rachel Brown, CEO Sustainable Business Network, to all members

 

Dear SBN Member,

I’d like to take this opportunity to inform you of some organisational changes which will be taking place within the Sustainable Business Network over the coming months.  Additionally, I will supply some background information on the occurrences which have led to these decisions being made. 

SBN’s governmental funding ceased on 30 June 2009; it had previously been contracted to continue until 30 June 2010.  This significant change to SBN’s income stream meant that the organisation needed to closely examine the ways in which it offered services and tools to members.  Foremost in our minds was the need to rationalise the costs associated with operating separate offices throughout the regions, while still ensuring that the service levels remained at the high standard previously enjoyed by members.  We have sought to reduce our overheads to ensure that membership subscriptions and other income is used to achieve our first priority; the continued provision of high quality services to our members.

How will SBN’s structure be different?

The National SBN Board has sought to retain the organisation’s regional structure as much as possible so as to ensure that services to members are affected in the least possible way.  As a result, each region will now be responsible for managing a national portfolio covering key areas such as national events, communications, and overall network management.  This will result in high quality events; consistent National communications and research; and centralised national management, being offered to all members.

While all regions will remain as separate entities complete with requisite Regional Advisory Boards, some regional offices will now be coordinated from other existing offices.  This is particularly pertinent for both Waikato and Southern Regions.  In the case of Waikato, from January 2010 the regional office functions will now be run from Tauranga where it will operate as one with the Bay of Plenty region.  At that stage, Jo Wills will undertake the role of Bay of Plenty/Waikato Regional Manager. 

Jo has worked with SBN businesses for three years in the Bay and created a vibrant, thriving network.  Jo is looking forward to expanding this interaction to include Waikato SBN members in the future.  Because of Jo’s previous event management successes, she will now also be undertaking a strategic role in developing the national events strategy.

In the case of the Southern Region, the Christchurch office functions will be run out of the Wellington/Central office from January 2010. The Nelson satellite office will also report to the Wellington/Central office.  At that stage, Brenda Harkin will undertake the role of Central/South Island Regional Manager. 

Brenda has worked with SBN businesses for two years in the Central region which is also a very active and fast growing network. Brenda is excited to have the opportunity to engage with Southern Regional SBN members in the future.  In addition, Brenda will now be undertaking the National Communications Manager role.  She is passionate about research and ensuring members are kept up to date with the most recent developments in sustainable business practices. 

Over the coming months, it is with much sadness that we will bid farewell to a number of our colleagues: Jan Harrison, Carolyn Brown, Michelle Locke, Andrea Oliphant and Elizabeth Fletcher.  We are a close knit team, and these changes are very reluctantly made. We whole-heartedly wish these talented individuals much luck in the future – they come highly recommended from us at SBN if you are seeking new staff.

Will this affect my SBN membership benefits?

No, you will still receive the same member benefits – the only difference will be in where these are delivered from.  As such, your business will still enjoy access to all of the great SBN tools and services which include Greenlist, GreenFleet; GetSustOnlilne; Get Sustainable Challenge; listing on Members’ Directory; monthly newsletters; member certificate; AGM voting eligibility; and use of the SBN member logo.  You will still enjoy the opportunity to attend networking events and workshops in your region.

In addition to these current, ongoing benefits, you will also receive access to some new and exciting tools and services in 2010.  Jo, with her National Events Manger hat on will be working on a strategy for delivering a series of high value, inspirational events for members in 2010.  The aim is to provide SBN members with opportunities to hear from high profile, expert speakers – in this way, you will be able to learn from and interact with those professionals at the cutting edge of sustainable business practices both nationally and internationally.

Brenda, as SBN’s National Communications Manager, will provide a more centralised communication with consistent information across all regional newsletters and other communications.

David Clendon will undertake the role of National Network Manager in addition to managing the Northern Region.  His skills, experience and expertise will ensure that the operational function of SBN is fulfilled to a high standard and his members continue to receive the same high quality service he has delivered in the past.

SBN is currently exploring the establishment of a ratings system to support the Get Sustainable Challenge tool.  This will go one step further than previously in that an organisation can choose to gain verification around its sustainable business practices.  More information on this will be supplied in early 2010.

Through a new partnership with EECA, SBN is planning a launch of its Sustainable Business AdviceLine “Ask an Expert” to members this year.  This email service will be free to SBN members and is aimed at providing tailored support and advice on sustainability issues in business.

 

We’re excited about the future and look forward to delivering a high quality programme to our valued members this year and beyond. 

Should you have any questions about these changes please contact your regional managers or myself as per the contact details below.

Best Regards,

 

Rachel Brown and Chris Morrison

 

Rachel Brown

CEO Sustainable Business Network

Email: rachel@sustainable.org.nz; Ph: 09 826 0952

 

David Clendon

National Network Manager and Northern Regional Manager

Email: david@sustainable.org.nz; Ph: 09 826 5642

 

Jo Wills

National Events Manager and BOP/Waikato Manager

Email: jo@sustainable.org.nz; Ph: 07 5779355

 

Brenda Harkin

National Communications Manager and Central/South Island Manager

Email: brenda@sustainable.org.nz; Ph: 04 3844715

 

ETS 101 - a starting guide

There is much debate in NZ on the proposed NZETS. We must remember that an ETS is not the total solution to all of the emission problems nor is it the only response.

To follow is a 101 guide to ETS.

It has always been our position that being sustainable is good for business! This is now bearing fruit as there is a direct positive economic impact related to the cost of carbon under and NZETS.

For example if the power price is set to rise in the NZETS then being more energy efficient will save you money! We think this is a "no brainer"!

Emissions Trading

 

Emissions trading is a policy instrument available to mitigate GHG emissions. It involves putting a limit on the quantity of GHG emissions that can be emitted to the atmosphere over a set period of time – the “emissions cap”

 

Government policy documents state that emissions trading schemes are internationally recognised as an equitable, effective and efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Emitters of carbon will need to purchase carbon credits. As carbon is emitted, the credits that a business holds/processes will need to be surrendered, effectively “paying” for the greenhouse gasses produced.

 

GHG emissions are usually converted to their carbon dioxide equivalent [CO₂e]

 

Trading participants can then purchase and sell emission allowances in order to meet their emissions cap.

