Development within environmental limits
New Zealand industries and organisations have increased ability to develop within environmental limits and meet market and community requirements.
To achieve sustainable economic development, New Zealand must work within environmental limits and be responsive to the often-diverse and conflicting needs of multiple stakeholders, including overseas markets. Progress has been made nationally in developing multi-stakeholder, collaborative processes for the future management of freshwater within limits (especially quality and allocation). But overseas customers of our food and beverage products increasingly associate human health with environmental health and expect high levels of assurance in the production process. Businesses operating in New Zealand are recognising the need for 'social licence to operate' – a concept that reflects a reciprocal relationship between business and the community and demands a level of transparency and performance from business.
Our research underpins effective environmental policy and provides the framework for sound resource management decisions spanning urban, rural and conservation landscapes and catchments, the full range of ecosystem services and natural resources. Policy development processes are enhanced through (1) engagement across a wide range of stakeholders 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.
Our environmental certification products and services contribute to the management, transparency and reputation needs of hundreds of New Zealand and overseas businesses. In some cases the issues are subject to trade regulations. For example, managing possums and associated bovine TB is a significant trade compliance issue for New Zealand’s meat industry. Our research supports TBfree New Zealand (previously AHB) in its mission to eventually eradicate the disease entirely and 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:
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.
2010/11 baseline situation:
Diverse stakeholders were in a variety of conflicts over the management of natural resources (e.g. water, biodiversity) with differing values and expectations.
Progress 2011/12:
- The energy sector (Meridian Energy, Solid Energy and Buller Coal) is incorporating offset programmes and fit-for-purpose rehabilitation activities into the companies’ environmental management.
- The New Zealand Forest and Agricultural Regional Model (NZFARM) is being used to assess policy options for improving water quality and the economic impacts for meeting environmental limits.
Progress 2012/13:
- The energy and mining sectors continued to incorporate offset programmes, land rehabilitation planning, research and advice into their environmental management.
- ECan, MfE and other stakeholders used our NZFARM economic modelling tool in two Canterbury catchments as part of their collaborative process for setting water limits.
- Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury regional councils are using our participatory research in setting water limits; three other councils are considering adopting these processes within their regions.
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:
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.
2010/11 baseline situation:
Industries were beginning to use more sophisticated frameworks such as environmental footprinting (e.g. carbon and water) to support reputation and brand.
Progress 2011/12:
- 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 carboNZeroCertTM programme and CEMARS® is being used by >130 New Zealand businesses and organisations.
- Our Enviro-Mark® management system is being used by >170 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.
Progress 2012/13:
- New Zealand’s biosecurity and overseas market access is supported by a DNA-bar-coding tool for accurate, rapid identification of Colletotrichum, a major group of plant pathogenic fungi.
- 134 New Zealand organisations are registered in CEMARS or the carboNZero programme. To date carboNZero Holdings has undertaken over 95% of all the voluntary accredited greenhouse gas certifications across Australia and New Zealand.
- Our Enviro-Mark® management system is being used by 175 member firms in the print, food production, and retail industries, 65% of which are at or above Gold certification level.
KPI:
Bovine TB is eradicated by the AHB from vector populations in two extensive forest areas in programmes responding to economic, social, cultural and environmental drivers.
2010/11 baseline situation:
TB persisted in parts of New Zealand, including a few significant areas where possums and deer are the main wildlife hosts.
Progress 2011/12:
- A quantitative framework has been developed for objectively assessing the probability that bovine TB has been eradicated from a specific forest area. The framework increases the cost-effectiveness of eradication efforts by ensuring control measures are not stopped too soon or continued for longer than necessary.
Progress 2012/13:
- Using our framework, AHB declared TB had been eradicated from wildlife vectors over 400 000 ha. The TB programme is comfortably on track to meet or exceed its eradication targets.
- Significantly-reduced costs of aerial pest control operations is enabling TBfree New Zealand, DOC and NGOs to extend coverage to new areas, to achieve both biodiversity and TB benefits.
