Our environmental contribution
We are conscious of our own contribution to greenhouse gas emissions in the region. As an organisation, we are continually working hard to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and manage 2,700 hectares of Environment Canterbury-owned forestry, which is a significant carbon sink (a natural system that reduces the emissions released into the atmosphere by sucking up and storing carbon dioxide).
Taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Measuring our greenhouse gas emissions is an important early step in enabling us to reduce them, as we work towards the national target of net zero by 2050.
In 2022, we engaged Beca to develop a decarbonisation trajectory to help us understand our emissions and what opportunities exist to reduce them, along with an initial action plan to help us set feasible yet impactful emissions targets.
The report found the reduction initiative with the highest potential for impact was decarbonising the regional bus fleet, followed by encouraging lower emission modes of transport for staff commuting and the decarbonisation of our internal fleet vehicles.
If the organisation completes all the proposed actions identified in the report, we have the potential to reduce our emissions by more than 80% by 2050.
Current reduction initiatives
Examples of initiatives we have undertaken and continue to take in order to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions as an organisation include:
Tuam Street office
Our Tuam Street office was designed to be energy efficient, using a ground-source heat pump and 184 solar panels that generate more than 55-kW of electricity per year. Regular reviews of the building's environmental performance are undertaken, including ongoing tuning of the HVAC system, to ensure it is operating as efficiently as possible.
In 2023, the building was the first in the country to be awarded three certifications for environmental performance - a 4.5-starNABERSNZ(National Australian Built Environment Rating System - New Zealand) rating, a 4 Green Star Performance rating, and a net CarboNZero for Building Operations certification. Run by theNew Zealand Green Building Council (NZBC), each provides independent assessments of how a building is used.
Staff travel and transport
We have introduced a raft of initiatives to get staff on board with reducing their climate impact. An innovative suite of green transport options, including electric bikes and electric scooters, are available to staff across our offices and depots Canterbury-wide to encourage a greener alternative to attending meetings.
Bike storage facilities are also provided and our Tuam Street office alone houses over 100 personal bikes from staff who cycle to work year-round. We also encourage carpooling between our offices and depots.
We were a foundation member of Yoogo, now Zilch, and also have some of their vehicles in our fleet.
In 2019 we began the transition of our internal fleet vehicles, such as SUVs and 4X4s, to hybrids and, by the end of 2023, 100% of our passenger vehicles were hybrid or long-range electric vehicles. We will investigate lower emission options to replace other vehicles in our fleet as they become available.
We continue to closely monitor our fleet emissions and develop initiatives to lower them.
Public transport fleet
We have continued to decarbonise our public transport fleet over the last five years and in 2024, we have added 21 new electric buses to our urban fleet. By the end of 2024, we will have a total of 70 electric buses on the road. This continually-growing number goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to having a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035.
With the addition of these latest 21 new electric vehicles, our urban fleet is expected to reduce Metro's carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by an estimated 22.8% when compared to our existing diesel fleet - that's equivalent to annual savings of more than 3,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to a full diesel fleet.