15 minute read
A sustainable future?
from BB#66-Sep-Oct-2022
by BayBuzz
The HB Future Farming Trust sponsored dialogue between Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and journalist Rod Oram on the future of farming with climate change. Photos: Jack Warren
HAWKE’S BAY FUTURE FARMING TRUST
Launched with seed funding from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, the Trust’s mission is “To promote, inspire and celebrate profitable farming systems that enrich the environment and the community.”
The Trust aims to expand Hawke’s Bay’s hands-on knowledge of best, restorative farming practices, focusing on innovation, science insights, new technologies and farming systems change.
As Trust Chair Liz Krawczyk puts it: “We are all about demonstrating and communicating leading edge practices here in Hawke’s Bay that will help our region’s primary producers achieve financial and environmental sustainability.”
We identify, publicly recognize and promote Hawke’s Bay best practices, practitioners and champions, and also promote non-Hawke’s Bay/New Zealand practices with potential upside relevance to our region.
So far the Trust has supported onfarm demonstrations, confirming, for example, the potential for building Hastings District Council.
The question we ask is: What should Hawke’s Bay’s best performance look like in the future with respect to soil health, clean waters, food quality, animal welfare, efficient water and energy use, and profitability?
Our current trustees are: Liz Krawczyk, Phil Schofield, Scott Lawson, John van der Linden, Tim
soil carbon content and nutrient holding capacity. We’ve helped fund real-time water monitoring technology in the Mangaone Catchment. And we’ve sponsored workshops and field days to spread awareness of farming practices that both increase farm productivity and lessen adverse environmental footprints.
Most recently, 150 guests joined the dialogue we sponsored between Agriculture Minister Damien O’Conner and journalist Rod Oram on the future of farming with climate change.
Over time we will document the superior performance by Hawke’s Bay’s farmers and growers across all farming sectors – pastoral, horticulture, viticulture.
Coming soon: the launch of our major project comparing conventional and ‘regenerative’ farming practices here in Hawke’s Bay.
Joining HBRC as Keystone Sponsors supporting our work are Bayleys Country, Napier Port and Aitken, Will Foley and Tom Belford.
We encourage you to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter to learn about leading edge farming practices in Hawke’s Bay. To learn more about HB Future Farming Trust, visit our website; www.hbfuturefarming.org or email us at info@hbfuturefarming.org
BayBuzz is pleased to support Hawke's Bay Future Farming Trust
Bay Biz
Hawke’s Bay has foresight. It has initiated some of the country’s most progressive business concepts including multiple ways to combat climate change.
A sustainable future?
In July the world watched as Europe burned and the United Kingdom ground to a halt in sweltering temperatures. In New Zealand, local councils grappled with wild weather; extreme rainfall, washed out bridges, and discussed managed retreats from the rising sea. Photos Florence Charvin
NASA says that “the earth will continue to warm, and the effects will be profound”, warning the effects of human-caused global warming are “irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come”.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council – our region’s primary environmental agency – declared a climate emergency in 2019, and in its most recent annual plan noted: “the reality of a changing climate was becoming more pressing and urgent”. It appointed its first Climate Action Ambassador, Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau this year. Her focus is to ensure the Regional Council is carbon neutral by 2025, and take a key leadership role in a community-wide response in Hawke’s Bay becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
In a recent media article McKelvieSebileau says that to meet national emissions budgets, we all have to reduce our emissions by 9% by 2025, an extra 16.5% by 2030, and a further 23% by 2035. The numbers are simply staggering.
“Emissions reductions goals will influence how we travel, how we heat our homes, what we choose to consume,” she says.
EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) research shows that 88% of Kiwis want businesses to do more about climate change, and Hawke’s Bay businesses are beginning to do their bit. Here’s a snapshot of some of the initiatives underway across the business community.
The solar farm
Hawke’s Bay Airport plans to be carbon neutral by 2030. The airport’s sustainability strategy was approved by former CEO Stuart Ainslie in December 2019, and has four core pillars; financial return, environmental excellence, social responsibility, and operational efficiency.
Current airport CEO Rob Stratford says that reaching net zero is an important goal.
“It’s going to require targeted action and investment. We have a comprehensive plan and we’re building decarbonisation initiatives into our capex and asset replacement plans over the next eight years. In 2021, our carbon footprint was 65tCO2e.”
He says the airport is working hard to reduce emissions right across its business. “We undertook a comprehensive emissions mapping exercise in 2019 that gave us a great base to work from. We know that electricity is our biggest source of emissions so that needs to be a major focus for us.”
The major carbon reducing initiative for the airport is its planned solar farm, an investment of $30-$35 million. In June 2020 the airport (co-owned by Napier and Hastings councils and the Crown) announced plans to convert 10 hectares of unutilised land into New Zealand’s largest solar farm (it’s since been overtaken by Christchurch Airport’s Kowhai Park).
Stratford says the airport is in the initial stages of the project, with feasibility completed and a team assembled to take the project through its next stages. Turning of the first sod is some way off, with “consultation and resource consents coming first” and construction planned for 2024.
