Carbon Offsetting Success Story of a Consulting Firm in NZ

Carbon offset, as the term implies, means balancing or cancelling your company’s carbon emissions, usually through a carbon offset provider.

Carbon offset providers undertake a myriad of projects, including tree planting, supporting clean energy technologies, and other carbon sequestration activities that directly absorb CO2 from the atmosphere to reduce emissions.

You may wonder why I need to offset my company’s emissions or how it will benefit my business.

Your business may have many possible reasons or motivating factors for doing this. For example, you may want to promote “corporate social responsibility” and help change society’s attitude towards emissions.

Achieving a carbon-zero certificate for your business can enhance its image—one that reflects responsibility and commitment to supporting sustainable development and preservation of the environment.

Below is an example of an NZ-based asset management consulting company that decided to offset its firm’s emissions and plans to reduce its CO2 emissions in the future.  Waugh Infrastructure achieved its Carbon Zero Certification in November 2020.

CAP interviewed Ross Waugh, Director of Waugh Infrastructure Management Ltd., about the company’s decision to offset its emissions, the steps it took to select an offset provider, and its plans for the future.  

CAP: How did you select your offset provider – Toitū, among many others?

Ross: Regarding our process that led to selecting Toitū, we started by searching for carbon offsetting and carbon zero certification in NZ. There are many different providers, and we were looking for a partner that offered verified carbon zero and high-quality verified carbon offsetting.

It quickly became apparent that NZ Toitū Envirocare offered high-quality services in this area. As part of a Crown Research Institute, it also had the necessary standards and credibility.

Many of our clients – local authorities and government departments were also certified with Toitū, so it was also a good fit for us.

We contacted Toitū, and after discussions and information gathering, we signed up to partner with them and began their structured process that meets international standards.

CAP: Why did you decide to offset your carbon emissions?

Ross: NZ has passed a Zero Carbon Act to meet its international obligations, including the Paris Climate Agreement. All NZ government and local government entities have to meet the requirements of the Zero Carbon Act.

As we provide services to the local and central government, it was clear that we would also need to support our clients in these requirements.

We decided to act now so we would have the compliance process experience, which would assist us in advising our clients on our specialist infrastructure management services.

Our involvement with the Climate Adaptation Platform and work in these areas meant we wanted to demonstrate that we were actively engaged in achieving lower emissions and zero-carbon certification. Our measurement of carbon sources has enabled us to plan how to reduce those carbon sources most effectively and actively.

CAP: What is your plan going forward?

Ross: To actively manage and seek to reduce our carbon sources as much as practical as we move forward. This will start with automotive emissions, where we will transition to using battery-electric vehicles over the next few years.

We will assist our clients by maintaining zero-carbon certification and helping them plan to reduce carbon emissions related to infrastructure management, construction, replacement, operations, and maintenance.

As an asset management consulting firm, Waugh Infrastructure assists local councils with their asset management plans.

Climate change effects like precipitation patterns, increasing temperatures, and rising sea levels can negatively impact infrastructure, hence the calls to integrate climate change into asset management. Addressing climate change involves two critical solutions: mitigation and adaptation.

Waugh’s reducing their emissions and achieving Carbon-Zero certification in compliance with the NZ government’s Zero Carbon Act helps mitigate climate change.

They also set an excellent example for their clients by assisting them in integrating climate change into their asset management plans and, in the future, helping them with their carbon-zero compliance.

Please watch the video below to learn more: