Business Council for Sustainable Dev. - Newsletter

Business Council for Sustainable Development
NEWSLETTER

CONTENTS
Taranaki Youth Initiative
Manukau Youth Employment Enhancement Project
Reduce Your Rubbish Campaign
SBN Breakfast: Stress in the Workplace
2003 FIEA Annual Conference - "Green Building"
N.Z. Sustainable Business Conference 2003: 1st Announcement & Call for Papers
Distributed Generation Workshop - 19 June 2003
Environmental Managers' Forum
HDPE Plastic Design and Recycling Guide
Boost In Industry Training Funding
NZ Boatbuilders could turn to low-pollution cars
Summary of interviews for 'Creating Our Future' report
Centre for Sustainable Design - Innovation and Product-Services
Australian industry backs carbon trading
Auto industry to increase fuel efficiency
US wants international Hydrogen partnership
Hydrogen service station opens in Iceland

Taranaki Youth Initiative

The 'Taranaki Youth Initiative' has been launched by New Plymouth District Council and other Taranaki stakeholders. It was developed in conjunction with the Mayor's Taskforce for Jobs and has identified:

An holistic framework for supporting the transition of our young people to employment or training
A way of staying "connected" to our young people until they have developed a positive pathway to their future
Visit our Youth Employment website for further information on this initiative.

Manukau Youth Employment Enhancement Project
We have also learnt about the Manukau City Council's Youth Employment Enhancement Project (YEP).

This project is an intersectorial project with the Tertiary Education Commission, Work and Income, Best Training and Manukau City Council and is one of our Tomorrows Manukau projects. It involves 30 long term unemployed youths being employed by Manukau City Council for 9 months of a 12 month project. The students have now completed the National Certificate in Employment Skills and are being readied to participate in the Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

For more information contact Annette Smithard at Manukau City Council (Phone 09 262 8900 ext 8662 or email asmithar@manukau.govt.nz)

Reduce Your Rubbish Campaign
We featured this campaign (launched on 11 April) in our last newsletter

We incorrectly stated that the campaign is led by MfE (Ministry for the Environment) and ARC (Auckland Regional Council). This campaign is in fact a collaborative project between the Ministry and regional councils nationwide - not just ARC.

Click here to visit the National Waste Exchanges website.

SBN Breakfast: Stress in the Workplace
Date: Tuesday 10 June 2003
Time: 7.30 am
Venue: The Hobson Room, Parnell Community Centre (ex Blind Institute), Parnell Rd, Auckland

Registered Psychologist Hillary Bennett, The Mental Health Foundation Working Well team, and The Bell Gully Employment Law team will discuss managing stress in relation to the changes to The Health and Safety in Employment Amendment Bill (effective May 6) which will shift this responsibility to that of both the individual and employer.

Please contact Christine Takiwa by email office@sustainable.org.nz to register.

2003 FIEA Annual Conference - "Green Building"
Date: 16 Jun 2003
Time: 7.30-7.30
Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Albert Street
City: Auckland

New Zealand companies are increasingly fielding requests from consumers wanting to know more about the environmental impact of buildings and building materials. They are seeking further information on how wood products rate against other alternatives. Consumers are making choices that reduce energy use, reduce the use of non-renewable materials, and reduce pollution caused by the manufacture of materials. They are looking to minimise the impact or “environmental footprint” of their building activity.

Key speakers from forest products, building, construction, engineering and architectural companies will combine at the “Green Building” two-day conference in Auckland on 16-17 June 2003.

Email Murray Wilson at murray.wilson@fiea.org.nz for more information or visit our website

N.Z. Sustainable Business Conference 2003: 1st Announcement & Call for Papers

The Sustainable Business Network (SBN), Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) and The Natural Step New Zealand (TNSNZ) will host the 2nd Sustainable Business Conference & Expo in Auckland between 18-20 November 2003.

Last year's conference "Walking the Talk" was widely heralded a success with over 300 delegates attending over two days. At this year's "Information, Knowledge, Wisdom" Conference we expect over 400 delegates from across the public and private sector including chief executives, human resources managers, production, procurement and supply chain managers, policy and decision-makers, national and local government, academics and education professionals from primary to tertiary.

The focus of sustainable development is on ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. If you have ideas that could influence this, then there's no better place than this Conference to share them. The Call for Papers (see our website) outlines details together with suggested theme topics.

Submisson of abstracts are due by 16 June 2003.

Please email Christine Takiwa at the Sustainable Business Network for your Abstract Submission Form and one will be sent to you immediately. Final manuscripts for publication on the Conference Paper CD-ROM are due no later than 15 September 2003.

Sponsorship
An attractive sponsorship proposal is available to companies and organisations which share the values of sustainable business and, more importantly, engage in sustainable business practice themselves. Please contact Rachel Brown, Chief Executive, Sustainable Business Network on rachel@sustainable.org.nz to discuss your company's involvement in what promises to be a stimulating and informative conference.

