Source: Ministry for the Environment
Working from home, public transport and additional animals such as alpacas, donkeys and chickens are some of the new emissions categories added to the Ministry for the Environment’s latest Measuring Emissions Guide.
The updated 2020 guide, released today, is a free tool for businesses and organisations of all sizes wanting to voluntarily measure, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The guide has eight documents, including an Interactive Workbook, where businesses and organisations can input their data and produce an inventory.
“Many businesses and organisations are already leading the way, making a difference on climate change by measuring their emissions, setting targets and making them public,” said Ministry for the Environment Chief Executive, Vicky Robertson.
“We hope this guide will help others also get started. Measuring emissions is a great first step to increase businesses’ awareness of the energy and resources they use, so they know where to target their sustainability efforts, identify greater efficiencies and reduce risk,” said Vicky Robertson.
The year’s guide shows that annually, 30 trees in a plantation forest removes emissions equal to 100 employees working from home for 30 days, 10 alpacas, or electricity for 3.5 homes.
More than 360 businesses and organisations used the Measuring Emissions Guide last year.
The Northland District Health Board has been using the guide since 2016, and gets their data third-party verified.
“We’ve set a target of reducing our emissions by 50 per cent in 2030, compared with 2016. Not knowing where our emissions come from would be like a Chief Financial Officer guessing his budget and not knowing where the money is spent,” said the DHB’s Sustainability Development Manager, Margriet Geesink.
The Ministry updates the guide in line with international best practice and the New Zealand Government’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory to provide updated emission factors.
The release of the Measuring Emissions Guide follows the Government’s announcement for the public sector to be carbon neutral by 2025 earlier this month.
The public sector will now be required to measure, verify and report its emissions annually.
Notes to editors:
Latest Emissions Measuring Guidance
Latest New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory report
ENDS
