Hon David Parker - 21/02/2007 - Address to the 2nd International
Conference on Sustainability Engineering and Science. -
9am, 21 February 2007, University of Auckland
Good morning and welcome to you all. I am pleased to be
here today to talk to you about sustainability, and how
we must prepare for and adapt to climate change impacts
on New Zealand and globally.
It is a pleasure to have local and international visitors
in our audience who will share their research and technical
expertise with us. Good policy formulation relies on good
science and the government acknowledges the role played
by scientists, engineers and businesses in shaping our strategies
for a sustainable New Zealand - it is an invaluable partnership.
I would like to begin with a small discussion on sustainability,
before moving on to talk about one very important aspect
of that - climate change.
Sustainability is a goal that can be applied in many areas
of the work we do as a government. In an environmental sense,
we have many programmes already underway to preserve and
conserve our precious resources for future generations.
The Sustainable Water Programme of Action
The Draft New Zealand Energy Strategy, with its focus on
renewable energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
Proposals for carbon pricing, pre and post-2012
The Clean Air Programme
The Biodiversity Strategy
And a range of transport related initiatives.
Sustainability is not just about the environment. This
government see it as an economic, social and cultural goal.
Our Prime Minister, Helen Clark, outlined this last week.
She said:
Our challenge is to build a sustainable economy based on
innovation and quality in a world where high volume, low
quality goods and services will always undercut us on price.
Our challenge is to sustain family and community living
standards in our open, competitive economy.
Our challenge is to sustain our unique culture, values,
and national identity in a world of globalised media and
culture.
What happens when we live unsustainably? Climate change
is an example of this. Humans are producing more greenhouse
gases than the earth's atmosphere can absorb - and we are
already seeing signs of the predicted results - increasing
temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme weather
events like floods and droughts.
The recent Stern Review and the latest report from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change leaves little
room for doubt that the world must take urgent action, and
that action will be much less costly than the consequences
of taking no action. Climate change has moved beyond being
just an environmental debate, to being an ethical and economic
issue that requires a long-term vision, enduring policies
and responsible actions.
This government has responded to this urgency.
Late last year we released a set of policies dealing with
energy and climate change.
The New Zealand Energy Strategy focuses on a renewable energy
future, and says that all new generation should be renewable,
except to the extent needed to maintain security of supply.
It also says that investment should occur in energy efficiency
measures where this is cheaper than the long-term costs
of building extra generation capacity, including environmental
costs.
We also released proposals to introduce a price on carbon.
The Prime Minister built on this with announcements last
week, about priorities for this year. They include:
Moving the Public Service towards carbon neutrality
Developing a single procurement policy for government requiring
sustainably produced goods and services to be used whenever
possible
Supporting households to become more sustainable
Supporting business partnerships for sustainability
And improving waste management
This government is determined to provide leadership for
New Zealand business in adapting to and responding to impacts
of climate change.
The initiatives announced last week will reduce New Zealand’s
greenhouse gas emissions and boost business opportunities
for businesses that provide sustainable goods and services.
Starting April 2008, oil companies will start having to
sell biofuels along with the petrol and diesel they sell.
The proportion will gradually increase, reaching 3.4 percent
of total fuel sold by 2012. This requirement will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 3.4 percent -
equivalent to more than 100,000 carbon neutral cars and
trucks. It will also ensure our transport infrastructure
transitions to a lower carbon future. This obligation provides
new business opportunities for the agricultural sector as
most of the biofuels are expected to be made in New Zealand.
The government sector is a significant purchaser of services
within the economy and intends to use its purchasing power
to help drive innovation, cleaner production and improved
cost effectiveness over the whole lifecycle of goods and
services.
Already in underway is the Govt3 Program - an initiative
which accelerates adoption of sustainable building practices.
Ministry for the Environment have an exhibition at this
conference and a more detailed presentation this program
will be given during this conference.
