Businesses take action to reduce impact on climate and environment
As people across the region prepare for a week of climate action , companies get to grips with how they can reduce their carbon footprint. There is no shortage of advice for businesses about how to cut their carbon emissions and become sustainable, Tahuna Beach Holiday Park marketing comms, and events manager, Debbie Armatage said. "Your inbox is inundated with helpful emails from all levels of people. But it wasnt always easy to find the time to read all the emails, let alone act on them, she said. READ MORE: * Knowing your carbon footprint is the first step towards reducing it * Meaning business in climate crisis * Back of the Agenda: Nelson City Council roundup Taking part in a series of online workshops was helping the business which was in the process of measuring its carbon footprint focus on achievable steps, Armatage said. The holiday park was among 189 enrolments so far in this years Starting Out on Sustainability workshops arranged by SBN (Sustainable Business Network), with Nelson City Council covering half of the $50 cost per workshop for local, non-SBN members. The campground the largest in the Southern Hemisphere had already taken baby" steps to cut its emissions and become more sustainable, including trialling solar power to heat the water in its camping areas shower blocks. The blocks used under $400 in electricity (to boost water tanks on cloudy days) between December 15 and January 20 this summer, compared to $2000 to run the other blocks which ran on diesel, LPG and electricity over the same period, Armatage said. The holiday park started recycling visitors rubbish a couple of summers ago, and had planted native plants. While having achieved the gold standard in NZ Tourisms Qualmark system for its recycling efforts, there was more the business could be doing in that area, such as helping people put the right rubbish in the right bins, she said. As custodians of quite a fabulous inlet the business had a duty to be aware of how to look after its environment. But the two workshops held so far were also helping with understanding that there's sustainability in the economy and in the community as well, Armatage said. Local frozen fruit and vegetable supplier, FSL Foods, signed up to the workshops partly to help upskill staff, as the business waited to find out the extent of its carbon footprint. All the knowledge that we can gather through these courses can help us make decisions as to how we're going to reduce our footprint, marketing manager Danielle Barton said. The company would tackle one small step at a time, making more conscious decisions, she said. "For example if we're deciding to get fruit from two places, obviously trying to choose the one that would have the lesser impact." The fact Nelson City Council had sponsored half the cost of the workshops was part of the reason the business jumped on it, she said. The councils climate change manager Rachel Pemberton said it could be difficult for businesses to know where to start in reducing their impact on the environment and climate. These workshops offer practical guidance to get businesses started, by developing an action plan to reduce their carbon footprint and equips businesses to be fit for the future. The eight workshops ran once a month from March to October, lasting for two hours, covering topics from sustainable procurement through to explaining carbon offsetting and connecting businesses. In the last financial year 259 people participated in the workshops, with numbers picking up as the year progressed. Climate Action Week community events, May 26 June 4, run by Nelson Tasman Climate Forum: