3R
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Our Team
    • Sustainability
    • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Product Stewardship
    • Sustainability Projects
    • Waste Assessment
    • Hazardous Waste Management
      • ChemCollect
      • MyHazWaste
    •  Compliance and Certification
    • ChemCollect
  • Work
  • Resources
    • Case Studies
      • Sustainable is Attainable
      • Resene PaintWise
      • Glass Packaging Forum
      • Community hazardous waste event
      • See all
    • Guide to product stewardship
    • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
    • Jargon buster
  • News
  • Contact Us
3R Logo Yellow
Services
  • Overview
  • Product Stewardship
  • Circular Economy Solutions
  • Waste Assessment
  • Sustainability Projects
  • Hazardous Waste Management
    • ChemCollect
    • MyHazWaste
  • ChemCollect
3R Logo Yellow
Work
  • Overview
3R CE Adele Rose and GM innovation Trevor Tutt
3R Logo Yellow
About Us
  • Overview
  • Our Team
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
  • Careers at 3R
3R Group Resrouces
3R Logo Yellow
Resources
  • Case Studies
    • Sustainable is Attainable
    • Resene PaintWise
    • Glass Packaging Forum
    • Community hazardous waste event
    • See all
  • Guide to product stewardship
  • Guide to the circular economy
  • Sustainable Futures Accelerator
  • Jargon buster

Facing the facts about climate change

By Kiri Speirs on October 10th, 2018 in Climate change, Policy, regulation and legislation
3R climate change what a difference a year makes

MEDIA RELEASE:
What a difference a year makes, the National Party’s environment spokesperson, Scott Simpson, told the EDS Climate Change and Business Conference yesterday.

It was a theme picked up by lots of other people at the conference. This time last year, the conference was held against the background of negotiations to form a new government.

People attending that conference passed a resolution calling on whatever government was formed to set up a climate change commission system along the lines of that operating in the United Kingdom. A year on, the Labour-Green-New Zealand First Government is in negotiations to set up a commission.

Neither Simpson nor the new climate minister, James Shaw (who appeared on the same panel) were giving away any details, but both talked positively about the fact they were talking.“We are approaching this (cross-party talks) in good faith,” Shaw said. “This is bigger than politics and that’s how we are treating it. I don’t know if we are going to make it, but I have a great deal more hope than I have ever had at any point in our history on climate change.”

But underlying all the good news was the International Panel on Climate Change’s 1.5deg report, released on Monday.

The hard facts of that report – that the impacts of climate change are much worse at 2deg of warming that at 1.5deg, and that keeping warming to 1.5deg will require changes to energy, infrastructure, land, urban and industrial systems on an unprecedented scale – featured repeatedly through the day.

The duties of business in the face of this information were spelt out clearly, with Bell Gully partner Simon Watt telling directors that they need to take this report as seriously as they now take health & safety, and Minter Ellison Australia special counsel Sarah Barker saying that minimising climate exposure is now a fiduciary responsibility for directors.

Actions being taken by businesses in New Zealand were on show. Sustainable Business Council chief Abbie Reynolds explained how, with the help of a good dinner, she and Z Energy boss Mike Bennetts persuaded other chief executives to publicly commit to emissions reductions through the Climate Leaders Coalition – a development which Shaw had earlier said was one of the things that was giving him hope.

Contact Energy chief executive James Kilty said that his company had managed to cut its emissions by a million tonnes and Fonterra boss Rob Spurway talked about the dairy co-operative’s plans for next-zero-carbon growth and to phase out coal.

Council of Trade Unions vice-president Rachel Mackintosh, meanwhile, said that workers need to be at the table as the country de-carbonises in order to ensure a “just” transition and Waikato Tainui chief executive Donna Flavell said the needs of Māori, who were among those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, must be considered.

The conference continues today, with discussions on the Emissions Trading Scheme, divestment and the future of agriculture in a low-carbon world, and speeches by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and environment minister David Parker.

Previous 3R Adam Weller Waste Management speaks at 3R SBN event

Electric future for waste collection

Next 3R the highs and lows of emission reduction

The highs and lows of emissions reductions

Browse articles:

Archives

Categories

3R

3R Group Limited

info@3r.co.nz
0508 374 768
+64 6 872 7235
ChemCollect: 0508 243 642
207 Karamu Road North, Hastings 4122
PO Box 1216, Hastings 4156
New Zealand

Quicklinks

  • About Us
  • Services
  • Work
  • Case Studies
  • News
  • Jargon buster

Subscribe for latest updates

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Social Media

© Copyright 2023 3R Group Limited | Privacy Policy

Site by Agrarian + Caddie

Subscribe for latest updates

Get regular inspiration for accelerating our circular economy.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
ISO 14001:2015

Environmental management systems and safe work practices.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard that certifies our commitment to environmental management systems and safe work practices.

Consistent with our environmental policy, the intended outcomes of our environmental management system include:

  • The enhancement of environmental performance;
  • The fulfilment of compliance obligations;
  • The achievement of environmental objectives.

Our ISO 14001:2015 certification includes 3R Operations, the Paint Product Stewardship Programmes, ChemCollect Service and the SeatSmart Child Car Seat Recycling Programme (owned and operated by 3R).

This certification is audited by TELARC.

ISO 45001:2018

Keeping our people safe, healthy and happy.

ISO 45001:2018 certification has been chosen to demonstrate the importance we place in caring for our people as we bring to life our values of Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga.

Keeping our team safe, healthy and happy is a primary focus for our business. We feel that the work our operations staff do makes this particularly important. Their responsibilities can include collecting and processing paint; collecting chemicals; driving trucks around the country; and getting hands-on with work wherever needed.

3R received ISO 45001:2018 certification in 2021. The ISO 45001:2018 certificate is valid for 3 years and includes annual surveillance audits which provide a valuable framework for further growth.

What is a circular economy?

New Zealand is “one of the highest generators of waste per person in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)”. The way we currently produce and manage our waste is not sustainable.

The current economy in New Zealand is linear: this equates to a process of take-make-use-dispose. The aim of the government is to move towards a circular economy.

A circular economy can refer to either biological or technical materials.

With biological materials, the cycle could be defined as make-consume-enrich. In this cycle waste returns to the environment and enriches the land.

A technical materials cycle may be more like make-use-return. In a technical materials cycle waste is repurposed and used to make something new.

Whether you need help with biological materials, technical materials, or both; 3R can partner with your business to assess your current waste, then help you reduce it.