Poor business environmental record understandable

Media release

Newmarket Business Association

9 June 2009

NZ business poor environmental record understandable

"New Zealand businesses score relatively poorly in their willingness to spend money on environmentally-friendly practices largely because they are preoccupied about just surviving. What's more, the harsh reality is most would probably think any effort from them wouldn't make a difference to the global environmental situation," says the head of an Auckland business association.

Cameron Brewer's comments follow the release of a Grant Thornton International Business Report, where New Zealand businesses ranked 34th out of 36 economies surveyed, just below Russia.

"The reality is we're a relatively poor OECD country. Most countries making a real and positive difference to environmental initiatives tend to wealthier countries, simply because they can afford to. A healthy environment and wealthy economy are not mutually exclusive. If New Zealand was to enjoy sustained economic growth, our businesses would be in a better position to undertake more environmentally friendly practices. In saying that, we can still do so much better.

"New Zealand is a country of small and medium-sized businesses and sadly many of them bunny hop from financial year to financial year. What's more many small businesses rightly or wrongly think any effort in little old New Zealand won't make much of a difference to the global environment. We view ourselves as a drop in the ocean and powerless when it comes to making a positive difference globally. That is an attitude we can all improve on," says the general manager of the Newmarket Business Association,

ENDS

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