At 24MW, the solar farm will generate enough electricity to power 5,0006,000 homes annually, but the plan is to use most of the energy generated on site to power airport operations. Stratford says they’d like the surplus to be available to local Hawke’s Bay businesses, but will work through this with Manawa Energy, partner for the solar farm project.
He acknowledges there may be residual emissions that can’t be eliminated, and that the airport may need to look at offsetting. “We’re looking into
ROB STRATFORD, HAWKE’S BAY AIRPORT
NICK STEWART, STEWART GROUP
sourcing permanent native forestry offsets which support local biodiversity and water quality outcomes along with our local community.”
As well as the solar farm, Stratford says the airport has made a number of significant changes that have reduced emissions, including moving to a greener vehicle fleet.
“We’ve already replaced two airside vehicles with electric or hybrid vehicles, and plan to replace a third this year. Those changes saved 10.5 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2021, as well as reducing our fuel costs by 41%.
“We’re also investigating options for a hybrid fire engine (a specialised version for airport operations), as well as electric mowers, solar-powered bird-scaring canons, and other alternatives for our petrol and diesel-powered equipment.”
Other carbon reducing and sustainability measures at the airport include using 100% renewable certified carbon neutral electricity, transitioning the carpark lights to energy efficient LED, and investigating EV charging, meter upgrades and energy efficiencies at the pump station, says Stratford.
As far as waste is concerned, most single use plastic has been eliminated from the airport’s café and retail area, and there’s a trial of ‘worm-approved’ paperboard-based cups in the works.
With carbon reducing initiatives in place on site, Stratford says the airport is also looking at how it can reduce the carbon emissions required to get to the airport. “We’re talking to Hawke’s Bay Regional Council about public transport options, and we’ve installed a secure bike and e-bike facility to encourage cycling as a low carbon mode of transport,” he says. Ticking all the boxes
Stewart Group, a wealth management business in Hastings is fully embracing carbon reduction measures, not only in its operations, but also in the investments available to clients.
It launched its Simply Sustainable initiative in July 2021. To date, the company has installed 36.6kW of solar panels on the roof of its Karamu Road office, and its vehicle fleet is now fully electric. Altogether, an investment of $250k.
CEO Nick Stewart, says that Stewart Group believes in walking the talk.
“Our offices now run on solar power, as do our vehicles. We export excess power to the grid, and this summer we will make our EV chargers available to the public on weekends through our partnership with Parkable – currently in the beta testing phase – with profits going to charity.”
Built for Stewart Group by Our Energy, its electricity provider, Stewart Group is part of New Zealand’s first private solar community, the Te Rehe Solar Network, with 14 current members and seven prospects in the process of joining.
Stewart says the company’s path to sustainability has been over a number of years, but it has only been in the last four years that they’ve been able to make sustainability measures work “Our offices now run on solar power, as do our vehicles. We export excess power to the grid, and this summer we will make our EV chargers available to the public on weekends through our partnership with Parkable”
NICK STEWART, STEWART GROUP
fiscally. “It’s not purely altruistic, it has to work financially too.
“We changed our lightbulbs to LED about six years ago, we have high speed hand dryers to eliminate paper towels, work with local suppliers wherever possible to reduce our environmental footprint, monitor our water use, and we have looked at the chemicals we use for cleaning. We have run the same lens over everything we have been doing.”
His advice to businesses looking to be more sustainable: “Take one step at a time. There’s so many things you can do, it’s amazing how it all adds up.”
And on the investment side, Stewart Group now offers clients a fully “clean” ESG (environmental, social, governance) investment portfolio in emerging markets.
Stewart says this is the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle. “We didn’t want to promote a portfolio with a significant number of carve outs, and have had the environmental ‘Simply Sustainable’ overlay on our emerging markets portfolio across all sectors since July last year.”
The uptake has been good, says Stewart. “A lot of the time, people don’t know they can invest their money that way. When we talk to people about it, they’re like ‘This is great. I didn’t realise I was able to do that’.”
Sustainability strategist
Jo Pearson, owner of sustainability specialist The Collective Impact, says that generally Hawke’s Bay businesses are in the emerging stage when it comes to sustainability.
“The larger businesses are leading the pack, as they should, and as of next year publicly listed companies have
From humble Hawke’s Bay beginnings, to nationwide coverage
Industrial
Automation, Processing and Plant Maintenance
Residential
New Homes, Renovations, Heating and Ventilation
Commercial
Schools, Hospitality, Warehousing and Office Blocks
Rural
Dairy Sheds, Irrigation and Effluent Systems
Jo Pearson and the team from Mission Estate. The wine industry has had sustainability measures in place for many years.
to report on climate-related risks. As for the smaller businesses, things are happening, but for the most part it is not in a planned or strategic way, and they’re not telling people about it, or getting any return on their sustainability investment.”
Pearson’s job is to help business think strategically about sustainability, and where it fits within their operations and business model.
