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Sustainability news, views and insights
   

Happy New Year from SBC! We hope you each had a restful and relaxing time over the holiday break, and we're looking forward to working with our members in what's shaping up to be another exciting (and busy) year in the sustainability space.


Note: To make it easier for you to jump directly to different sections of Pānui, we've now added anchor links to the template which sit below the main image (see above). 

   

Update on SBC's THRIVE Future of Work platform

SBC and founding project partners Meridian, NZ Post, NZ Steel and Future Work Studio have reached an important milestone in the pilot of THRIVE, having completed phase one of the pilot, including a review of progress thus far, and we are now using the insights to develop a shared action agenda and shared target and metrics for the next six months. Read the full update here.
   

Genesis' 63 MW solar farm reaches financial close

Genesis has completed the financial close on its 63 MW Canterbury solar farm. "[Solar energy] will enable us to provide cleaner energy to our customers, while also reducing emissions from our generation portfolio as Genesis invests in new renewable generation and moves to become net zero by 2040."

   

Thank you for contributing to the ETS review

Last year, a number of our members contributed towards our joint SBC/CLC submission on the review of the design of the Emissions Trading Scheme. As you may be aware, work on the review has now ceased. The Ministry for the Environment appreciates the time and effort spent on submissions, which can all be viewed on the MfE website. 
   

Transparency: the name of the game

Sustainability comms are tricky, and they're only getting trickier. In this new Candid Comms Corner, we'll share valuable resources around greenwashing, as well as comms examples that really hit the 'radical transparency' mark. To kick it off, here's our member communications transparency policy (created with legal support from Chapman Tripp), which has a useful checklist for avoiding greenwashing. 
   

Fonterra launches unique hybrid emissions reduction solution

Fonterra has recently commissioned its first high temperature heat pump and solar thermal plant combination at its Palmerston North manufacturing site. This is its fourth site within a year to upgrade energy infrastructure, and the reduction in natural gas required is expected to remove 495 tonnes CO2e annually – the equivalent of taking 140 cars off the road. Read more here.
   

LPC becomes first NZ-headquartered early adopter of TNFD

Lyttelton Port Company has become the first Aotearoa New Zealand-headquartered early adopter of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). The port is one of 320 organisations from over 46 countries who have committed to start making nature-related disclosures based on the TNFD Recommendations. Read LPC's Sustainability Strategy here.
   

BNZ shares its Māori land-lending framework with other banks

BNZ has shared its framework for allowing mortgage lending on communally owned property, a process which had previous been put in the 'too risky' basket by mainstream banks and meant obtaining finance for housing on Māori-owned land has been challenging. This framework aims to empower more Māori to own homes on their whenua. Ka mau te wehi BNZ!
   

Sustainability Reporting Corner

In this week's reporting corner, we've got a couple of sustainability and impact reports for you:
   
In other news
   
   
In case you missed it
   

Mike and Antonia's final reflections from COP28

SBC's Executive Director Mike Burrell and Head of Climate and Nature Antonia Burbidge offer their final reflections and takeaways from the conference. Watch the recording here or read their post-COP report here.
   
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SBC hui

   

Sustainability Leadership Programme taster session

Online | 8 February, 10:00-11:00am NZST

Are you passionate about sustainability, but don’t yet feel like you have the knowledge or toolkit to push the needle in your organisation? Join us for this free online taster session to hear from past participants on how SLP has had a positive impact on their leadership within their current role and organisation and beyond. Registrations are now open for SLP 2024, with early bird applications closing on 23 February.

   

NEW: Introducing sustainability: the what, why and how – full day course

EMA, Auckland | 14 February, 9:00am-5:00pm NZST

Are you wanting to better understand sustainability, its application in businesses and why it’s important? Join BusinessNZ Network for full day introductory sustainability course. Learn about this critical issue for business and all its facets from carbon and climate change to waste and circular economy, social responsibility, communicating and reporting for sustainability and more. Unpack key terms, get tangible and practical and explore case studies over this 1-day course. Contact ljames@businessnz.org.nz for more information and to register.

   

See all SBC events here. For other low emissions events, see the Climate Leaders Coalition events calendar.

Please send Pānui stories (50 words plus square image) or event listings (100 words plus banner image) to sbccomms@businessnz.org.nz by Wednesday 12pm. 

See guidelines around SBC's expectations of member communications and transparency here. 


18 January 2024