 

Emissions trading operates like a commodity market where the price is determined by the Market based on the relative supply.

 

The price of the emission allowance [the carbon price] is the financial incentive to limit emissions.

 

Emissions trading alone will not be sufficient to achieve the global reductions in GHG emissions that are required to stabilise atmospheric GHG concentrations, but ETS is the principal instrument that governments are employing in the first instance.

 

Any ETS system has advantages and disadvantages. Potential advantages of an ETS include:

 

• The guarantee of a specific emissions reduction [abatement] outcome which is set by an emission cap
• Can lead to the use of innovation and business responses to reduce the resource intensity and affect of business on GHG emissions

 

Potential disadvantages can include:

 

• The carbon price is not known in advance
• Can be costly to establish
• If free rebates and permits are offered then economic distortions can occur

 

Cap and Trade

 

New Zealand has chosen a cap and trade system. This involves setting a specific limit (a cap) on the quantity of emissions that can be released to the atmosphere from a specified group of emission sources over a given time period.

 

For an ETS to be effective and efficient as a mitigation instrument the trading  system should cover some of the following key principles:

 

• Maximum emissions coverage
• Provide a clear market incentive to reduce emissions
• Be embodied in long term government policy
• Maximise administration efficiencies to reduce compliance costs
• Have a clear set of standards that allow for accurate emissions accounting
• Provide economic efficiency and equity

 

What is the ETS

 

Under an ETS, prices are established for units to emit greenhouse gases. It is hoped that these prices influence decisions by producers, consumers and investors, in their decision making around the reduction of emissions and to look at viable alternatives.

 

Put more simply, essentially, if you create emissions, say by using fossil fuels by driving your car e.g. petroleum, it costs you units (so called carbon credits). If you create a carbon sink (plant trees) that then soak up carbon emissions, you create credit units that can be traded.

If you have any questions or comments let us know?

Beehive - Revised ETS balances NZ environment & economy

Beehive - Revised ETS balances NZ environment & economy Shared via AddThis

The NZ Government has made it's announcements on the NZETS - it is now more than ever important for NZ business to get on with its ETS strategy!

We suggest that you take a process improvement angle and look at reductions and efficiencies in:

• water usage
• energy usage
• fuel usage
• fleet mileage
• waste to landfill

The release on Nick Smith web page state:

Features of the revised scheme include:

• Revised entry dates of 1 July 2010 for transport, energy and industrial sectors and 1 January 2015 for agriculture
• A transitional phase until 1 January 2013 with a 50% obligation and $25 fixed price option for the transport, energy and industrial sectors
  
• A production-based industry average approach to allocations for trade exposed, emissions intensive businesses
  
• A phase-out of industry support aligned with trading partners and the Government’s long-term -50 by 2050 emissions reduction target
  
• Incentives for afforestation created by a domestic and international market for carbon credits
  
• Enhanced transitional support for the fishing industry

WE SUGGEST YOU READ THE RELATED DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT

Look for these at the bottom of the page on the link above.

Milutin Milankovitch the father of climate change research??

I have been undertaking some research for some upcoming seminars I will be conduction on Sustainability, Climate Change and the NZETS.

I must have missed that class at college about the Milankovitch cycles so I thought that the reads of this BLOG may also be interested too??

Milankovich Cycles

 

The Milankovich cycles refers to changes in the earth’s orbit and orientation toward the sun and have long term important bearings on the earth’s climate.

 

Astronomer Milutin Milankovitch [1879 – 1958] developed the mathematical formulas upon which these orbital variations are based. He hypothesized that when some parts of the cyclic variations are combined and occur at the same time, they are responsible for major changes to the earth's climate (even ice ages). Milankovitch estimated climatic fluctuations over the last 450,000 years and described cold and warm periods.

 

The Serbian astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch is best known for developing one of the most significant theories relating Earth motions and long-term climate change. Born in 1879 in the rural village of Dalj (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, today located in Croatia), Milankovitch attended the Vienna Institute of Technology and graduated in 1904 with a doctorate in technical sciences. After a brief stint as the chief engineer for a construction company, he accepted a faculty position in applied mathematics at the University of Belgrade in 1909—a position he held for the remainder of his life.

 

You may have missed this science class at school and may not be aware that  the axis of the earth pointing toward the North Star (Polaris) is at an angle of 23.45° and that the earth is approximately 91-94 million miles from the sun, these facts are not absolute or constant. The interaction between the earth and sun, known as orbital variation, changes and has changed throughout the 4.6 billion year history of our planet.

 

Orbit Variations

 

About every 100,000 years the earth’s orbit around the sun varies from nearly circular to elliptical (elongated). This has an effect on the amount of the suns radiation that strikes the earth. When circular the variations are around 6% between summer and winter. However in an elliptical phase the variation can be 20-30%!

 

You may think that most objects in space that orbit something else move in circles, but that isn't the case. Although some objects follow circular orbits, most orbits are shaped more like "stretched out" circles or ovals. Mathematicians and astronomers call this oval shape an ellipse.

 

The eccentricity of Earth's orbit is very small, so Earth's orbit is nearly circular. Earth's orbital eccentricity is less than 0.02. The orbit of Pluto is the most eccentric of any planet in our Solar System. Pluto's orbital eccentricity is almost 0.25.

 

The Sun is not at the center of an elliptical orbit. It is a little off to one side, at a point called a "focus" of the ellipse. Because of this offset the planet moves closer to and further away from the Sun every orbit. The close point in each orbit is called perihelion. The far away point is called aphelion. If an orbit has a large eccentricity, the difference between the perihelion distance and the aphelion distance will also be large. Earth is only 3% further from the Sun at aphelion than it is at perihelion. Pluto's aphelion distance from the Sun is 66% greater than its perihelion distance.

 

 

 

Axis Tilt

 

 

About every 42,000 years the tilt of the earth’s axis ranges from 21.8 to 24.4 degrees. This tilt determines the angle of solar radiation that hits the earth’s surface.  At present we are around 23.5 degrees.

