Plans afoot for ‘low carbon zone’ at Victoria Quarter

An Auckland company has plans to launch a sustainability initiative that could turn Auckland’s Victoria Quarter into a “low carbon zone”.

CarbonGroup says its initiative, which aims to reduce its clients’ carbon footprints, will save businesses money while also tackling the issue of climate change.

“If businesses can increase the efficiency of their fuel and electricity use then they will save money,” says
CarbonGroup spokesman Phil Jones.

GreenFleet project manager for the Sustainable Business Network Mark Roberts says a lot of small to medium businesses are time poor and don’t have the money to put into major sustainability initiatives.

Roberts says sustainability is just as important in times of economic difficulty as well as when the economy is on the up.

“A lot of businesses will be struggling with their income and one of the first things they will do is look at cutting costs.”

He stresses that there are plenty of cost saving opportunities in sustainability.

“If businesses can use their vehicles more effectively, then they will reduce their fuel costs, while improving the air quality,” says Roberts.

CarbonGroup aims to make the Victoria Quarter a low carbon zone by helping businesses increase their energy efficiency and reduce their harmful carbon emissions, which may contribute to global warming.

Jones says they will look at what sort of activities businesses do which result in greenhouse gas emissions, make an assessment of their carbon footprint and provide businesses with simple tools and tips to reduce their emissions.

CarbonGroup is aiming to get all 200 small-to-medium business enterprises in the Victoria Quarter to participate when they officially launch in April.

Jones could not put an exact figure on how much it will cost businesses to take part in this programme, but he says it will be in hundreds rather than the thousands of dollars.