The New Zealand Government released its first Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) on 16 May 2022, outlining how the government can deliver the first of its three emissions budgets by 2035.

The plan is designed for all New Zealanders and will require climate action from all sectors of the economy and society. And it is now up to businesses, local councils, and industries to make this plan a reality.

A webinar from Tonkin+Taylor, an NZ-based environmental and engineering consultancy company, and Movac, a venture capitalist firm with a focus on investing in sustainable and circular technologies.

“Minimizing waste to reduce emissions: How do we turn plans into action?” discusses the opportunity for businesses and councils to minimize waste to help meet New Zealand’s first Emissions Reduction Plan by leading in using the circular economy principles to reduce emissions, and resource efficiency to avoid wastage.

The webinar also highlights the potential investment opportunities for both councils and businesses that shift from a linear to a circular economy.

Jo Ferry, Principal Environmental Consultant of Tonkin+Taylor, one of the panellists of the webinar, says the release of New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Amendment Act in 2019 sets off a series of publication of reports, including the first Emissions Reduction Plan, on how the nation can achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

However, she is looking forward to some tangible actions that she could grab hold of as a person who cares for society and the planet and sustainable activities for her clients to implement in their businesses.

The Emissions Reduction Plan is billed as the first document to connect across the whole economy as it contains strategies, policies, and activities intended to put us on a path to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and sets out 160 actions for delivery.

It is ambitious and gets everyone excited about the transformative change needed by the country’s economy, Ferry says. And for her, the most exciting part of the report is the circular economy chapter which could significantly reduce the waste from the industry and is an opportunity that councils and businesses can take advantage of, she says.

Listen or watch the webinar below on how local governments and businesses can translate policies into actions.