 

The Earth's axis is tilted from perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic by 23.45°. This tilting is what gives us the four seasons of the year - spring, summer, autumn (fall) and winter. Since the axis is tilted, different parts of the globe are oriented towards the Sun at different times of the year.

 

Summer is warmer than winter (in each hemisphere) because the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a more direct angle during summer than during winter and also because the days are much longer than the nights during the summer. During the winter, the Sun's rays hit the Earth at an extreme angle, and the days are very short. These effects are due to the tilt of the Earth's axis.

 

Orientation

 

About every 22,000 years the orientation of the earth’s axis changes between the Pole star and the Vega star. This determines what time summer and winter occurs!

 

The term "Earth orientation" refers to the direction in space of axes which have been defined on the Earth. It is usually measured using five quantities: two angles which identify the direction of the Earth's rotation axis within the Earth, an angle describing the rotational motion of the Earth, and two angles which characterize the direction of the Earth's rotation axis in space. With these coordinates, the orientation of the Earth in space is fully described.

 

 

Pole Star

 

A pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent position is close to one of the celestial poles, and which lies (approximately) directly overhead when viewed from the Earth's North Pole or South Pole. There are potentially both northern and southern pole stars, but whether there is either depends on the current orientation of the Earth's axis, which moves over time (see precession of the equinoxes). The term the Pole Star usually refers to the star Polaris (colloquially referred to as the North Star), which is the current northern pole star.

 

EU greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.5% in 2008 - can NZ do the same?

EU greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.5% in 2008

31 August 2009 - Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU declined for the fourth year running last year, according to preliminary data released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Monday. Emissions were down by 1.5% across the bloc and 1.3% in the old EU-15.

This brought EU-27 emissions to 10.7% below 1990 levels, more than halfway to the EU's legally-binding target of a 20% cut by 2020. In the EU-15, emissions in 2008 were 6.2% below 1990 levels. This confirms the region is well on track to reach its Kyoto target, said environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.

But Mr Dimas acknowledged that part of the reduction comes from the economic slowdown, which significantly brought down production levels and related emissions. He urged member states to swiftly implement the EU's climate and energy package to continue this downward trend.

Earlier this year, the European Commission reported a 3% drop in industrial emissions of greenhouse gases in 2008. Analysts primarily attributed the decrease to the recession. Last week, a report showed the world's largest companies are unlikely deliver cuts recommended by scientists.

This is the first time the EEA has published provisional data for the previous year so early. Emissions data for 2007 were only published three months ago. EU emissions fell by 1.2% that year compared to 0.3% in 2006. A final report on the 2008 data will be published in June 2010.

Internationally, ongoing climate negotiations are making slow progress.During a meeting in Bonn in August, the UNFCCC released figures showing pledges made by rich nations would only amount to a 15-21% cut. Governments will continue their discussions at a G20 meeting in Pittsburgh, the US, on 24-25 September.

Japan's Democratic Party, which swept to power on Sunday, has pledged to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. The previous government had proposed an 8% reduction .

What can we learn form what the EU is achieving?

My view is that they took the pain and got an ETS up and running early and now they are reaping the rewards!

EarthTrends Delivered: Get the latest WRI charts and data via your inbox

As a subscriber to the WRI - World Resources Institute I have been advised of the launch of Earth Trends.

They state:

WRI is happy to announce the preview release of "EarthTrends Delivered" - a free graphics subscription service sending WRI charts and figures to your inbox based on your research and policy priorities.

"EarthTrends Delivered" makes it easy for you to use WRI charts and figures in your research, presentations, or in the media. For every chart, "EarthTrends Delivered" provides high-resolution images and original citations, and in many cases the underlying data sets.

This initial release includes Climate and Energy charts and figures that address issues related to U.S. and international climate policy, energy and electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation.

To learn more, provide feedback, or subscribe today, visit www.earthtrendsdelivered.org/signup?c=CT1842.

I have signed up as this looks like a good resource. I suggest you sign up too!

Making sustainability work - communities of expertise

 When I cleared my mail box today the latest edition of Idealog magazine was waiting for me.

In this months issue they are promoting the following:

Subscriberswill have a nice, new and generally fresh September-October copy of Idealog in their letterboxes by now. The rest of you will have to huddle at the newsagent Monday onwards, for your copy.

This time around, members of the media will wince uncomfortably at reading Matt Cooney’s story Free Thinking, but there’s plenty more in the rag to feast your eyes on.

I’m looking forward to Matt Suddain’s yarn about the Sony Walkman—yes, it was 30 years ago today when it made that C-90 play—and how it’s changed our world. Then there’s Orion Health that plans to help Barack Obama with his healthcare reforms, four dancing women, corporate sabotage, a new advice column from Lance Wiggs and a magazine typically full of creative ideas and business thinking.

But wait—there’s more, and we’re not talking infomercials either. Folded inside Idealog you’ll find a copy of Celsias. It’s our new eco-news magazine, featuring stories like the new venture that former Bendon baron Stefan Preston has launched with one-time joya teacher Jyoti Morningstar; plus, it’s asking quarrelsome questions like ‘Is Sustainability Dead?’ Well, is it? Read for yourself, and head over to www.celsias.co.nz to get an idea of what the magazine’s all about (hint: it’s not all about the magazine).

I had a read of the sections on Sustainability and decided to register with Celsias.

Celsias state that sustainability is not a spectator sport!

I commend any initiative to raise the profile of sustainability. The only way we collectively will make a difference is by our strong networks and it looks like Celsias is a good one to be involved with.

Let me know your thoughts and if you will join?

Green Pen update #8 It still looks like a pen!

The last green pen trial update was on 3 June 2009. Since then we have had a hard winter in Wellington.

Today has turned sunny after a rainstorm and gale winds over night!

To follow are the latest pictures of the pen sitting in my garden. As you will notice that more than a year after I put it there it still looks like a pen and the printing is still very clear!

 

 

 

Making the environment sexy! The Age of Stupid Movie

Did you know that the producer of the movie THE AGE OF STUPID is a kiwi? Lizzie Gillett cut her teeth in Dunedin.

Will this movie be the next Inconvenient Truth?

From my research it looks like they are using some strong facts and information as a basis for the movie.

