One New Zealand is proud to be a Toitū Envirocare carbonreduce certified organisation, having just finished an audit aligned with international best practice in carbon emissions measurement and verification standards in accordance with ISO 14064.

Nicky Preston, Head of Sustainability, One NZ, says: “We are proud to be working with Toitū Envirocare to bolster our climate action journey through credible reporting aligned to international best practice. As an organisation, we’ve been measuring our emissions footprint since 2007 and becoming Toitū Envirocare certified shows we’re stepping up our commitment to creating an awesome Aotearoa. It provides more detailed insights into our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which enables better decision making and more targeted reduction strategies.”

Being certified by Toitū Envirocare showcases adherence to rigorous methodologies, data accuracy, and robust reporting processes, plus benchmarks improvements year-on-year in a standardised format.

The Toitū Envirocare certification programme looks at six categories of emissions including operational activities, purchased energy, and impacts from some value chain activities, which relate to Scope 1, 2, and 3 sources to outline direct and indirect emissions.

“One NZ is a low carbon business, and we aim to minimise the environmental footprint of our operations wherever possible, doing more with less. Working with Toitū Envirocare further supports our culture of sustainability,” says Preston. “This report outlines almost 80% of One NZ’s emissions within the current reporting boundary fall in the Scope 2 category, which relates to energy use within our technology network and operations. Therefore, the key focus of ongoing reduction efforts is to use energy more efficiently in our network and increasing our use of renewables.

“A good example is working towards shutting down the 3G network, which has several positive environmental benefits. This comes from switching off the energy-hungry, legacy technology infrastructure, which is more prone to breaking down so equals fewer transport emissions as technicians reduce travel to fix outages.

“We will also continue to flesh out our Scope 3 reporting and expand on emissions resulting from value chain activities, as we continue this transparency journey.”

Teressa Betty, Kaiwhakahaere matua / CEO of Toitū Envirocare comments, “To tackle climate change, we must act as a united team. Carbon emissions know no boundaries, making it crucial for companies of all sizes to embark on this journey together. We are delighted to announce that One NZ has achieved Toitū carbonreduce certification. This certification gives Kiwis confidence that One NZ’s actions align with their audited commitments. The next chapter will bring challenges and rewards as One NZ expands their measurement boundary to scope 3 emissions, where true climate leadership thrives.”

Enabling other businesses to reduce their emissions

As part of our purpose to unlock the magic of technology to create an awesome Aotearoa, we are conscious in our efforts to lower our environmental footprint and operate in a more sustainable way wherever possible.

Preston adds: “We’re proud that telecommunications is a major enabler of GHG emission reductions. Our products and services enable New Zealanders and business customers to achieve significant reductions in their own carbon footprints. For example, services such as video conferencing and remote monitoring significantly reduce energy usage and the need for transportation, which can enable carbon savings in the process.”

In 2022, we asked sustainability experts thinkstep-anz to carry out a Consequential Life Cycle Assessment (CLCA) to measure how working from home affects an employee’s carbon footprint. The study found the average New Zealand office worker who works one day a week from home will save 4.2 kg in carbon emissions per day, compared to commuting into the office every day.

For more information about the Toitū Envirocare carbonreduce certification, please visit: www.toitu.co.nz. For more information about One NZ’s approach to ESG, please visit: https://one.nz/our-company/corporate-responsibility/