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Invitation to Work Life Balance SeminarWe encourage you to attend this Seminar at the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday, 10 March.
The seminar will:
AGENDA 1. Welcome and Introduction by Dick Hubbard on behalf of the NZBCSD 2. James Buwalda, Chief Executive, Department of Labour indicates labour market futures 3. Case studies in action: 4. Research and case history: Suzette Dyer, Senior Lecturer, Waikato Management School 5. Moderated Panel discussion with full audience participation The seminar will be facilitated by Clare Kelso, who many of you will know from recent events. RSVP by 5 March 2004 to Claire McShane - email: office@nzbcsd.org.nz The business case for work-life balancePhilippa Yasbek from the Department of Labour has completed a paper on the business benefits of work-life balance. Visit DoL website to read the report. An Evening with Dr Elisabet SahtourisDate: 2 Mar 2004 Our Race to the Future? Internationally known as a dynamic speaker and media personality, Dr Sahtouris is an evolution biologist, futurist, author and consultant on Living Systems Design. Using Nature’s principles and practice (revealed in biological evolution) as useful models for organisational change, Dr Sahtouris applies them to the corporate world, to global politics and economics, and to our efforts to create sustainable health and well-being for humanity within the larger living systems of Earth. View flyer
Westpac offers further financial relief to individuals and businessesWestpac made further relief packages available to those businesses and individuals affected by the floods regardless of whether they currently bank with Westpac. The package includes a $1,000 overdraft at 10.3%p.a. and an unsecured personal loan of up to $10,000 again at the heavily discounted rate of 10.3%p.a. (normally 16.30%p.a.). Home loan payments can either be made interest only, allowing home owners to effectively take a break from paying principal repayments or the interest can be capitalised for up to six months. All packages are subject to normal lending criteria. Ken Hodgson, Westpac's General Manager Consumer, said the offer was about providing people with immediate financial relief. 'People will be effected by this disaster for months to come. We're concerned with ensuring firstly people don't need to worry about their home loan payments and that secondly they have access to money to be able to buy food, clothing and other items they need. People can either visit their local Westpac branch to discuss these options or ring 0800 177 277,' Mr Hodgson said. 'Meeting the needs of our business clients is being dealt with on a case by case basis, a specialist team has been established to deal with enquiries and business clients should ring Ross McKinnon on 0800 177 377,' he said. Yesterday Westpac announced that they were offering six-month payment free loans at a discounted rate of 6.75%p.a to farmers hit by the floods. Farmers are to receive an unsecured loan of $50,000 making no interest or principal payments until September 2004; this amount may be increased if security is available and subject to lending criteria. Ports of Auckland gains global recognition for corporate responsibility
Ports of Auckland’s efforts in the area of social and environmental responsibility have been rewarded by selection into the prestigious FTSE4Good. Click here for the full story. BRANZ Seminars - The Green Payback - Sustainable Building Issues8 March to 26 April Various Locations around the country. Sustainability issues have long been seen by the construction industry as not of their concern. Construction is progress. Despite this attitude, some contractors have seen the cash savings that can be made, and the marketing advantage that can be gained by considering issues that are concerning many of their clients and confronting economies around the world. New Zealand is directly affected by environmental issues. The construction industry, a very sizable part of the national economy, is about to get a very clear wake-up call as these issues are included in the New Zealand Building Code and impact on all sectors of the construction industry. Our seminar will cover the following topics:
See Branz website for details and click here for dates, seminar locations and registration details. New initiative to help Auckland businesses
An exciting new programme – Auckland BusinessCare Enviro-Mark - is being launched which will add value to local businesses by helping them to achieve a number of environmental objectives. The programme has received support from a number of sponsors*, resulting in a significant subsidy for businesses who choose to take this unique opportunity. These businesses will receive:
The two-year programme will be available to approximately 70 businesses of different types and sizes in the areas of the Auckland councils funding the initiative. Participating businesses will sign up to a number of environmental commitments and to achieving Enviro-Mark®NZ Gold certification. Programme costs will be shared between the business and sponsors. The contribution to be made by a business will vary according to size but the help for a business will be up to $5,500. Numerous businesses throughout New Zealand have achieved significant efficiencies and cost savings after embarking on environmental improvements. Not only will this programme help more businesses do the same, but – once accepted – they’ll have significant help and they’ll be working on certification with a recognised programme. For further information about the programme and to apply to be a member visit the website The programme will be launched at 4pm on Wednesday 3 March at the Auckland Town Hall. Hear about the programme and the value of sustainable business practice from the likes of The Warehouse chief executive Stephen Tindall, and other business leaders. You need to register to attend. Please RSVP before 27 February 2004 by e-mailing Rainer Kant at kantr@landcareresearch.co.nz (or phoning 03 325 6701 extn 2296) with your name, business name and address. *The Auckland BusinessCare Enviro-Mark Programme is funded by the North Shore, Auckland, Waitakere and Manukau City Councils, Papakura District Council, Auckland Regional Council, Ministry for the Environment and Landcare Research. NZ Scientists Embark On Major Ocean-Climate Study To ChilePress Release by National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research at 13 Feb 2004 11:17
