Zoo achieves highest environmental accreditation

Auckland Zoo has been awarded the highest international accreditation standard in environmental management — the International Standards Organisation’s ISO 14001.

The accreditation comes two years ahead of the zoo’s 2009 target to achieve the standard, and follows hot on the heels of achieving another 2009 environmental goal by 2007 — that of recycling 85% of all zoo waste.

The ISO 14001 — the global standard of measuring and monitoring environmental performance — focuses on improving environmental protection by using a single environmental management system across all functions of an organisation, and on gaining buy-in from all staff and contractors. Legal compliance with environmental legislation, pollution prevention and continual improvement are key commitments in gaining the standard.

“For the past six years, the zoo has focused intensively on reducing its environmental footprint, and has dramatically reduced its energy and water consumption, and the amount of waste it sends to landfill. In addition, design and operational standards for all new buildings have been introduced to ensure we utilise natural resources efficiently, and only use materials from sustainable resources,” said Auckland Zoo director, Jonathan Wilcken.

“In tandem with this, we now have in place internationally recognised systems for assessing and managing our environmental impact.”

For further information, visit www.aucklandzoo.co.nz.