We are thrilled to have achieved our carboNZero certification again, after becoming the first Zoo in the world to be carboNZero certified in 2013.
We are celebrating this achievement just a few weeks after the Zoo was awarded the inaugural World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) Environmental Sustainability Award at the 73rd Annual WAZA Conference in Bangkok.
As a conservation organisation, we take our commitment to minimising the Zoo’s environmental impact seriously. We are dedicated to creating a brighter future for our wildlife and regaining this certification just goes to show that Wellington Zoo is leading the way in this area.
As part of our carboNZero certification, we've made a commitment to continually work on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Over the past six years, we've implemented a range of initiatives to cut back on our power use and waste generation.
Efforts this year have included switching to New Zealand’s first carboNZero certified electricity company, Ecotricity, as well as upgrading to LED lights and sensors throughout the Zoo to reduce power consumption. The Zoo has also added two electric vehicles to its fleet and is part of a textile reuse programme with The Formary to recycle old uniforms. Additional water fountains have been installed throughout the Zoo to reduce the organisation’s waste to landfill rate and the use of plastic water bottles.
Electricity is still the largest contributor to the Zoo’s carbon emissions profile, so switching to solar and being smarter about our energy use where we can makes a big difference.
Being an environmentally sustainable organisation is not an end goal – it’s a journey of ongoing choices and improvement. Lowering our carbon emissions and our impact on the planet is about securing the future, for animals, the environment, and ourselves.
About carboNZero
CarboNZero certified organisations have measured their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions so they understand what their impact is on the global climate. They then make a commitment to managing and reducing their GHG emissions by creating an emissions management and reduction plan. Any remaining emissions that the organisation cannot avoid are then offset by purchasing verified carbon credits. Wellington Zoo chooses to offset what carbon they can’t reduce in native forest regeneration programmes.
