CARBON FREE

By committing to Carbon Free we are making changes to reduce carbon emissions to the lowest possible amount. We offset as a last resort

Carbon is crucial to life

Carbon dioxide (C02 ) is a natural greenhouse gas that helps keep our oceans from freezing! Earth’s temperature is regulated with the help of the carbon cycle.

  • Plants absorb C02 and sunlight to grow…
  • And kick off the food chain (that include animals and humans)
  • Plants and animals eventually decompose…

…releasing the carbon back into the atmosphere maintaining the carbon - oxygen balance.

Out of balance

The dramatic increase of C02 in today’s atmosphere is not the first time the carbon cycle has been off balance. Way back, in the late Jurassic period there was too much C02 in the atmosphere, slowing the decay of organic matter. Over millions of years, dead plants and animals - still full of carbon and energy, were buried deep in the earth. Heat and pressure transformed these fossils into what we now use as fuel e.g. coal, oil & natural gas.

These fossil fuels are the same ones that we typically rely on to power the cars, planes, trains, boats, power plants and BBQs that make travel and tourism work!

All that stored carbon, from millions of years is getting pumped back into the atmosphere in just a few hundred years. These fossil fuels are not part of the natural carbon cycle, it has nowhere to go and contributes to earth’s greenhouse getting too warm. And when the temperature goes up, C02 in the atmosphere goes up even more!

Small commitment, massive results

And this, is why there is urgency around all things global warming. And why we’re helping create a pathway for you and your business to become Carbon Free.

Because if we don’t all do our bit the ocean will continue to suffer from acidification, our native flora and fauna will lose out to invasive species and our way of life will become increasingly challenged as we deal with the effects of climate change. Fossil fuels are a finite energy source, so we’ll need to switch anyway, we just need to start now.

Step One – Small steps lead to big changes

Encourage your staff and visitors to switch off lights and power points. Aside from helping your business eliminate energy waste and save money, people will understand your business cares for our environment.

Phantom Energy is energy consumed when the appliance is off or in standby mode. Estimates have reported up to 7% of energy usage could be related to Phantom Energy.

“By demonstrating positive impact, brands can help shoppers make more confident choices” Google, Year in Search 2021

3 Quick wins

  1. Drive less – plan multiple tasks for one trip or meet online or over the phone
  2. Buy local & NZ Made (less transportation involved compared to importing)
  3. Reduce consumption - of ‘things’ that require energy to produce, package, deliver and discard

 

WASTE FREE

Achieving Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal, or plant health. The Coromandel needs your protection.

It’s only one coffee cup, said 5 million people

Every year we dump over 2 billion tonnes of waste in the land and sea. Waste pollutes soil and ground water, waterways, oceans and air. This problem is escalating because 99% of the stuff we buy is trashed within 6 months. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch alone is over 2 million square kilometres (approximately 6 times the size of New Zealand).

Planet Earth cannot keep up with our waste production. Action and leadership from individuals, businesses, regions and countries are needed to turn the tide on waste.

Keep it local

This global problem is as much our problem as it is any other person in the world. In Hauraki Coromandel 80% of kerbside rubbish can be diverted from landfill!

By making thoughtful decisions we can have an immediate impact on our backyard. Start small and progress, every step counts.

“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last” Vivienne Westwood

Step One - Be part of the solution, not part of the pollution

The Coromandel has long been known as a place where people care for the environment, it is part of our brand. This programme requires one small step to kick off the Zero Waste commitment - doing away with single use coffee cups. If we can help cafes be rid of disposable cups, we could stop millions of cups going to landfill in Hauraki Coromandel every year!

Cafés will save money too. This basic action will signal your commitment to the environment and indicate you’re ready to take the next step and make a bigger difference. As more people and businesses commit to zero waste the more our reputation will grow, elevating The Coromandel good for your soul in the minds of our visitors, forever.

3 Quick wins

  • reduce consumption
  • reuse, repair, recycle
  • compost

PREDATOR FREE

Biodiversity is the life support system of our planet. Coromandel Kiwi will be the indicator species for the health of our place in this world.

Biodiversity

The natural environment is often invisible to the economics that drive our day to day lives. We take for granted the ecosystems that maintain our soil and provide us food, that clean our water and purify our air.

New Zealand’s plants, animals and soils were developed during 80 million years of isolation and we were the last landmass of any significant size to be discovered by humans. High percentages of our indigenous species are only found here and nowhere else in the world.

Despite this New Zealand has the title of “Extinction Capital of the World” with the highest proportion of threatened species on the planet.

The Coromandel’s long coastline, mountainous backbone, islands, rivers and wetlands are home to a rich biodiversity and a wealth of natural resources. Yet we still have 107 threatened species (51 flora and 56 fauna) in Hauraki Coromandel.

Our indigenous forests, wetlands and scrublands, supported by the work of conservation volunteers have helped these species survive here while becoming extinct in other parts of the country.

Saving Coromandel Kiwi

There are more than 60 community conservation groups in Hauraki Coromandel that cover an area of almost 286,000 hectares, from Moehau to Te Aroha. Planting kauri, restoring wetlands, cleaning up beaches, trapping backyard pests.

Despite a history of carnage caused by introduced predators, The Coromandel is now one of the few New Zealand regions where kiwi numbers are growing. The kiwi is an indicator species for the health of their habitat, our natural backyard. And given the level of support kiwi need to survive, this indicates that our biodiversity is in very poor health.

Step One – every effort, no matter how big or small is significant

Supporting the Hauraki Coromandel Predator Free movement will help kiwi and other species thrive. Nature will quickly recover if we all make an effort. We’ve partnered with Predator Free Hauraki Coromandel so your small start will contribute to massive outcomes.

Making a donation to your community conservation group will be a massive boost for these volunteers. Even $50 can help provide a month's worth of peanut butter for bait, repair a trap or contribute towards another trap as protected areas grow.

3 Quick wins

  • Keep cats well fed, put a bell on their collar and keep them inside at night
  • Dogs are a big threat to kiwi, make sure yours have had kiwi aversion training and keep them restrained in the bush
  • Start trapping your own backyard https://shop.predatorfreenz.org