Industries & organisations

Outcome 4: New Zealand industries and organisations have increased ability to develop within environmental limits and meet market and community requirements

Rationale

To achieve sustainable economic development, New Zealand must work within environmental limits and yet be responsive to the often-diverse needs of multiple stakeholders, including government and local government, the private sector, Maori and the community. Development is becoming increasingly complex with no ‘right answer’ for resolving high-risk and polarised viewpoints, such as those associated with global change, possum control to eliminate bovine TB (tuberculosis), and water quality and scarcity.

Research underpins effective environmental policy, and effective policy provides the framework for sound resource management decisions. Policy development processes are enhanced through (1) stakeholder engagement (to understand preferences, values and governance options), (2) scientific information to support choices and decisions, and (3) adaptive management to evaluate and improve policy performance.

Primary production, trade and tourism are increasingly affected by community expectations and market demands for environmental responsibility and sustainable practices. Environmental integrity (‘clean, green’) is critical to the New Zealand brand. Managing possums and bovine TB is a signi.cant trade compliance issue for New Zealand’s animal industry. Our research is supporting AHB’s mission to eventually eradicate the disease entirely, to increase New Zealand’s competitiveness in overseas food markets.

Impact 1: Approaches to resolving complex environmental issues are understood, and opportunities recognised for adapting to global change and reducing vulnerability to resource scarcity.

KPI 1

Progress

Industry sectors, central and local government are making strategic use of research findings, associated indicators of performance, and new economic instruments to respond to complex environmental issues, global change processes and resource scarcity.

The energy sector (Meridian Energy, Solid Energy and Buller Coal over this past year) is incorporating offset programmes and fit-for-purpose rehabilitation activities into their environmental management
The New Zealand Forest and Agricultural Regional Model (NZ-FARM) is being used to assess policy options for improving ater quality and the economic impacts for meeting environmental limits
Our carboNZero^CertTM programme (including CEMARS®) is being used by 138 New Zealand businesses and organisations

Impact 2 : Integrated economic, social, cultural and environmental initiatives for business and industry are effective in maintaining or enhancing their international competitiveness, market access and social licence to operate

KPI 2a	Progress
An industry sector (dairy, horticulture or energy) is using a framework for integrating economic, environmental, social and/or cultural drivers to meet community and/or market requirements.	The World Resources Institute’s Ecosystem Service Review methodology was applied to develop strategies for ZESPRI International to manage risks and opportunities arising from growers’ dependence on ecosystems Our Enviro-Mark® management system is being used by 180 member firms in the print, food production, and retail industries A strategy for harvesting brushtail possum fur, while meeting forest conservation outcomes, was developed with a rural Tūhoe community
KPI 2b	Progress
Bovine TB (tuberculosis) is eradicated by the AHB from vector populations in two extensive forest areas in programmes responding to economic, social, cultural and environmental drivers.	A quantitative framework has been developed for objectively assessing the probability that bovine TB has been eradicated from a specific forest area