Carrots or sticks on way to green the car fleet?

Climate change Minister David Parker has sent his strongest signal yet that the Government will require car importers to achieve a weighted average engine size for cars they import. Under the proposal, being investigated by the Ministry of Transport, importers will still be able to sell a range of vehicles - some large, some small, some hybrids, new highly efficiency vehicles, and in the future, electric cars. However, the average fuel economy must meet a target, which will become more stringent over time. Mr Parker says in this speech “I firmly believe it is time that we introduced policies like this in New Zealand”.

Canada adopts “kiwi” proposal to boost climate friendly car numbers

While our Government looks at weighted averages, the Canadian one (not long ago reported to have gone soft on climate change) has announced it is going to pay climate friendly car buyers a $2000 cash incentive in a policy similar to one business has recommended to the New Zealand Government. The Business Council says let’s do it too.

Auckland City decides on green perks parking trial

Auckland City Council’s move to pilot parking privileges for climate friendly cars will benefit from being based on the emissions efficiency of vehicles, rather than their engine size.  Auckland can probably take heart from the fact that a decision by a London borough to introduce different rates for parking permits based on vehicle fuel emissions has led a string of other areas around Britain to follow suit, according to this AFR report

US auto makers meet President Bush on bio fuels and unveil first plug in hybrid

The United States’ top auto industry executives have met President George W. Bush, met at the White House to announce that half  the new automobiles in America will be flex-fuel ones in five years, and unveiled that country’s first plug-in hybrid.  Meantime, US alternative fuel vehicles sales have set a record and smashed projections by 50%.

Westpac launches country’s first green home loan

Westpac has launched a Green Home Loan, the first initiative of its kind in New Zealand, designed to help homeowners access, afford and adopt environmentally responsible products. Every Westpac NZ customer taking out or topping up a Westpac Choices home loan is offered hundreds of dollars of discounts on everything from solar hot water heaters, insulation, energy and water efficient appliances. Meantime, the Bank of America, under an ambitious new initiative, has announced it will direct $20 billion to help its corporate, individual and small-business customers take advantage of the business opportunities created by green economic growth. And for the first time, dozens of institutional investors managing $4 trillion in assets have called on U.S. lawmakers to enact strong federal legislation to curb the pollution causing global climate change.

Contact Energy enrolls customers in emissions cuts

Contact Energy has launched an online calculator and a plan to help its more than 580,000 electricity and gas customers across New Zealand to reduce their own carbon emissions by one million tonnes within the next seven years.

UK to hold carbon capture and storage competition

While Solid Energy here invests heavily in carbon sequestration research, the UK government is to hold a competition to build the world's first, full-scale demonstration of carbon capture and storage (CSS), in a bid to foster a technology which could help curb climate change.

Product stewardship: White goods industry ditches voluntary accords

Product stewardship is a hot issue as New Zealand MPs consider what to do with the Green Party’s waste minimisation bill. In Europe, the white goods industry association has just called for new energy efficiency standards for large household appliances to be set through binding legislation and not voluntary agreements.

Sustainability Learning Group 2007

A major new series of sustainability workshops, involving expert speakers including some chief executives, is being launched by the Business Council. The workshops cover issues like priority setting, risk identification, and the fit of sustainability into different businesses; sustainability reporting, decision making on procurement. One deals with debunking myths around sustainability, including food miles, air dryers versus paper towels, and organics. Full details on the workshops, which start April 24, are here.

Sydney’s lights go off and Australia’s policy lights come on

According to Associated Press, the WWF and New South Wales State Government enjoyed a massive response when they asked Australia’s largest city, Sydney, to switch off the lights for an hour to register concern over global warming. Meantime, the climate change policy contest has intensified with PM John Howard saying Climate change will be a top priority at a Pacific Rim leaders' summit which he chairs in September, and Opposition leader Kevin Rudd unveiling his climate change policy blueprint.

First EU Commercial Concentrating Solar Power Tower Opens in Spain

Europe's first commercial concentrating solar power plant he been inaugurated near Seville. Known as PS10, the project produces electricity with 624 large movable mirrors called heliostats, it is the first of a set of solar electric power generation plants to be constructed in the same area that will produce more than 300 MW by 2013. The EU has been supporting the concentrating solar power sector for more than 10 years, spending some €25 million to research projects working to develop this technology.

The EU's first commercial concentrating solar power tower near Seville, Spain - (Photo courtesy Abengoa)

Not a single loss among emission cutting companies

The non-profit and big business-backed The Climate Group, in data presented in Carbon Down Profits Up demonstrates how all companies lowering emissions have made money. In case studies, the group reveals Dow Chemical, for example, cut company CO2 emissions by 32 per cent between 1994 and 2005, saving $4 billion in the process. DuPont achieved a 60 per cent reduction in emissions and saved $3 billion in energy efficiency improvements alone.

Green Ribbon Awards

Do you know of an individual, organisation or business doing outstanding work towards a cleaner, greener, sustainable New Zealand?  Nominations for the 2007 Green Ribbon Awards are open until Friday 20 April.  For the list of categories and more information on making a nomination, please click here.

North Shore City Council WasteWise Fund

Do you have a great idea of how you could increase efficiency in your business by reducing waste? Can you see a wasted resource going to landfill that you could use? The North Shore City WasteWise Fund provides $100,000 in grants each year to businesses, community groups and individuals to implement waste reduction initiatives on the North Shore. Research and start-up costs are eligible. The next round closes 27 April 2007. You can see details here.

The Independent covers green business

The Independent Financial Review under new Managing Editor Bernard Hickey is taking a strong presence in media coverage of green business and sustainable development. Green business features, now running quarterly because of the strong reader and advertiser response, are due on May 30, September 19 and December 12 for those who want to participate.

The skills shortage and ageing workforce: how do you manage it?

Statistics NZ says that by the middle of the century, one in four New Zealanders will be aged 65 or older. This demographic shift is something that New Zealand has never faced before and poses problems for employers and government alike. The skills shortages that many industries face today will be compounded by a people shortage tomorrow. The Brightstar Ageing Workforce Conference (29 & 30 May 2007, Wellington Town Hall) will deal with the recruitment practices and human resource strategies employers will need to adapt to the changing face of the

Join 4121 other New Zealanders in helping shape New Zealand

The Business Council’s public online survey panel now has 4121 members and delivers a nationally representative population sample, with weighted results as accurate as plus or minus 2%. Panel surveys have helped inform Government policy on major issues like mandatory sustainable procurement by Government agencies. To have your say on shaping policy please click here. (You’ll also be in a $1000 panel member-only prize draw).