The Age of Stupidis the new four-year epic from McLibel director Franny Armstrong. Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

I will check the movie out in the next week and post my review. Please post a comment and review if you have seen the movie.

Carpooling - Greener, cheaper and more fun?? Maybe?

In this mornings Dominion Post print edition I read an article on page A2 about a new Wellington based car pool scheme.

One of the factors of reinstating the car pooling system is the ongoing problems with the regions commuter trains!

The article tells me that 700 people have signed up for the system. How may vehicle journeys does this take off the regions roads?

It is a fine balancing act between the potential of more vehicle trips as a result of commuter fleeing the trains! But at the current moment who want to use our truly 3rd world system?

I comment the Regional Council for the Let's carpool web site- however I ask the questions is this not the same regional council that has progressively let our trains get run down thru lack of investment!

Roll on 2010-11 for the arrival of our new trains and good luck to those trying car pooling. Let us all know what it is like if you use the service?

Heaps of green issues and people on Twitter but can you trust the Twitter Platform?

When I signed in to write this post I had the following message from TypePad!

Attention: Recent attacks to Twitter are affecting the performance of our 'Share this Post' feature. TypePad is working with Twitter to remedy this issue. Thank you for your patience.

I use twitter for business and have the following twitter accounts:

www.twitter.com/sempreavanti@sempreavanti

www.twitter.com/onespec@onespec

www.twitter.com/imcnz@imcnz

As I have found when you "key word" search on Green, GHG and Sustainability there are 1000's of twipeople writing messages on TWITTER. It is a great platform to spread the green and sustainability message!

The outage over the last 2-3 days due to hackers show how business risk need to be managed!

Let me know your horror stories of the past days of not being able to use twitter for business?

2020 or 2040 what should the target be for NZ

It is interesting times when it comes to the announcement of New Zealand's 2020 and 2040 emission reduction targets.

The Government has strongly rejected the Greenpeace Sign On initiative!

Here is some information that you may find of interest? It is about 2050 targets in the USA.

This is reproduced courtesy of WBCSD and Greenwire

U.S. can cut half its transportation emissions by 2050 -- report

The United States can cut greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in half by 2050 with strategies ranging from cutting speed limits to imposing road pricing, according to a report released today by federal agencies and environmental and industry groups.

Examining about 50 transportation strategies, the report found transportation emissions could be reduced 24 percent by 2050 by acting to change travel behavior and land-use patterns. The emissions reduction hit 47 percent by adding road pricing techniques, ranging from pay-as-you-go insurance to charging Americans for every mile driven.

The report found environmental gains from advances in fuel efficiency would be mostly undermined by increased travel and population, making it important to address the efficiency of the transportation sector by investing in public transit, land-use planning and other low-carbon alternatives.

John Porcari, deputy secretary at the Department of Transportation, said the report shows that lawmakers looking to recast the nation's transportation system to curb emissions and fuel consumption will need to look for combinations of policy changes. "There is no magic bullet," he said. "There is no single strategy that can be pursued to help us turn our corner. We need to look at a number of options."

Transportation accounts for roughly 28 percent of the United States' greenhouse gas emissions, and the sector has been one of the fastest-growing in the past two decades -- representing nearly half of the nation's total increase in greenhouse emissions since 1990.

The sweeping energy and climate measure that the House passed last month, H.R. 2454, would require carbon dioxide emissions to drop 17 percent below 2005 levels and a total of 83 percent by 2050. The study released today finds that making the transportation sector more efficient is critical to meeting those goals.

"We can't get there from here without reducing emissions from transportation," said Colin Peppard, climate and infrastructure policy director for Environmental Defense Fund, one of the groups that commissioned the report.

The report was written by consulting firm Cambridge Systematics. Its sponsors include DOT, the American Public Transportation Association and Shell Oil Co.

MAKES FOR INTERESTING READING!

WRI Report - Emerging Risks: Impacts of Key Environmental Trends in Emerging Asia

Are you on the WRI World Resources Institute emailing list? If not you should be.

Here is one good reason - they send you emails updating you on studies and reports.

Here is one that will be og interest!

Emerging Risks: Impacts of Key Environmental Trends in Emerging Asia

Emerging Risks: Impacts of Key Environmental Trends in Emerging Asia lays the groundwork for analysts to understand environmental issues as financially material, and for companies to see the financial benefits of reducing their environmental impacts.

This report is the first in a series establishing the link between issues like climate change, air pollution, water supply, and natural resource depletion and traditional financial analysis on corporate value and financial strength for companies in six key Asian economies – India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The report lays the groundwork for analysts to understand environmental issues as financially material, and for companies to see the financial benefits of reducing their environmental impacts.

The report is 58 pages and the PDF file is 2.3MB and it is well worth a read!

Some good advice for business - Sustainability study

I have just come across some great sustainability information on the AT KEARNEY web site.

A.T. Kearney was a sponsor of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s report titled Doing Good: Business and the Sustainability Challenge. This report summarizes the learning from a global survey of over 1,200 executives and interviews with leading sustainability experts.

This is global information and the findings and conclusions apply to the NZ Situation.

The findings outlined in the report reinforce many of the insights we have seen in our own research and in our sustainability work with clients across the globe. The report shows that many companies are still working to figure out what sustainability means for their business and how to ingrain a sustainability strategy in their organizations.

Key findings from the study include the following:

• Business knows that it needs to raise its game but is often confused by such new and poorly defined demands
• The conventional wisdom that North American firms lag on sustainability is partly deserved, but partly a matter of perception
• Competitors are a key driver for change in North America, in Asia-Pacific governmental officials are the key driver, and in Europe it is consumers
• Many companies lack clear leadership on sustainability
• The supply chain is the weakest link
• Sustainability reporting needs more work
• Sustainability pays – and a correlation appears to exist between corporate action and strong share price performance
• Gains can be expected from cost reductions, new markets and enhanced reputations, although concerns about the expense affect firms
• Increased investor attractiveness is not yet a key hook
• Business leaders are open to more regulation on social and environmental issues

What do you think of the list above? Are there issues listed that you are thinking about? Are you factoring in increased business costs when the NZETS is implemented?

Check out the downloads from ATK and remember that you need to be thinking how economic sustainability and environmental sustainability go hand in hand.

