Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has taken the next step in its sustainability journey, signing a deal with Toit Envirocare to reduce its environmental impact.
The agreement is to join and strive towards certification as a Toit nett carbonzero organisation. This commitment demonstrates the seriousness with which the Centre approaches its environmental responsibilities.
According to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre General Manager Ross Steele, committing to nett CarbonZero operations demonstrates the Centre’s determination to set a good example and impact meaningful change.
“We define sustainability and sustainable operations as more than merely tracking waste and offsetting carbon emissions. It’s about legacy – what we leave behind for future generations, and how we instil principles that guarantee we are environmentally aware and set the standard for years to come.”
Mr Steele believes that, with the Centre still in its first year of operation, the emphasis is now on the benchmarking phase. “It’s crucial to establish an accurate baseline of operations to know where we are at, but where we need to head in the future. “From here, we will focus our efforts to attaining nett carbonzero operations by the end of the next financial year,” Mr Steele adds.
“The objective will then be to bring customers and suppliers along for the ride and search for methods to collaborate with them to reduce the effect of the events we organise – something we are fully backed in with Tautahi Christchurch’s commitment to nett zero emissions.”
ChristchurchNZ Director of Business Events Megan Crum says the destination’s guiding idea is ‘Little Footprint – Big Impact’.
ChristchurchNZ, the region’s economic development agency, has a significant role in fostering and promoting sustainability ideas. “Among the numerous initiatives happening for the corporate events area this year will be the delivery of a complete Business Events Sustainability Framework for Christchurch, contributing to the city’s objective of halving emissions by 2030 and reaching nett zero emissions by 2045,” she adds.
Toit Envirocare was the obvious choice when seeking partners to help the Centre on its road to carbonzero, according to Mr Steele.
The Toit carbon programmes are not only a long-standing Te Pae Christchurch partner, but they are also the only ones in New Zealand certified by the JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System for Australia and New Zealand) under the ISO 14064 standard (organisation) and ISO 14067 standard (product), indicating that they are internationally recognised.
“Toit has been an important part of our journey so far. The direction and assistance they have offered us in their role as New Zealand’s strongest environmental programme since 2020 have prepared us well for this next stage.” Their science-based programmes provide us with the confidence to strive high and establish ambitious targets in this area.”
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is a crown-led major anchor project for the regeneration of Christchurch delivered by Ōtākaro Limited and proudly managed by ASM Global. Te Pae Christchurch can host up to 2,000 delegates for various national and international events. It features world-class purpose-built facilities, including a 1,400-seat auditorium, up to 2,800 square metres of exhibition space and 24 meeting rooms. For more information, visit tepae.co.nz
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