These are initiatives that will grow the market for environmentally
friendly products including paper, cleaners, plastics and
fuel efficient vehicles. Sustainable public purchasing will
provide significant market opportunities, encourage technological
innovation and help to create new export opportunities for
New Zealand companies.
The government intends to lead by example by moving the
public service towards carbon neutrality. This year the
first group of six departments will commit to reaching carbon
neutrality by 2012. By early next year, the Ministries for
the Environment, Health, and Economic Development, the Departments
of Inland Revenue and Conservation, and Treasury will have
reduced their carbon footprint significantly. Their objective
will be to reduce their department’s emissions, but at the
point that it is not feasible to reduce further, they will
offset them; for example, by supporting tree planting on
Crown land, which will also contribute to our sustainable
land management policies.
Some climate change is inevitable, as a result of greenhouse
gases already in the atmosphere. Therefore we must be ready
to adapt to these new conditions.
At a local government level, a number of local authorities
have developed initiatives to improve their long term planning
for vulnerable areas, such as storm water management, flood
control and reducing the risk of coastal erosion. Examples
include storm water projects developed by Kapiti Coast District
Council and North Shore City Council, and tidal inundation
work undertaken by Rodney District and Hawke’s Bay Regional
councils.
In other areas, agencies with responsibilities for infrastructure
are beginning to plan how to minimise the costs to infrastructure.
Some of the future costs of climate change can be avoided
or reduced by sensible planning now to protect roads, sewerage,
electricity transmission, water and telecommunications.
We are committed to helping industries assess and manage
the risks of climate change in their planning processes.
Guidance material, technical reports and case studies have
been developed to help industries assess and manage the
risks of climate change in their planning processes. The
number of businesses holding, or in the process of qualifying
for, Environmental Choice certification has doubled in 2006
and more than 700 products are accredited to use this eco-label.
Partnerships with business will continue to be a core feature
of government strategy in this area.
Business has a big contribution to make towards improving
New Zealand’s overall sustainability performance. Many businesses
are already involved and many more are interested.
The new government initiatives recognise the value of business
involvement through research, science and technological
innovation. Scientists and engineers have an important role
to play in ensuring our world lives sustainably and need
to be thinking about climate change in new designs. Science
and innovation enhance policy formulation and decision-making,
by providing cost-effective and means for mitigation, adaptation
and reducing uncertainty around climate change impacts.
As such, the government is committed to making sustainability
part of the design and innovation process. Last year the
government’s support of the Designers Institute of New Zealand’s
decision last year to introduce a Sustainable Product design
category into its annual Best Design Awards is an example
of that commitment.
The partnership with the Institution of Professional Engineers
is a similar example of the government’s serious commitment
to working with business and industry in developing strategies
to achieve sustainability and adaptation for climate change.
This year the government will work with leading business
networks, like the Business council for Sustainable Development
and the Sustainable Business Network, to promote awareness
by companies of what they can do to improve their sustainability
and their profitability.
We are already starting to see sustainable practices being
fully embraced in both public and private sector. I congratulate
Meridian Energy, IAG NZ and Formway Furniture for taking
a lead in sustainable business practices in their respective
industry.
Meridian Energy’s new office accommodation on the Wellington
waterfront, currently under construction, will set new best
practice environmental performance standards particularly
for minimising the use of energy and water in commercial
office buildings. The approach Meridian Energy has taken
to the planning and design of this building is a great example
of what sustainability is all about, particularly the collaboration
with others and a willingness to share what they’ve learnt.
Sustainability also featured strongly in the design of
IAG’s new Christchurch building. IAG has not only worked
on strategies for their own sustainability, but on encouraging
both the insurance industry and community to act responsibly
on climate change matters through sponsoring research and
awareness programmes. The likely impact of climate change
on insurers is potentially huge. Changing weather patterns
have already had huge implications to the insurance industry.
Weather related disasters represent 19 of the top 20 insurance
losses in New Zealand since 1968 - a trend expected to continue.