Hyundai introduces the Elantra LPI

If you have read this BLOG for some time you know that we have written about the pros and cons of Hybrid cars.

It is interesting to see that Hybrid cars are one of the biggest selling segments in Japan.

I was made aware recently of a new Hybrid model being produced by Hyundaithat rather than being a petrol electric hybrid it is a LPG electric Hybrid. Unlike conventional hybrids (the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight), the Hyundai has a liquid-petroleum gas engine (with a 1.6-liter displacement) mated to its electric motor. The motor runs on a lithium-ion battery pack.

This got me thinking of the glory days of LPGin New Zealand when you could apply to the Ministry of Energy and get a loan to convert to LPG. I remember doing just that - I had a big Valiant Regal straight 6 and converted it toLPG.

When I visited my local petrol station the other day I noticed that you could still fill up on LPG.

So with this new models being released by Hyundai it got me thinking would this be a great model to introduce here?

The issue with Hybrid vehicles at present is the price differential between standard petrol models and Hybrids.

Having said that maybe this model would be an excellent choice for the Taxi industry?

Proof - consumers do have real power

 I have been an interested observer of the consumer backlash over Cadbury Chocolates decision to add palm oil to its Chocolate! Not only that but they reduced the size of products and kept the same prices.

I looked at a slab of Diary Milk at the supermarket yesterday I was pleased to confirm that the slab was made in Australia from local and imported ingredients!

This raises an interesting issue of how local is your food? And also what impact does the production have on the environment.

Cadburyhas a production plant in Dunedin but they only make novelty bars there not slabs of chocolate.

Twitter has been awash with consumer comments - all negative for Cadbury and their competitors in NZ are dining out on it. You just need to check out the Whittakers TV add.

It will be interesting to see if Cadbury sales reduce in NZ as a result and if Whittakers sales increase?

Do you read the labels when you go shopping? It makes scary reading sometimes!

Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region

Sometime ago I signed up to receive updates from the Global Carbon Project GCP.

They sent me an email the other day which lead me to some information that you may find interesting.

You may be interested in a new assessment just published on the quantity of organic carbon buried in the permafrost regions of the Northern Hemisphere, a key vulnerability to future climate change.

Please check:

http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/news/SoilOrganicPoolsinPermafrost.html

Press releases:

English: http://www.reuters.com/article/africaCrisis/idUSSP458218

Spanish: http://lta.reuters.com/article/topNews/idLTASIE56005N20090701

Chinese: http://cn.reuters.com/article/CNEnvNews/idCNChina-4893620090701?mlt_click=Tertiary+Navigation+CN_36_Static+module+_sec1-priCon-m0_News

The link starts with: The vast amount of carbon stored in the Arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double that previously estimated, according to a study published this week. The new estimate is over 1.5 trillion tons of frozen carbon, about twice as much carbon as contained in the atmosphere......

READ MORE HERE

So what do you think? Are we as a planet stuffed if more of the permafrost thaws out?

What can we do? Will the meetings in December 2009 sort it out?

The jury is out on this one!

 

 

Come and visit us at the Bizzone Bussiness Expo in Wellington 22-24 July

Green is Good BLOG together with Onespec and Sempre Avanti Consulting will be at stand #117 at the Bizzone Business Expo at the TSB Bank Arena from 22-24 July.

Please pop by and say hello.

We would love you to visit us (look out for us at stand 117 in the main hall) and to have a good look around the expo. Make sure you enter our card draw to win a new iPod.

We can offer you a complimentary ticket to the event by CLICKING HERE.

More details on the expo can be found at http://www.bizzone.com/ The information below gives you a quick overview of the Expo.

Why you should attend?

Increased sales, smarter marketing, tighter cashflow, compliance made easy, staffing solutions, access to finance, debt collection, pricing strategy, business planning, strategy, online business, IT, cost reduction, investment advice, insurance…

Get support for your business from

New Zealand

’s best

Including 40 free seminars, specialised zones, free business mentoring, free smart marketing expertise and much more.

For your complimentary guest ticket to the Bizzone Business Expos register online and automatically go in the draw to win a $100,000 Smart Marketing Prize 

www.bizzone.com/guestof/exhibitor

Put these dates in your diary now!

Wellington

– TSB Arena

22^ndJuly Wednesday 9-4pm

23rd July Thursday 9-8pm

24th July Friday 9-4pm 

Carbon Certification - good or bad for consumers? You be the judge!

If you have read this BLOG before you will know that we have posted information about carbon certification, carbon credits, green washing and the need for consumers to understand more fully any carbon neutral claims.

Recently the local cab company here in Wellington - Wellington Combined Cabs have gone certified carbon neutral by using the carboNZero certification system.

As a user of taxis I have witnessed first had that changes this cab company has made to its fleet make up. First they allowed hybrids in the fleet and then diesel vehicles and now there is a total focus on emissions efficient vehicles and vehicles that can use alternative fuels. Yesterday I saw a Hyundai i30 diesel on the cab rank on Lambton Quay.

The Wellington Combined summary of certification document makes interesting reading for any user of taxis. I suggest you consider the exclusions from the GHG emissions inventory and how this might apply to you or your business?

It will be interesting to see how another Wellington Cab Company "Green Cabs" responds to Wellington Combined marketing strategy?

As we have always said the use of taxis needs to meet the "fit for purpose test" and you need to consider a number of factors when selecting your preferred taxi suppler.

To follow is the latest marketing material from Wellington Combined on its carboNZero certification.

Oil vs. Sustainability! UAE earmarks $136 mln to fund green energy agency

I have just read an interesting press release:

Reuters, 22 June 2009 - The UAE is ready to spend $136 million to fund the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) if its bid to host the agency's headquarters is successful, a senior official said on Monday.

The world's third-largest oil exporter wants to place itself at the forefront of developments that may shape the future energy industry and hosting IRENA was part of that plan, Sultan al-Jaber, chief executive of Abu Dhabi's state-owned green energy initiative Masdar told Reuters in an interview.

"Oil exporting countries can either see renewable energy as a threat or as an opportunity and we know that this is the future so that's why we are committed to IRENA," Jaber said. "If we win, the Abu Dhabi government will fund the agency with $136 million until 2015."

