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Carbon Neutral

We are committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, with science-aligned targets and a carbon reduction programme, overseen by our Carbon Reduction Committee. We report emissions from operations and landfills.

He tūpapa warohea

WM New Zealand aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, leading the industry in sustainability. Significant reductions in emissions have been achieved, with Class 1 landfills surpassing targets early. Operational greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 8%, despite diesel emissions rising due to business growth.

The company's commitment to electric vehicles earned it recognition and awards. Innovations include hybrid technology at Silverstream Landfill and a methane-detecting drone. Managing Director Evan Maehl advocates for climate action, urging businesses to join the decarbonisation journey. Read more stories from this pillar.

CarbonNeutral-Green

Key Objectives

  • Our operations are carbon neutral by 2050
  • Climate risks are identified, published and managed
  • Lead the way for customers and suppliers to succeed in their carbon reduction journey
  • Work with our team to reduce their own carbon footprint
CarbonNeutral-Green

Material Issues

  • Carbon & energy use – decarbonisation
  • Climate-related business risk & continuity planning
Objectives Actions KPIs Status Progress in 2023

3.1 Our operations are carbon neutral by 2050

Implement activities from our independently verified carbon footprint reduction plan to reduce Waste Management’s carbon footprint in science-aligned targets

Annual reduction in intensity GHG emissions
of 12.6% including Scope 1, 2, 3 mandatory
against a baseline year of 2020

Achieved 
  • Operational intensity emission reduced by 37.1% against 2020 baseline (115.9 tCO2e/ $M).

3.2 Climate risks are identified, published and managed

Identification and assessment of physical & transitional climate change risks

 

Physical risks due to climate change are
quantified

Achieved 
  • All physical risks have been incorporated into the Climate Risk Register and Environmental Management Plans. The risk register is being evaluated on scores, the EMP has controls in place for all sites.

Scope a TCFD
assessment

Partly Achieved 
  • Clarified no current requirement to complete a TCFD assessment.

3.3 Lead the way for customers and suppliers to succeed in their carbon reduction journey

Our landfills have the lowest carbon footprint in the country for the volume of waste accepted

We deliver better than 90% gas capture rate
at our owned Class 1 landfills

Achieved 
  • Waiting MfE’s final acceptance of 2023 gas capture and destruction data. All data submitted achieves higher than 90%.

Provide service offerings that assist with customers’ carbon reduction

Implement 10 solutions that have allowed
a customer to reduce their carbon footprint

Achieved 

Our Sustainability Services team helped:

  • 53 commercial customers calculate their carbon footprint from waste.
  • 38 commercial customers understand the composition of
    their waste through waste audits so they can choose better recovery options.
  • 22 commercial customers find solutions for materials
    (that would otherwise be discarded) through our partnership with All Heart NZ.
  • Auckland Council food waste collections have been delivered with EV trucks.

Identify relevant suppliers to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and work with suppliers to identify opportunities for them to be carbon-neutral by 2050

Review our top suppliers' carbon-neutral
commitments

Achieved 
  • Ethical supply questionnaire was rolled out to our top 50 suppliers. We mapped our top supplier carbon commitments.

3.4 Work with our team to reduce their own carbon footprint

Work with our team to help them reduce their personal carbon footprint and make sustainable choices

10% of WM team takes part in our sustainability challenge

Partly Achieved 
  • 60 staff completed their personal carbon footprint. Focus expanded to reinforcing our wider sustainability strategy with 56 people making videos of our WM Porohita pillars and what
    it means to them. 116 in total which was 7% of the company's staff at the time.

 

Together

Together

Care for our environment and community

Sustainability

Sustainability

Carbon Neutral

Innovation

Innovation

Expand Circular Services

Service

Service

A Great Place to Work

Safety

Safety

A Trusted Kiwi Business