NZ waste company acheives emissions-reduction certification

As a member of the Climate Leaders Coalition, Waste Management has committed to reducing its GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement for a future low-carbon economy.

The waste management company has now achieved CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme) certification for managing and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The CEMARS program is an internationally accredited GHG certification scheme. It provides tools for organisations, products, services and events to measure and reduce their GHG emissions, with the option to offset emissions.

Joining 53 companies from other sectors in New Zealand who have achieved CEMARS certification, Waste Management Managing Director Tom Nickels said the move reflected a need for all sectors to play their part in achieving climate change goals.

“This certification provides an independent benchmark and is in line with the steps being taken by the government, business and the community in reducing our carbon footprint,” Nickels said.

While the waste industry emits less than other sectors, Nickels said it can make an important contribution given the nationwide scale of collecting and managing waste.

“For some time there has been a strong commitment across New Zealand government and business to meet the challenges of reducing emissions and we’re pleased to be part of this change,” he said, noting the first reading of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which has broad across-parliament support.

Waste Management has been taking steps to reduce emissions for many years. The company currently has nine electric trucks and is working to have 20 of its national truck fleet converted to electric, with a goal of 100 electric vehicles in its light fleet by the end of 2019. In addition, by converting landfill gas to electricity, the company’s Redvale Energy Park is Auckland’s largest generator of renewable energy.

The majority of Waste Management’s GHG emissions come from diesel use and community waste destined for landfill. With the company’s landfills already capturing and converting 95% of landfill gas to electricity, further reductions will initially focus on reducing diesel emissions.

Waste Management’s total gross emissions reading for 2017 was 183,615.55 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This value will form the reference point for planning further emissions reductions.

Waste Management Sustainability Manager Adam Weller said, “Reducing our carbon footprint will not be easy. Across the company it will be affected by any significant growth or changes in demand. But we are committed to the ‘For Future Generations’ sustainability strategy we launched last year. By establishing this benchmark we are registering our commitment to delivering on it.

“Along with waste reduction, recycling and composting, we are also focusing on specific steps to reduce emissions in our operations and we will be reporting publicly on our progress to achieve this,” he said.

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