READ MORE .........

The information about the IRENA makes interesting background reading.

Do you think the UAE is the right place for this agency?

We hear a lot about "peak oil" and the end of oil as we know it!

I find it interesting that their is now engagement by oil producers on green energy issues. In my view this raises some challenges about oil ethics and the commitment to find sustainable energy solutions for the generations to come?

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK????

The good oil! NZ Olive oil that is!! (knowing where your food comes from)

Next in the current series of blog posts on food is my very favorite a post about the good oil! OLIVE OIL. New Zealand olive oil. Local olive oil, oil grown and made with tender care in the Wairarapa. (in this photo - an olive picked from the tree by Anne)

I love and use olive oil a lot. I have developed a taste for premium NZ Olive oil.

The other day I met Dr Anne Opie at Moore Wilson's in the city. Anne was tasting oil that she had produced.

I loved it - the oil in question is Trio organic olive oil.

Anne and husband Brian have an olive grove in Greytown. As Anne and I talked it was evident we had a mutual passion for the good oil, food source issues and sustainability. I sent some information to Anne and she invited me over to the Wairarapa to have a tour of her olive grove.

(By the way I left Moor Wilson with a 375ml bottle of Trio oil)

On Saturday 20 June I got to visit the Opie's olive grove to learn more about where my good oil comes from, how it is produced and how it gets to market.

To follow is a photo essay of the tour. (you will note that some friends joined us for this great opportunity)

This is what the olive grove looks like.

There are 500 olive trees on this grove. The 2009 vintage produced a great oil from a small harvest in a difficult growing year. The result was an excellent return rate of 17.8%.

This is Dr Anne Opie (our host) Anne is very passionate about her olives! I found it amazing to meet the person who grows and nurtures the oils and overseas the transformation into world class extra virgin olive oil.

Anne's olives are certified organic. This causes one issue for production. The certified organic oil press is in TeHoro on the Kapiti Coast so the harvested olive has a long drive for pressing.

All of the walking about gave us all an appetite so we all had lunch together as YES WE GOT TO SAMPLE THE 2009 OIL! Together with last years.

 2008 oil on the left, 2009 on the right. As you can see the 2009 oil is very different with a great Green colour and powerful pepper aftertaste. I found the 2009 oil to be fantastic and used it on top of my soup!

We all had an amazing trip and tour. I thought I had a good understanding of the good oil. However post visit I have an enhanced awareness of the different vintages, storage times, types of olives and how much the growers passion can stamp its mark on the final product.

Trio oil is a fine example of grow local and eat local!

A big thank you to Anne and Brian for hosting us!

350.org can we all make a difference???

I came across 350.org on twitter the other day.

Dear World,

This is an invitation to help build a movement--to take one day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

On October 24, we will stand together as one planet and call for a fair global climate treaty. United by a common call to action, we'll make it clear: the world needs an international plan that meets the latest science and gets us back to safety.

This movement has just begun, and it needs your help.

I would like to suggest you check this out and see if this is something you want to get involved with?

Please let me know your thoughts? I believe than any activity that raises the profile of global warming and climate change is good. It creates discussion and debate which is a good thing.

AIRpod the air powered car

I have just com across the airpod the air powered car.

CLICK HERE

Let me know what you think?

Green Pen Update#7 One Year on!

The first BLOG post on the "green pen" was 28 June 2008 and so it is now nearly one year since I wrote about my informal trial of the green pen.

My last update was in February and I just took a photo of the pen after the coldest May in 10 years.

As you can see it still looks like a pen, the vege ink has not degraded at all and the only noticeable degrading is at the clip end of the pen!

As this pen was advertised as biodegradable within 90 days do you think that statement was BS? Could we class the claim as Greenwashing? Let me know your thoughts?

Will Mr Chu be the next big player in the global fight for saving the planet?

Mr Chu was chosen by President Obama to head up the Department of energy and be Obama's advise on Climate Change and Sustainability and Energy Issues.

You should check out the Department of Energy's web site as it has some great resources to call on.

Mr Chu is quoted here inNZ today and tells us all to paint the roof of our house white as positive action in the fight for climate change. Do you agree or do you think this is crazy science?

If Mr Chu is going to play a major part in the upcoming meetings in Europe at the end of the year then I suggest you check this guy out.

I am not sure if you can call him a science geek, green guru or not and I have not made up my mind on if this guy can make a difference and get the USA to play a leadership role in the post Kyoto world?

Let me know what you think?

40% cut by 2020? Do you agree and will it work?

Has anyone visited the "Sign On the word needs us" web site yet? If you have I am keen to find out what you think and to see if you signed up and why?

Greenpeace NZ is behind this mainstream attempt to get our Government to engage on a tougher target on New Zealand Greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

From my understanding of this initiative the goal is to get the powers that be to acknowledge that a 40% reduction on 1990 levels by 2020 is better than 50% by 2050. They make some good points and have a range of high profile people endorsing the position.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I think that no matter what your opinions of greenpeace are they are making some noise and generating interest in this issue that under National seems to have been brushed under the carpet.

If you have read this BLOG you will no that the position we have is that the delayed ETS and the economic slow down is not a excuse to do nothing!

Our stance has not changed - GREEN IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS and being sustainable in business is common sense and on so many fronts.

If you run a business then there is NO WAY that you do not want to save money on the bottom line! By taking sustainable business practices and calling them process review and improvements you can save money and become more sustainable. Remember economic sustainability is the name of the game.

So I congratulate greenpeace for raising the awareness of this issue and look forward to you comments on your visits to the sign-on site.

Tax breaks for low emission vehicles - we should follow this initiative

With the debate raging here in NZ today on the delayed implementation of the NZETS it was great to read that the Japanese Government has reduced taxes on low emission vehicles in Japan from 1 April 2009 and there has been a corresponding increase in sales of low emission vehicles.

What do you think of this initiative?

I think it is a great example of Government Policy stimulating growth while encouraging the purchase and use of low emission vehicles! This is an example of transformational sustainability in action.

This is a great initiative that the NZ policy makers should be considering here as well.

To follow is some background to this story from the WBCSD site or CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL STORY.

