11 December 2015
Wellington Zoo leads the way for the planet by retaining carboNZero certification
Wellington Zoo is thrilled to have again achieved carboNZero certification, after becoming the first Zoo in the world to
be carboNZero certified in May 2013.
“Regaining certification for each financial year just goes to show that Wellington Zoo is leading the way in
sustainability,” said Karen Fifield, Wellington Zoo Chief Executive and member of the Sustainable Business Council
Advisory Board.
“Conservation is at the heart of everything we do, and this achievement shows how very seriously we take our commitment
to minimising the Zoo’s environmental impact.”
“Our journey to become the world’s first carboNZero certified zoo was a five-year undertaking, and achieving
certification again is a testament to the hard work and commitment to sustainability of all Zoo staff – and a wonderful
acknowledgment of our passion for creating a better future for our precious animals,” said Karen.
“As a Council Controlled Organisation we’re delighted to have Wellington City Council join us on our sustainability
journey with their recent accreditation for the Certified Emissions Management and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS).”
Daniela Biaggio, Wellington Zoo Conservation Manager, said: “As a conservation organisation, sharing our sustainability
journey with our visitors is really important. We want to encourage them to take positive action for our environment to
help save animals in the wild.”
“Throughout the Zoo we share messages to show how we’ve worked to shrink our carbon footprint, and highlight actions our
visitors can take at home.”
As part of our carboNZero certification, Wellington Zoo has made a commitment to continually work on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. Over the past four years, the range of sustainability initiatives the Zoo has implemented to reduce our
power use and waste generation has helped us to continue reducing our emissions.
This year has seen recycling efforts include turning old marketing billboards into bags sold in the Zoo shop; and all
new lights installed throughout the Zoo are LED, while existing fixtures throughout the Zoo are being upgraded to LED to
reduce power consumption.
“We’ve got big things on the horizon – including an exciting new energy project that will continue to develop the ways
we’re minimizing our impact on the environment,” said Daniela.
ends