Cutting your carbon with science
The airport they arrive at is the first impression of New Zealand for millions of tourists. Not taking this lightly, Auckland Airport has committed to reducing its impact on climate change and becoming the flag bearer for the nation’s sustainability goals.
Auckland Airport has taken another step towards committing to its reduction of carbon emissions by 2025 by becoming the first company in Oceania to use a science-based target for achieving its goal.
Last year the airport reduced carbon emissions by 11 per cent on the previous year.
Science-based targets initiatives show organisations what they need to do to help limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The targets are a collaboration between international agencies the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and WWF – the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The UN climate report projects that emissions will likely increase the global temperature 3.7C to 4.8C by the end of this century.
Auckland Airport’s acting general manager Steven Crook said it would continue to work closely with its retailers and staff to minimise the impact our operations have on the environment.
‘‘We acknowledge that the aviation industry contributes to climate change, and we’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal of reducing our airport emissions by 45 per cent per square metre by 2025,’’ Crook said.
The company’s carbon footprint is audited externally each year, with the organisation achieving Carbon Emissions Management and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) certification in the 2017 financial year for the fifth year in a row.
Enviro-Mark gave Auckland Airport the CEMARS certification, and its chief executive Ann Smith said more businesses were looking into getting accreditation.
‘‘The best way to improve brand and reputation is to undertake an assessment of its operations and identify impacts including consulting stakeholders so they understand how they are perceived. Next is to be transparent about its impacts,’’ Smith said.
‘‘Over recent years, the population has become more educated about sustainability impacts and come to value products and services that genuinely care about environmental and social issues. This is now reflected in Gen Zero and coming generations.’’
She said businesses looking to become more sustainable had also been led by the public sector. The new Government is proposing a Zero Carbon Act and the NZ Super Fund is aiming to decarbonise its investment portfolio.
Smith said third-party certification against a reputable standard provided assurance that the claims being made by a company were robust and could be trusted.
‘‘It is not a rubber stamp. In fact, our certified companies want us to visit and challenge them. They want the certification to be hard to achieve so that it has value in terms of helping to improve their systems and enhance their brand,’’ she said.
Tips for becoming a decarbonising champion:
- Launch an emissions reduction programme by measuring your energy and fuel use.
- Talk to your suppliers about the services they provide and how they could lower emissions.
- Switch to low energy solutions, like LED lights, hybrids or electric vehicles.