Wellington Zoo retains carboNZero certification

Media Release

23 November 2016

Wellington Zoo leads the way for the planet by retaining carboNZero certification

Wellington Zoo is thrilled to have again achieved carboNZero certification, after becoming the first Zoo in the world to be carboNZero certified in May 2013.

“Regaining certification for each financial year just goes to show that Wellington Zoo is leading the way in sustainability,” said Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo Chief Executive and member of the Sustainable Business Council Advisory Board.

“Conservation is at the heart of everything we do, and this achievement shows how very seriously we take our commitment to minimising the Zoo’s environmental impact.”

“Our journey to become the world’s first carboNZero certified zoo was a five-year undertaking, and achieving certification again is a testament to the hard work and commitment to sustainability of all Zoo staff – and a wonderful acknowledgment of our passion for creating a better future for our precious animals,” said Karen.

Jenny Lynch, Wellington Zoo Conservation Manager, said: “As a conservation organisation, sharing our sustainability journey with our visitors is really important. We want to encourage them to take positive action for our environment to help save animals in the wild.”

“Throughout the Zoo we share messages to show how we’ve worked to shrink our carbon footprint, and highlight actions our visitors can take at home.”

As part of their carboNZero certification, Wellington Zoo has made a commitment to continually work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past five years, the range of sustainability initiatives the Zoo has implemented to reduce their power use and waste generation has helped continue reducing emissions.

This year, 48 solar panels were installed on the Zoo’s front entrance building, helping the Zoo save the same amount of power as one and a half average households per year.

“Using power smartly is often the easiest way to reduce power use, and we’re proud of the significant reductions we’ve made in our electricity consumption over the past few years through making energy efficient choices,” says Jenny. “Electricity is still the largest contributor to our carbon emissions profile so switching to solar where we can makes a big difference.”

“Being an environmentally sustainable organisation is not an end goal – it’s a journey of ongoing choices and improvement,” says Karen. “Lowering our carbon emissions and our impact on the environment is about securing the future, for animals, the environment, and ourselves.”

About carboNZero

carboNZero certified organisations have measured their organisations greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so they understand what their impact is on the global climate. They then make a commitment to managing and reducing their GHG emissions by creating an emissions management and reduction plan. Any remaining emissions that the organisation cannot avoid are then offset by purchasing verified carbon credits. See the full list of certified organisations.

About Wellington Zoo

Wellington Zoo is New Zealand's first Zoo, established in 1906, and is Wellington’s oldest conservation organisation. Home to over 500 native and exotic animals, Wellington Zoo became a charitable trust in 2003.

Wellington Zoo became the world’s first carboNZero certified zoo in May 2013.

Wellington Zoo is an accredited member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

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