“From there it’s about developing the overall strategy, linking sustainability into the brand strategy, and then into communications, so they can get the ‘cream on the top’,” she says.
Pearson says that businesses need to be financially sustainable first, before they think about sustainability initiatives.
“Essential is the buy-in at the top table, with the directors and management team fully on board. The leadership team has to inspire and engage the front line, and allow them to come up with ideas,” she says.
Hawke’s Bay with its reputation for high quality and artisan produce is well placed to tell a strong sustainability story that consumers will pay a premium for.
“There’s definitely a growing demand in the premium category for products that have got sustainability initiatives attached. NZTE research shows there’s a value-add for the higher priced products that have got various sustainability elements attached.”
Sustainability is a journey, or a continuum, says Pearson. “It doesn’t stop once you’ve attained zero carbon status. That’s not the finish line.
“The next challenge is, what can you give back to the community or the environment, so you can become carbon positive?”
JO PEARSON, THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT What others are doing
Pan Pac Forest Products – announced its sustainable development goals in 2020, adopting 11 out of the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals. Pan Pac will release its inaugural sustainability report later this year, outlining current performance, and planned projects to achieve its goals.
Napier Port – launched Te Mahere Toitū (its 10 year sustainability strategy) in August 2021, targeting 14 of the 17 United Nations’ sustainable development goals and incorporating 100 identified actions. Advancing sustainability is a foundation of the Port’s business strategy, and it will release its first sustainability report later this year.
Matangi Angus Beef – uses solar power for farm buildings and fencing, plants 3,000 native trees/shrubs annually, uses paper and wool in packaging,
where possible, and partners with a carbon neutral freight partner. 3R – sustainability and product stewardship specialists, most notably, the designer of stewardship schemes, including Tyrewise, the country’s first regulated product stewardship scheme, to deal with New Zealand’s end-of-life tyre problem, as well as a raft of others. Helps clients to reduce their environmental impact.
Hapi-Ora – 2021 Hawke’s Bay Business Awards Excellence in Sustainability winner. An organic business that prioritises sustainability outcomes.
Hawke’s Bay Technologies – have been carboNZero certified for nine years. The company manages its carbon footprint and that of its customers’ technology to ensure it has zero impact on the environment.
Brebner Print - purchases paper from sustainably farmed forests. Has invested in new technology and systems to reduce water, power and chemical usage, achieving Toitū Enviromark Gold certification.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council – climate change is at the heart of all HBRC activities. Specific emission reducing programmes include promoting public transport and cycling/cycleways, and the sustainable homes programme. HBRC also supports teaching and education for a sustainable world across the region. It also has carbon drawdown activities, and is getting its own house in order with a comprehensive sustainability programme, including an EV-first policy, working towards achieving Toitū accreditation, plus a raft of other measures including reducing energy use and recycling. “The next challenge is, what can you give back to the community or the environment, so you can become carbon positive?”
JO PEARSON, THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT
Woolworks – a new hot water heat pump at its Awatoto site will reduce carbon emissions by 24%, and the company has a comprehensive carbon reduction programme in place across its North and South Island sites.
Hastings District Council Tradie Breakfast initiative (in partnership with 3R) - bringing together local experts to talk waste reduction in building and construction that contributes half of the material going into landfill, material recovery strategies and recycling, and the importance of design and procurement in reducing waste. And for itself, HDC has developed a comprehensive ‘Eco-District’ strategy, which includes climate-related goals but reaches beyond.
Wine industry generally – have had sustainability measures in place for many years. Wineries and vineyards have to be certified every year.
What does the future hold?
NIWA’s climate change predictions for Hawke’s Bay read like a bad horoscope – more extreme weather with impacts on people, agriculture, coastal homes and assets, air quality, infrastructure, and a significant impact on horticulture. Responding to climate change
How to get started
• Reduce air travel – catch up by
Zoom or Teams instead • Use energy efficient LED lights • Purchase carbon neutral electricity • Electrify your vehicle fleet • Look at your waste streams – reduce, reuse, recycle • Work with carbon neutral suppliers and supply chain partners • Calculate and lower emissions • Involve your team • Integrate sustainability initiatives with your business strategy • Consider allowing staff to WFH one day per week – saves 20% emissions • Join Hawke’s Bay Climate Action
Network mailto:climateaction@
hbrc.govt.nz
presents both threat and opportunity.
A combination of stakeholder and government pressure will drive emission reduction and sustainability activities in the business community in the years to come. Businesses going the extra carbon-zero mile will have to demonstrate that they are not only sustainable, but they are also contributing positively to the environment. And that’s where the real opportunity lies.
As you can see, BayBuzz is building up its ‘Climate Heroes’ business list. If you think we should be writing about your business, please let us know:
editors@baybuzz.co.nz
BayBuzz Online
1. The Buzz e-newsletter 2. Expanded website: baybuzz.co.nz 3. BayBuzz digital magazine
You can find it all here: baybuzz.co.nz/digital
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