Don't Trash NZ Brand With Climate Change Go Slow

Business warns not to trash New Zealand brand with climate change go slow

The last thing New Zealand needs is to trash its 100% Pure brand by being a laggard in environmental performance.

And New Zealanders are making it quite clear they are not into sitting on their hands by doing nothing on the environment, the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development says today in response to a report suggesting the country should not honour its international climate change commitments and also just run with the pack.

And the Business Council says an updated result today of a ShapeNZ survey covering 3581 New Zealanders shows 89% will oppose any policy which says do nothing about the environment.

Some 47% are strongly opposed to a do nothing approach. The research has been running since July 2006.

Business Council Chief Executive Peter Neilson says a New Zealand Institute paper released today recommending New Zealand go slow on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and wait until 2020 to meet its Kyoto target.

One of its key assumptions is that New Zealand's high emission intensity (the volume of emissions compared with each dollar of value we produce) means we can't afford to reduce emissions compared with other countries.

"It's not our emission intensity that stops us reducing emissions, it's the cost of reducing them or the abatement cost for each sector or product.

"In Europe work on abatement cost by McKinsey indicates that there are many opportunities to reduce emissions for which the benefits will exceed the costs. In other words if there are $10 notes on the ground, why wouldn't you keep on picking them up?

"Even in the agricultural sector, where reducing methane emissions will be a challenge, there are opportunities to reduce emissions. The work undertaken by Simon Terry on nitrogen inhibitors suggests greenhouse gases in agriculture could be significantly reduced and farmers make more money while simultaneously cutting fertiliser use and improving grass growth," Mr Neilson says.

"Farm leaders we've spoken to have said that applying current best practice could reduce agriculture emissions by 10% over several years.

"Our clean green image rests on the world assuming we are leaders in environmental practice. The food and travel miles debates are only beginning an increasing trend in developed economies.

"Increasingly consumers are deciding to avoid goods and services from sources which engage in socially or environmentally undesirable practices. The last thing we need to do is trash our reputation by playing the laggard on the world stage. This our chance to be bold, position New Zealand properly, enhance our trading future and improve our quality of life."

Ends

The Business Council believes sustainable businesses are profitable, contribute to social progress and ecological balance and protect New Zealand's quality of life. The Business Council's 60 members jointly employ more than 60,000 people in managing resources, manufacturing, retailing and the service sector. Members contribute annual sales of $44 billion to the economy, equivalent to 34% of GDP. The Business Council runs a national online survey panel, ShapeNZ, to allow public input on major issues. The panel is built from purchased lists and is representative of the population as a whole, compared with the 2006 census. ShapeNZ members register and provide demographic and previous party vote information to ensure results can be accurately weighted to reflect the New Zealand population. Registration is also available at www.shapenz.org.nz

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