Japanese carmakers are reporting a sharp rebound in sales in their home market this month after the government cut taxes on lower-emission vehicles.

Toshiyuki Shiga, chief operating officer at Nissan, Japan's third-largest car producer, said Tuesday orders at Nissan's dealerships had risen 30 per cent so far in May compared with a year earlier.

Mr Shiga credited the “eco-car tax break” for the improvement. The tax break came into effect on April 1 and can cut the cost of the most fuel-efficient vehicles by several hundred thousand yen, or several thousand dollars.

If nationwide vehicle sales rise for the full month, it will be the first such increase since last July.

Ecological Intelligence - Goleman has his say

Has anyone purchased or read Daniel Goleman's new book Ecological Intelligence?? I am keen to get a book review going and thought this was a good book to start with?

Please post a comment so that we can all decide if this is worth getting or just getting it from the library to flick thru??

The book was given a profile in the AFRBOSS.COM.AU on April 2009 which I read but it did not inspire me to rush out and get the book.

United Nations World Environment Day (WED) 2009 celebrations

I have been sent the following information that may be of interest. Follow the link to some cool downloadable banners.

Also if you are on twitter then start following the UNEP.

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to invite you to participate in the United Nations World Environment Day (WED) 2009 celebrations. While the main WED activities will take place in this year’s host country, Mexico, hundreds of additional worldwide celebrations will also be organized making this a truly global event.

The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change.' It reflects the urgency for nations to ‘seal the deal’ at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year. It also raises a call for everyone to get involved, rethink actions and ways that result in wastage and heavy greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt a greener lifestyle.

We have a number of easy-to-use campaign materials which can be downloaded on the website at http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/content/downloads.asp.
These include the WED logo, posters and several flash animations including a new feature, the Daily do something Tips. These are useful ideas on how to easily green your daily routine, and once posted to your website, will link to a page on the WED 2009 website that lists daily tips in the countdown to WED. We request you to post this or the Use Less / Act More flash animation banner on your website to help promote World Environment Day to your stakeholders.

Further, we have started a global online tree-planting campaign for WED on Twitter. UNEP has pledged to plant 100,000 trees for 100,000 followers --or one for every follower if we can achieve more than 100,000-- by World Environment Day, 5 June. This effort supports the Billion Tree Campaign’s goal to plant a total of seven billion trees- one for every person on the planet- by year’s end. We ask that supporters start following at www.twitter.com/UNEPandYou. Add your voice and twitter loudly!

I sincerely hope that you will support World Environment Day and that you will also encourage your wide circle of contacts to publicize and participate both online and on the ground.
As our WED slogan says, ‘Your Planet Needs You!’ We count on your valuable support to help spread the message and mobilize action on this important day for the environment. If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to contact me.

Your support is highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance,
Emmakate

Will the Electric Car take off in NZ???

I have been on a few plane trips lately and when you are on-board with no cell phone calls you can chill out, listen to sounds on the ipod or read? On a recent trip between the Gold Coast and Melbourne on Virgin Blue I read the in-flight magazine "Voyeur" May 2009.

There was a cool article on Twitter but the one I like the most was on page 74 and it was about Evan Thornley the CEO of Better Place in Australia.

What Better Place Aussie are up to is the introduction of a nationwide electric car battery refilling system. The point that got me was the innovative way that the are goings to have 1000's of battery exchange stations that will overcome the battery life issue with electric cars.

They are also working with the power companies so that the batteries are recharged with 100% renewable energy such as electricity from wind power.

What I like about this idea is the way innovative thinking has helped overcome the current short-comings of electric cars and they way that the Better Place system is a subscription service and is supporting and encouraging the development of electric cars.

Australia has the advantage of it size geography and population to make a system like this work.

Could this kind of system work in NZ?

1. Would we have the numbers to make it viable?

2. Would it get the support from the current government?

What do you think? I believe that we can learn from systems like this and come up with innovative ways of applying a system like this in New Zealand.

The power is in our hands. We the consumers can demand it and we can also make it happen!

International Carbon Accounting and Sustainability

In preparing for the upcoming Carbon Accounting and Reporting conference in Wellington I have come across an update from the IFAC - International Federation of Accountants which has developed a Sustainability Framework.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

 The Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has developed a comprehensive Sustainability Frameworkto support professional accountants and their organizations in integrating a sustainable way of thinking and working in all business processes.  The Framework illustrates how a commitment to sustainability can help to further improve an organization's products or services, motivate its people, lower its costs and enhance its reputation.

It is good to see the global accounting profession getting their collective heads around the issue of Sustainability.

NZ Government's Lip Service Sustainability

The following cartoon has appeared in the NZ Herald. The new term "hug a polar bear" is now being used to label green and sustainability as a waste of time, money and resource.

Also the global financial crisis is being used as an excuse for doing nothing!

The current Government is being short sighted and is showing a total lack of leadership!

The CNPS and Govt3 programmes have been proven to have saved money and delivered sustainable business practices. Rather than focusing on labels the focus should be on outcomes. The outcomes show that gains have been made.

In these difficult times we need leadership on sustainability NOT backtracking and excuses!

Lip Service Sustainability

 

This is where many businesses and the current Government are placed.

 

This is the hotel chain that places the ‘lip service’ card in the bathroom. The card suggests that you can help lessen the load on the environment by hanging up towels to be used a second time. When you do this, the housekeeping staff replaces them anyway because there are no systems in place to ensure staff compliance with the ‘policy’.

 

This is the business that has a general-purpose paper recycling bin but no systems to ensure the paper is picked up and sent to the recycler.

Or the business that has a policy to recycle toner cartridges and then has no system to make it easy and wonders why empty toner cartridges end up in the waste bin.

The Aussie Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme - Will NZ Follow?

In the last week the Australian's have released more detail on their Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme which is being lead by the Department of Climate Change.

With New Zealand about to review its own delay ETS will we follow the Aussies? Here are some key points from the Aussie announcements.

The Aussie Scheme Cap is set at 60% reduction in GHG emissions from 2000 levels by 2050.

All liable entities will be required to report the emissions for which they are liable under the Aussie scheme.

An Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority is to be established.

