Enviro NZ - Reducing emissions in resource recovery

Overview

Enviro NZ operates across New Zealand, providing resource recovery services to commercial, industrial and municipal customers. Sustainability is embedded within the company’s long-term business strategy through its People, Planet and Prosperity framework, with targets focused on increasing resource recovery, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting ecosystems, and delivering sustainable outcomes for customers and communities.

At a glance:

• More than 60% reduction in certified Scope 1 emissions (from 2019 base year)
• Expanded Scope 3 reporting across key supply chain and operational categories
• First got verified by Toitū in 2019, then went on to achieve Carbon Reduce certification in 2021

The challenge: Strengthening data and transparency in a changing industry

Before engaging with Toitū Envirocare, Enviro NZ recognised that the waste industry was evolving, with expectations around data quality, transparency and reporting becoming stronger. At the same time, the business was already making changes to improve resource recovery, support a circular economy, and help change how New Zealanders think about waste. To do that well, it was important to clearly understand the impact of those actions and communicate performance in a credible and consistent way.

Toitū certification became an important part of that effort. It helped improve confidence in emissions data, while also helping Enviro NZ set clearer baselines, formalise emissions reduction plans, and commit to measurable reduction outcomes. Alongside improvements in reporting systems, automation, Power BI tools, and better visibility of waste, recycling, disposal and emissions data, it helped strengthen the reporting behind those actions and the decisions that followed.

Building confidence with independent emissions assurance

Enviro NZ partnered with Toitū because of its strong reputation in emissions assurance and to establish an independently verified framework for greenhouse gas reporting. The organisation wanted to strengthen confidence in its emissions data, align reporting with its broader sustainability framework, and improve the credibility of information being shared internally, externally, and with customers.

"Enviro NZ’s partnership with Toitū over the past five years has gone beyond GHG assurance. It has helped strengthen our emissions reduction framework, improve data transparency, and better support our customers. I would certainly recommend Toitū to organisations preparing to embark on an emissions reduction journey."

Prashant Praveen, Head of Sustainability at Enviro NZ

Strengthening systems, governance, and visibility

Through the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme, Enviro NZ strengthened how it measures, reports and manages emissions across the business, while identifying where the biggest opportunities for improvement existed.

Some of the key actions included:

• Resetting the emissions baseline to better reflect the current shape and operations of the business.
• Expanding Scope 3 mapping to improve understanding of supply chain and other indirect emissions.
• Establishing ESG governance, including a Board-level ESG Committee with oversight of sustainability performance, including emissions.
• Implementing a new ERP system and strengthening reporting through automation, Power BI tools, and customer-facing reporting portals.

This improved the quality and consistency of Enviro NZ’s sustainability reporting, including disclosures through its parent company, while also giving customers greater confidence in the data and reporting behind the services they receive.

Delivering measurable emissions reductions

Partnering with Toitū Envirocare has helped strengthen how Enviro NZ measures, manages and reports emissions across the business. Since their 2019 base year, they have achieved:

• More than 60% reduction in certified direct emissions (Scope 1).
• Improved landfill gas management, fleet efficiency and other operational changes.
• Expanded Scope 3 emissions reporting from tracking travel and limited freight to covering more significant parts of the supply chain, including purchased goods and services, waste, freight and other indirect emissions.

This has helped improve understanding of emissions trends, reduction opportunities and practical limitations across the business, while also improving data quality, automation and reporting. Together, this has strengthened Enviro NZ’s sustainability reporting and disclosures.

What's next: Expanding Scope 3 and transparency

Enviro NZ is refreshing its sustainability framework and emissions reduction plan. The organisation remains committed to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and is now working towards establishing formal Scope 3 reduction targets. Enviro NZ will also continue improving data quality and reporting systems, providing customers with more timely and transparent information relating to their waste and emissions reduction performance.