The Sustainable Busines Council (SBC) and the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome the Government’s  announcement to accelerate the public sector’s race to zero carbon within the next five years.

The announcement is the focus of three of the 26 recommendations contained in a recent joint SBC and CLC briefing to the incoming Government on climate action priorities. The briefing is the consensus view of the 150 companies represented by SBC and CLC.

Mike Bennetts, Z Energy Chief Executive, and Climate Leaders Coalition Convenor says, “it’s great to see the Government taking this leadership role in accelerating a positive and practical step towards achieving  New Zealand’s zero carbon goal.

“We are looking forward to working alongside government in the coming weeks to take similarly bold action in other areas of New Zealand’s race to zero. This immediate work will contribute to short-term reductions and long-term benefits to New Zealand’s carbon footprint,“ Mr Bennetts says.

Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council Mike Burrell says, “immediate opportunities include partnering to develop an electric vehicle roadmap, enhancing energy efficiency programmes, and creating an accelerated pathway for methane reduction technologies.”

“We can do this by working closely with Government to identify short-term opportunities that can be actioned now, medium -term opportunities that we can begin to scope and invest in, and long-term solutions that we can position ourselves to take up quickly when they become available and economically viable,” Mr Burrell says.

The briefing’s three key recommendations are increased investment in low carbon transport, an expansion of programmes to make process heat more efficient and low carbon, and speeding up the adoption of methane reduction technologies.The briefing is online here.
ENDS

To arrange an interview, or for further information please contact:

Catriona Robertson | Manager Communications | SBC
Phone | 021 242 7936

About SBC

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) is a CEO-led membership organisation with over 100 businesses from all sectors,
ambitious for a sustainable New Zealand. Members represent more than $87 billion of collective turnover, 28% of GDP,
and nearly 160,000 full-time jobs.  Our network gives members unparalleled influence and the ability to take large-scale
collective action.  SBC is part of the BusinessNZ network and is the New Zealand Global Network partner to the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development. www.sbc.org.nz

About CLCThe Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) was launched in July 2018 with 60 original signatories to promote business leadership
and collective action on climate change. With now over 100 signatories, they account for almost 60% of New Zealand’s

gross emissions, around $86 billion of collective turnover and employ almost 200,000 people. Signatory commitments
include measuring and publicly reporting their greenhouse gas emissions, setting a public emissions reduction target,
and working with suppliers to reduce their emissions. www.climateleaderscoalition.org.nz

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