In general the Aussie scheme obligations will apply to entities with facilities that emit GHG gases of 25,000 tonnes of CO2e or more per year and to entities that supply certain fuels and synthetic GHG's.

Initially there will be two types of eligible emissions units in the Aussie scheme - Australian emission units and certain units created under the Kyoto protocol.

A price cap per tonne of carbon is established. The cap is in place from 2010-11 to 2014-15. It will commence at $40 and rise by 5% in real terms each year.

More in-depth information can be found in the link above.

There are some good parts of the Aussie scheme and I would hope that we will copy some of the good points and debate and consider others.

Climate Neutral Network - One year on

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) started the climate neutral network [CN net] one year ago.

The network has over 100 participants.

The first 100 participants "the CN Net Centurion" - were honoured at the 25th session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Programme meeting this week in Nairobi, Kenya.

Sempre Avanti Consulting is one of the first 100 participants!!

We have been congratulated an recoginsed by the UNEP with the award of a UNEP trophy.

Once we receive the trophy a photo will be posted.

The food mile debate

I came across this very interesting article online that is worth reading. The gist of this article is that the carbon intensity of producing food is an interesting topic.

This article provides some evidence that supports the NZ position on our foods that are exported around the globe.

"Local food production does not always produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the 2005 DEFRA study found that British tomato growers emit 2.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide for each ton of tomatoes grown compared to 0.6 tons of carbon dioxide for each ton of Spanish tomatoes. The difference is British tomatoes are produced in heated greenhouses. Another study found that cold storage of British apples produced more carbon dioxide than shipping New Zealand apples by sea to London. In addition, U.K. dairy farmers use twice as much energy to produce a metric ton of milk solids than do New Zealand farmers. Other researchers have determined that Kenyan cut rose growers emit 6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per 12,000 roses compared to the 35 tons of carbon dioxide emitted by their Dutch competitors. Kenyan roses grow in sunny fields whereas Dutch roses grow in heated greenhouses."

Recycling with an attitude

I read with interest this morning an article regarding violence erupting with people who are picking over other peoples rubbish and cast offs.

Scavengers are fighting for the pick of inorganic rubbish collections as the credit crunch squeezes household budgets.

The canniest collectors can refurbish houses with cast-offs, and others sell the best items online.

Despite bylaws, local authorities said they were losing the war against packs of professionals who ripped televisions and other goods apart for steel or copper wire.

This gives a new meaning to the FOUR "R" approach of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Re-purpose!

The issue here is that road side rubbish and waste to landfill is full of items that can be reused and recycled.

One excellent initiative where I live is a Porirua City Council initiative called TRASH PALCE.

At Trash Palace, resources are diverted from being dumped at Spicer Landfill. so that the life of the landfill and the surrounding natural environment is extended.

What are you or your local council doing?

Wellington regional businesses claim the bulk of the sustainable business awards!

Being Wellington based I like it when I see Wellington Regional businesses making a name for themselves.

As a member of the sustainable business network it was fantastic to hearabout the anouncements of the winners of the 2008 awards. A number of the top awards went to Wellington based companies.

The 2008 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards were held on October 9th at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Event Centre. The spectacular event celebrated those businesses that are actively integrating principles of sustainability into their daily business operations.

The NZI Sustainable Business of the Year Awardwent to Paraoa Bakehouse who also scooped up the top prize in the Trailblazer (Small and Medium Business) category.

Pararoa Bakehouse produces a range of breads including gluten-free and wheat-free varieties that are sold throughout New Zealand.

The judges were particularly impressed by the company's commitment to waste minimisation. While producing 5,000 loaves of bread a week, the business has drastically reduced the amount of weekly rubbish it sends to landfill to less than the size of a netball.

Check out the links for more details.

A number of the initiatives these companies undertook can be applied in our own businesses and in our personal lives. The winners are living examples of what you can achieve with your sustainability hat on!!

There is no water crisis in Aussie?? Yeah Right!!

I have been a little remiss in updating the BLOG as I have been traveling in Australia in the past two weeks.

It has been enlightening to find out that Aussie is a land of contrasts when it comes to sustainability issues and water conservation.

In the big east coast cities there is a drastic lack of potable water. There are water restrictions in place lake levels are very low and this is before summer has started!

In Brisbane they have had major bush fires already! The guy on TV from the fire service blamed the rain they had had recently!! The rain generated growth in scrub and grass and a s this drys out it becomes fuel for the fires!

In Far North Queensland where they have a rainy season the locals claim "there is no water crisis mate" we get lots of rain here! Trouble is I could see no active signs of them collecting all of the rain water to use to water gardens, water the sugar cane or to wash their cars.

The fact is is the Aussie is a dry country and they are in permanent drought in a lot of regions they don't get enough rain fall!

I get back to NZ and see that with all the snow we have had that the southern storage lakes are not full either! But we don't have a power crisis!! Yeah right!

Climate change, modal shift, cost of fuel, rail and protests - what a week

As we here in New Zealand gear up for the Truckies to be out on the roads tomorrow morning protesting at the rise in Road user changes we all have to contemplate the rising cost of fuel, the renationalisation of the NZ rail network, and how all of this is affecting climate change!

A recent editorial in the NZ Herald stated:

With petrol prices high and climate change haunting public policy, rail's renationalisation is timely. Social and environmental considerations are as important as economics. But the economics should not be ignored. "Kiwirail" will probably require eye-watering sums from the taxpayer and re-orient the country's transport of goods around its costly spine.

The above highlights the massive issue that the new KiwiRail will have to contend with. The Government wants to have us shift modes from vehicles to trains for commuting and also to get freight off the roads and onto the rail network. How can this happen if the rail network and rolling stock is run down?

All vehicle owners are feeling the effects of petrol at around $2.15 per litre at present. However is this translating into behavioual change? You tell me? I have not seen a dramatic decrease in the number of cars on the road a peak commuting times. Nor have I seen a dramatic increase in the opportunities to car pool.

All I can say is that the issues that are driving the debates around the water cooler are raising the awareness of behaviours and the subsequent impacts on vehicle use, the cost of running a vehicle and what options are available to change commuting patterns.

Good luck if you plan to bring your car to town tomorrow! What out for all those BIG trucks blocking your way in protest!