Over the last 10 years, the average cost of floods in New
Zealand has been about a $120 million dollars per annum,
and the total cost of the February 2004 floods is estimated
to be well over $300 million. So, if the incidence of such
events increase as expected, we could be approaching costs
of a billion dollars per annum. These costs could be a reality
if we do nothing to prepare ourselves.
In the furniture industry, Formway Furniture represents
an important example of how innovation, strategic planning
and phased practical implementation are delivering sustainable
design solutions in the office furniture sector. Through
the smarter and more responsible specification of all material
types, Formway is striving to cut greenhouse gas emissions
and reduce solid waste, as well as minimising and where
possible, eliminating, the presence of potentially hazardous
substances in products and processes.
I applaud these actions by industry. Such initiatives will
make the difference in preparing New Zealand for the effects
of inevitable climate change. I encourage other sectors
to follow their example.
Thank you for your invitation to speak at this conference
today. I look forward to hearing of your discussions and
I wish you every success in rising to the challenge of climate
change and sustainability.
Prime Minister’s statement 2007
The Prime Minister’s statement at the opening of Parliament
on 13 February 2007 outlined a number environmental initiatives
that will accelerate New Zealand’s sustainable development.
These are:
Towards zero waste
A new drive to cut down on waste and make it easier to dispose
of. New initiatives – to be formally worked through with
local government and announced later in the year – include:
A network of public recycling stations
The creation of a waste levy to fund projects to encourage
recycling and recovery
Regulation to allow for mandatory product stewardship, including
recognition of existing industry sponsored schemes.
Full details will be announced later in the year as well
as in Budget 2007. Issues requiring legislation – including
the creation of a waste levy – will be worked through in
Parliament, including in the development of the Waste Minimisation
(Solids) Bill currently before the Local Government and
Environment Committee.
Business partnerships for sustainability
Building on existing work, the Business Partnerships for
Sustainability programme, will make it easier for New Zealand
businesses to find out and implement sustainable business
practices. It will include support for existing sustainability
advisory services and the expansion of assistance to industry
groups.
Full details will be announced later in the year and in
Budget 2007.
Public service takes lead in becoming carbon neutral
The 34 core public service departments will begin immediate
work to achieve carbon neutrality. All core departments
will start reducing emissions immediately and a lead group
of six agencies – the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry
of Health, Ministry of Economic Development, Inland Revenue,
Department of Conservation and the Treasury – will have
carbon neutral plans in place by early 2008.
It will be mandatory for all 34 agencies to be on a path
to carbon neutrality by 2012.
Full details will be announced later in the year and in
Budget 2007.
Government to buy eco-friendly goods, services
The Government will use its purchasing power to grow the
market for environmentally friendly services and products,
including paper, cleaners, plastics and fuel efficient vehicles.
Public service departments will be required to create more
sustainable workplaces, including greater use of renewable
energy and recycling.
The Government intends to provide comprehensive information
about which ecolabels and standards are good indicators
of environmental sustainability
It will also increase the number of product types that carry
the Government's own Environmental Choice NZ ecolabel to
assist departments in implementing the new policy and encourage
more suppliers to adopt sustainable practices.
Full details will be announced later in the year and in
Budget 2007.
Biofuel sales required
The Government will require an increasing proportion of
cleaner-burning biofuels to be sold to cut greenhouse gas
emissions and increase energy security. The sales obligation,
starting in April 2008, will require 3.4 percent of the
total fuel sold by oil companies to be biofuel by 2012.
The Ministry of Economic Development will be developing
new legislation during 2007 that will implement the Biofuels
Sales Obligation and provide for the regulation of biofuel
quality.
Helping households towards sustainability
The Government will develop a campaign to raise awareness
of what households can due to fight climate change, improve
energy efficiency, save money and reduce waste and water
use. The campaign will build on and seek to integrate the
practical advice and help already being given by government
agencies, NGOs and the private sector. Full details will
be announced in Budget 2007.