Contact helps Kiwis become carbon neutral

9 August 2007

Contact helps Kiwis become carbon neutral

Contact Energy today became New Zealand’s first energy company to add a new online tool to its website enabling consumers to become carbon neutral by paying to offset their carbon emissions.

Earlier this year, Contact launched the Contact Carbon Calculator, located at www.contactenergy.co.nz, enabling consumers to measure and reduce their carbon emissions.

Now both Contact customers and non-customers alike can pay to offset their carbon emissions, through the Landcare Research carbon offset programme, available on the Contact website.

Contact Energy Chief Executive, David Baldwin, said Contact was proud to be the first energy company in New Zealand to help consumers take steps to become carbon neutral.

"Contact is delighted to provide New Zealanders with this new online tool that enables people to take real action to combat climate change.

"The aim is to build awareness about how households contribute to climate change and the practical steps consumers can take both to reduce their carbon emissions and offset the remainder."

The calculator, powered by Landcare Research’s carboNZero programme - New Zealand’s leading carbon emissions calculator - starts by asking consumers to input information such as how much electricity and fuel they use, how much waste they generate and whether or not they recycle or compost.

Once all the information has been entered, the programme calculates the household’s carbon emissions as well as the cost to effectively offset or neutralise those emissions through carbon offset programmes.

Consumers can pay online via credit card, on the Contact website, to offset their emissions through Landcare Research.

As an example, an average household using 10,000 kWh of electricity per year, with no gas, recycling as much as they can and with two medium sized cars traveling about 12,000 kilometers per year would generate around eight tonnes of CO2 per annum. It would cost about $300 to offset these emissions for one year.

Mr Baldwin said that Contact shared the concerns of many New Zealanders about the effect of carbon emissions on the planet.

"We know that New Zealanders are concerned about climate change. This new initiative gives people the option to do something about it."

Mike Lee, Landcare Research’s General Manager Business, congratulated Contact on helping consumers reduce their carbon emissions.

"This is a great opportunity for New Zealanders to help make a difference to the health of the planet and we are excited to be working with Contact on this project."

ENDS

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