Environmental Protection Authority
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has committed to Toitū carbonreduce certification to formally demonstrate its commitment to measuring and managing its carbon footprint, and having this process externally verified.
As the national regulator responsible for administering legislation which seeks to reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions and phase out the use of ozone-depleting substances, the EPA feels strongly that it must commit to the importance of these national outcomes by minimising and accounting for its own carbon emissions. This will enable the EPA to send a clear message to its regulated community, and the New Zealand public, that it is a regulator of integrity.
By its very name, the EPA aims to protect the environment. The organisation works to achieve its vision of ‘an environment protected, enhancing our way of life and the economy’ by making decisions on complex issues based on evidence, science and data. The EPA’s commitment to the Toitū carbon programme is a further, and public, embodiment of this vision.
Formal certification provides an opportunity for the EPA to work together internally, and with its stakeholders, to give greater effect to existing initiatives and to inspire new ideas for improvement.