A New Zealand research vessel will set sail from Wellington Harbour this Sunday bound for Chile as part of a major international project to understand and predict the phenomena influencing the world’s climate. Click here for the full story. Landfill gas scheme wins carbon credits
Hon Steve Maharey, MP for Palmerston North Palmerston North City Council's Awapuni Landfill has won "carbon credits" from the government for a scheme that will capture the methane given off by the landfill and use it to generate electricity. Click here for the full story. First wind farm for Wellington wins carbon creditsPlans for Wellington’s first wind farm have won “carbon credits” from the government for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and helping to make New Zealand’s electricity supply more secure, Hutt South MP Trevor Mallard announced. Trevor Mallard visited Wainui Hills Wind Farm today and said they could start generating electricity as early as next year. Click here for the full story. Extended wind farm wins carbon credits
Hon Harry Duynhoven, Associate Minister of Energy Genesis Power has been awarded "carbon credits" for up to 16 new turbines that will more than double the size of its Hau Nui wind farm in Southern Wairarapa. Click here for the full story. Free public lecture in Christchurch by leading American advocate for natural capitalismHunter Lovins, a leading American advocate of sustainable development for over 25 years, and world renowned leader in sustainability and business issues, will be in Christchurch to give the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) 2004 Newnham lecture.
IPENZ Newnham Lecture The following day, she will give the key note address at the opening session of the 2004 IPENZ Convention: "Engineering for New Zealand's future". Lovins', co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an environmental think tank, and more recently, Director of the Natural Capitalism Group, calls her approach natural capitalism because it's based on the principle that business can be good for the environment. She will discuss how leading-edge companies are practicing "a new type of industrialism" that is more efficient and profitable, while saving the environment and creating jobs. She also believes companies that pursue well-designed sustainability initiatives achieve increased profitability and greater competitive advantage in their industries. Lovins also consults for public-policy makers and capitalists internationally. She works on a wide range of issues linking energy, the environment, development, and security, and has co-authored many books including the successful Natural Capitalism. Lovins' has been the recipient of numerous awards including Time Magazine "Hero for the Planet". She shared a 1982 Mitchell Prize, a 1983 Right Livelihood Award ("alternative Nobel Prize"), the Nissan Prize at ISATA, and the Onassis Foundation's first Delphi Prize, one of the world's top environmental awards. Request for Participants - Research in Career ManagementSelina Driver from The University of Waikato is seeking organisations to take part in her Master's research. She is looking at career management in New Zealand organisations and wishing to look at how well the organisation feels they have implemented a set of career management practices versus how well employees feel they have been implemented and whether or not they would use them if they were able to gain access. For further information please contact Selina on scd5@waikato.ac.nz Holcomb Scientific launches a CO2 converter
First to Solve Green House Gases from Combustion of Fossil Fuels; Global Economic Impact Projected The technological breakthrough which the world scientific and health communities have been desperately seeking to solve the problem of green house gases and global warming was unveiled today by Robert R. Holcomb, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, before an audience of New Zealand government, business and environmental leaders. Click here for the full story. The WBCSD identified as "influential forum" by recent World Bank surveyIn a study commissioned jointly by the World Bank and its financial arm, the International Finance Corporation, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) was identified as one of the "most influential forums" for companies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues. A total of 107 multinationals were asked in October 2003 to identify which forums were most influential on their practice. Unprompted, the WBCSD was put in third place, closely behind ISO14000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Other leading initiatives named were the Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Asked what guidelines are applied to determine CSR performance, 51% of respondents pointed to their own company's code of conduct, while about one third adhere to an external code or standard. The WBCSD was revealed most influential for respondents from the manufacturing and extractive sectors, while given the second place by the