New Zealand: Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

New Zealand: Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

James Stevenson-Wallace

Manager, Sector Infrastructure

LCANZ and NZLCM Centre Conference, 24-25 March 2010

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Sustainable Design?

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Overview

• Investing in GHG Footprinting and Life Cycle Management

• Opportunities and challenges for NZ• Priorities and LCM focus

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

What’s MAF’s interest in LCM?

•MAF’s SLM & Climate Change Plan of Action•MAF-led GHG Footprinting Strategy•GHG footprinting methodologies motivated sectors to look at long-term plans to measure, manage and mitigate GHG emissions in their supply chain.•A product-orientated perspective newish to NZ research.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Greenhouse Gas Footprinting Strategy

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

MAFs Investment Focus

• the development and application of fair and consistent international standards for carbon footprinting, an

• increasing the capability of the primary sector to carry out environmental footprint activity, and respond to, growing market demands for product-level environmental information.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

GHG Footprinting: Benefits

•improving relationships with suppliers and customers •maintaining and/or enhancing market access•developing a better understanding of the environmental impacts, risks and liabilities associated with a product•identifying key areas for improvement and gains in efficiency•identifying areas where emissions can be reduced•demonstrating a commitment to tackling climate change.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

GHG Footprinting: Key Trends

International •Demands for environmental information on food•Role of private-sector standards and non-state actors •Use of ‘choice editing’ by retailers and global suppliers •Role of government in progressing GHG footprint action

Domestic•On-farm/on-orchard efficiency and variation in performance•Regional differences in and differences between product varieties•Contribution of shipping emissions to the profile of products•Organic production•Importance of the GHG methodology and allocation

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

GHG Footprinting Strategy: Progress

• International engagement – WRI, ISO, Product Category Rules

• National-level Action– Addressing fundamental knowledge gaps in environmental life-cycle

management– Professorship and New Zealand Centre for Life-Cycle Management

• Supply Chain Activities– development of sector-specific approaches to GHG footprinting

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

GHG Footprinting Strategy: Priorities

• International engagement – Refinement of standards and pilot-testing– Tracking emerging demands in the marketplace– Facilitating development of international product guidelines and rules.

• National-level Action – Implementation of the New Zealand Centre on Life-Cycle Management and

Professorship model– NZLCM Centre connecting with international research institutions– National-level data and knowledge gaps.

• Supply Chain Activities – Completing the remaining carbon footprint sector specific methodologies;– Assessing variability of carbon footprints in combination with management tools– Support on-going measurement and performance benchmarking mechanisms

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Wider Environmental Demands

The GHG Footprinting Strategy provides a platform for assessing other demands and needs for information on the environmental sustainability of New Zealand primary products and their supply chains.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

LCM, GHG Footprinting, and Food…

•Food is more than nutrition –

health, environment, economics and trade.•Food Security – the challenge of feeding 9billion people

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Lifecycle Management

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Life Cycle Management

Building capacity in life-cycle analysis and management will:• improve understanding New Zealand primary value chains• assist New Zealand producers to identify input and

externality reduction opportunities• help producers to respond to demands for product footprint

information• flow on to market opportunities in the provision of

specialised services for life-cycle analysis.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

LCM Challenges in NZ

•Limited number of experts

•Capability is still in a development phase in NZ

•The capacity constraint represents a risk to NZ

•Shifts the cost of education

•Proactive approach imperative

•Emerging sectors cannot afford to wait

•Facilitating a nationwide approach would sharpen the focus

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Why Life Cycle Management?

“Life Cycle Management is the application of life cycle thinking to modern business practice, with the aim to manage the total life cycle of an organization’s product and services toward more sustainable consumption and production.”

(Jensen and Remmen 2004)

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

What do we want to achieve?

MAFs investment in LCM capability is about ensuring we have the knowledge and skill-base in New Zealand to:

• increase productivity; • minimise economic risk associated with environmental impacts; • take advantage of market opportunities;• exploit economic and technological opportunities resulting from

climate change; • encourage effective and long-term action on climate change

amongst the primary industry.

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

LCM Priorities

Emphasis on:

•Robust but pragmatic measurement•Connect with industry and build relevance, support, and added value to the primary sector•Build domestic and international connections

Proactively Preparing for a More Sustainable Future

Thank you

Contact Details:

James Stevenson-Wallace 04 894 [email protected]

John Doyle 04 894 [email protected]