SUSTAINABILITY
we are committed
to doing the
right thing.
We are deeply committed to the protection of the environment and the broader principles of sustainable development.
Environmental sustainability is vital to us as it is an opportunity to practise what we preach.
Our Commitments
to the Environment
REDUCE
Reduce our carbon emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
MAINTAIN
Maintain a carbon neutral status by offsetting our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions via the support of high-quality carbon offset projects within our geographical areas of operation (AUS, NZ, & the Pacific Islands).
MAXIMISE
Maximise our handprint by considering options to reduce GHG emissions on all consulting assignments and advising clients accordingly.
MINIMISE
Minimise other environmental risks by maintaining AS/NZS ISO 14001-certified environmental management systems.
Actions we’ve completed
We have measured and offset our GHG emissions since 2018.


The bulk of our direct (Category 1 and 2) emissions come from our use of company vehicles (including rental cars) and the electricity used in our offices. We have made some great progress in reducing these emissions already, but there is more work to do.
The main contributors to our Indirect emissions (Category 3 and 4) are employee commuting (a discretionary source that we choose to include) and business travel and we are looking to reduce these as much as possible too.
Energy Use
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Installed a significant solar PV system at our head office in Christchurch.
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We have no natural gas use in our offices.
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Shifted all Board meetings online.
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Minimise non-client-related travel.
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Encourage clients to work with us remotely (where practicable).
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Review flight options and wherever possible, we select lower emissions planes (for example an A320 plane has lower emissions than an ATR) and try to fly directly to the destination (to reduce flight km).
Business Travel
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Undertake regular waste audits to monitor what waste we are generating.
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Separate green waste, general waste, recycling and soft plastics within our offices.
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Recycle soft plastic for staff including soft plastic waste from home.
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We reuse or recycle IT equipment where possible.
Waste
Vehicles
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Replaced our pool vehicles with EVs - we have a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf.
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Provided an electric scooter at the Christchurch office for staff.
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Implemented a rental vehicle policy that prioritises the use of EVs and Hybrids.
Employee Commuting
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All our staff are set up to work from home.
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Encourage staff to use active modes of transport (walking/cycling). Measures we’ve undertaken include: installing a new bike shed; providing showers, towels and shower consumables; supporting Biketober, and supplying bike consumables.
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Financially incentivise those staff who have a carpark entitlement to move to an active mode of transport.
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We offer interest-free loans to staff to help the transition to active modes of transport (e.g. to purchase a bike).
Other
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Use of environmentally friendly cleaning products.
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Support the Sustainable Business Network.
Supporting our clients to reduce their carbon footprint
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One of the most effective ways that we have an impact is by helping our clients and partners to reduce their emissions.
Our dedicated Energy and Carbon team is one of the leading providers of decarbonisation services in New Zealand and is a key EECA programme partner, as well as a service provider to the Carbon Neutral Government Programme (CNGP).
We have been helping large energy users improve their energy efficiency and reduce their energy-related emissions since 2004. We have delivered over 300 decarbonisation projects in this time and helped over 100 New Zealand organisations to reduce their emissions in one form or another.
We’re also a long-term supporter of the Carbon and Energy Professionals Network (CEP), and the manager of our Energy and Carbon team, Ben Thomson is currently the CEP vice chair.
Additionally, much of the work our other teams complete supports New Zealand and Australia’s transition to a lower carbon economy. For instance, the transmission lines engineering work we do in both countries supports the electrification of our economies and the inspection work that our Corrosion and Protection team undertakes (in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands) extends the life of critical assets such as bridges and transmission towers. This reduces the need for asset replacement and results in lower carbon emission asset interventions.
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CARBON ACTION
Certification
As part of our commitment to suppporting clients to reduce their carbon footprint, our Energy & Carbon team has developed and runs the Carbon Action certification programme.
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This programme provides a pragmatic, robust, and accessible framework to support and endorse businesses that are measuring and reducing their carbon footprint.
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We hold ourselves accountable to measuring our emissions to align with the Carbon Action programme requirements. Our internal efforts, guided by our Science Based Target Commitment meet the requirements of the Carbon Action - Reduce certification. However, we do not certify ourselves in order to remain independent.
FAQ
Our Carbon Footprint
Science-based Targets Initiative
The importance of reducing emissions vs. offsetting
Offsetting Approach
Associations & Partners