agribusiness sector. Further, the survey found that the WBCSD has been influencing respondents for five years, while the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Core Conventions have been having an impact for eight years. The goal of Race to the Top: Attracting and Enabling Global Sustainable Business was to explore how CSR issues influence the investment and purchase decisions of multinationals, as well as how governments in the developing world can create attractive business environments from a CSR perspective. The study found that for multinational companies, CSR does matter. Race to the Top revealed that 61% of respondents (executives from multinational companies) believe that strong local CSR laws regulating labor rights and environmental management help them conduct their business. The enforcement of local CSR laws plays an important role in investment decisions of multinational companies: 75% of respondents indicated that they also examine whether enforcement of CSR laws is strong and equally applied. For the majority of companies, CSR issues are at least as influential as traditional considerations (i.e. cost, quality, delivery) in new venture assessments. Consequently, more than 80% of respondents said they consider the CSR performance of potential partners and locations before they close a deal . Boardrooms face growing cash pressure over environment, say UN expertsAgence France Presse, 11 February 2004 - Corporate boardrooms are facing increasing pressure for environmentally responsible practices from a new breed of fund managers wielding trillions of dollars, UN experts said Wednesday. Businesses are witnessing the start of "a radically changing global landscape" in which money talks on issues such as protecting the diversity of life on earth, according to UN University researchers at a United Nations forum here. Click here for the full story. How to get clean water even to the poorest communitiesThe Miami Herald, 11 February 2004 - At first glance, Isla Trinitaria would seem like the wrong place to look for solutions to the world's growing water crisis. A swampy island near Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, Isla Trinitaria was settled by squatters 20 years ago. Today it is a densely populated slum of precarious huts built on uneven landfills. But by the summer, every dwelling on Isla Trinitaria will have running water, sewage service and water meters. The services were installed by Interagua, a consortium of foreign and national companies that in 2001 won a 30-year concession to provide Guayaquil's water and sanitation services. Click here for the full story. Exxonmobil's Focus on Petroleum, Not Renewables, Angers SomeOctane Week, 9 February 2004 - Global energy demand will grow 40% between this year and 2020, and 60% of the demand that year will be satisfied by oil and gas, according to ExxonMobil. Oil and gas will remain the oil giant's investment focus, a stance that angers shareholder groups seeking a change in the company's attention to renewable energy and climate change. Click here for the full story. World's biggest companies undermining labour standards: OxfamAgence France Presse, 8 February 2004 - Major companies and retailers in the fashion and food industries are forcing down employment conditions for millions of women workers around the globe, the international aid agency Oxfam said Sunday. A new report launched by the agency and supported by British actress Minnie Driver in Cambodia, where the garment industry is a major employer, found big business's relentless pursuit of cheaper products is leading to worsening conditions for millions of workers in poor countries. Click here for the full story. Investors want more from money: Ethical investing is soaring, but it is not without its criticsFinancial Times, 7 February 2004 - Cafedirect, the UK's largest Fairtrade drinks company, this week launched a public shares issue, adding to the growing number of ethical companies that consumers can invest in. Research has shown that ethical investment has soared in the past five years with ethically screened funds in the UK standing at about Pounds 4bn last year, compared with just Pounds 1.5bn in 1997. Click here for the full story. Forget Kyoto and move on, says World Energy CouncilCANBERRA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The Kyoto climate treaty is irrelevant and it is time to move on and boost investment in reliable, clean energy for the future, although prices will rise, a leading international energy official said on Thursday. World Energy Council Secretary General Gerald Doucet said he doubted the Kyoto pact would ever come into effect, with Russia and Australia unlikely to ratify the treaty that aims to cut the emission of gases causing global warming by 5.2 percent by 2012. Click here for the full story. WWF Green Energy Challenge to Power CompaniesWashington, D.C. - February 12, 2004 [SolarAccess.com]: Five electric power companies from across the United States answered a challenge from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to become the first U.S. power companies to support a mandatory cap on heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions and confirm their commitment to clean energy. Click here for the full story. No Kyoto, no contracts, inquiry toldAAP Newsfeed, 13 February 2004 - Australia's absence from the Kyoto protocol on global greenhouse emissions is costing Australian companies contracts overseas, a senate inquiry was told today. Australian Institute of Energy spokesman Martin Thomas said he had a number of case studies which showed other companies being favoured for renewable energy contracts over Australian firms. Click here for the full story.
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