Trade Exposition
You can't afford not to exhibit at this year's Conference & Expo. This is your opportunity to promote products and services that support sustainable business practice. Up to 400 delegates and visitors will view your stand over the 3-day conference and there'll be some new initiatives and benefits introduced to exhibitors this year. Stands are limited to approximately 22 - to register your interest in exhibiting, please contact Christine Takiwa at SBN on office@sustainable.org.nz.

Visit our website to view the flyer for further details.
Distributed Generation Workshop - 19 June 2003

CAE, in conjunction with The Electricity Engineers Association of NZ (EEA), is to hold a workshop next month (Thursday 19 June 2003) on 'Distributed Generation: Market Development and Investment Opportunities'. This workshop centres around a major industry study completed by CAE which examines distributed generation opportunities and will take place the day before the annual EEA Conference in Christchurch. Click here for further information and a registration form.

Environmental Managers' Forum
21 July 2003 at Novotel Ellerslie, Greenlane Road East, Auckland

Registration and Coffee 9.00 - 9.30am

The 2003 Environmental Managers’ Forum is organised by business for business, giving those managing often complex environmental issues within their business the chance to share ideas and discuss their issues in an open forum. We hope you can attend this event.

Registration: To register please attach contact details and a cheque for $100 made payable to Kingett Mitchell Ltd and post prior to 27 June to:

P.O Box 33 849, Takapuna, Auckland

CONTACT: Marion Vince mvince@kma.co.nz (09) 486 8068

HDPE Plastic Design and Recycling Guide
A guide to:

Assist package designers and fillers to identify and reduce HDPE packaging contaminates that inhibit the recycling process; and
Ensure HDPE packaging recovered by industry and sponsored collection programs, within Australia & New Zealand is able to be recycled.

View the guide on our website

The guide covers:

Containers for home use
The recycling of wheelie bins (for those involved with Councils)

Boost In Industry Training Funding
The government is putting in an extra $84.3 million to enable more workers to train on the job. For more information visit Jobsletter website

The Jobsletter is an excellent update on NZ employment issues. To view the full newsletter visit Jobsletter website. To subscribe sign up here

NZ Boatbuilders could turn to low-pollution cars
A 7 May Herald Article notes that New Zealanders' boatbuilding skills may be turned to making hydrogen-fuelled cars.

The president of Colorado-based Hypercar Inc, Dr Jon Fox-Rubin, believes New Zealand could copy Iceland in taking hydrogen from geothermal steam to run pollution-free cars.

He said New Zealand boatbuilders had expertise in lightweight carbon and other composite materials that could make hydrogen-fuelled cars economic.

Hypercar, chaired by Natural Capitalism author Amory Lovins, designs cars that are lightweight and use hydrogen fuel cells to be up to six times as efficient as petrol cars.

"We'd like to create an entity in New Zealand that explores this further," Dr Fox-Rubin said.

Visit NZ Herald website for the full story.

Summary of interviews for 'Creating Our Future' report
A summary of the interviews on sustainable development which were carried out prior to the release of the PCE's (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's) report 'Creating Our Future' in 2002 is available at PCE website PCE would like to thank all those who participated in these interviews.

Centre for Sustainable Design - Innovation and Product-Services
The Centre for Sustainable Design facilitates discussion and research on eco-design and broader sustainability considerations in product and service development. Visit their website

Australian industry backs carbon trading
Five business working groups have called for a broad-based package of incentives and a carbon emission trading system to reduce emissions. The working groups were established by the Federal Government to provide inputs into the design of future climate change policy packages. While the government has not moved on its position of non-ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, it maintains it will reassess its position once the overall impacts on Australia are known with greater certainty. Regardless, the government intends to meet the emission limits set-out in the protocol.

Source: Deloitte Carbon Update email Andrew Sharpe at asharpe@deloitte.com.au to subscribe

Auto industry to increase fuel efficiency
The Australian Automotive industry will introduce a voluntary Code of Practice to improve the fuel efficiency of passenger cars 18% by 2010. The Code of Practice, known as the National Average Fuel Consumption Target, establishes a target of 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres. The current average is 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

Source: Deloitte Carbon Update email Andrew Sharpe at asharpe@deloitte.com.au to subscribe

US wants international Hydrogen partnership
The US has suggested pooling hydrogen research activities around the world. Hydrogen is being seen as an alternative fuel source in a carbon constrained environment. Currently, the US has committed US$1.7 billion ($2.7 billion) to fund research over the next five years. The EU will fund US$2 billion ($3.2 billion) in separate programmes. The US seeks to develop a partnership to maximise funding and expertise.

Source: Deloitte Carbon Update email Andrew Sharpe at asharpe@deloitte.com.au to subscribe

Hydrogen service station opens in Iceland
In what is seen as a world first, a hydrogen service station has opened in Iceland. The station allows for the re-fuelling of hydrogen powered vehicles. Iceland is the home to prototype vans that exclusively use hydrogen and will take delivery of hydrogen powered buses shortly. Similar stations will soon open in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

Source: Deloitte Carbon Update email Andrew Sharpe at asharpe@deloitte.com.au to subscribe

© Scoop Media