Sustainability at every step

The CarboNZero Programme has taken its offering and its message international, becoming accepted in 50 major world economies and ranked as one of the top two schemes of its type in the world by Oxford University.
But it was a partnership with London-based Achilles Information, a leading provider of supplier management services, which caught the Sustainable 60 judges’ attention. CarboNZero was chosen as Achilles’ preferred greenhouse gas measurement programme for its 30,000 clients, spanning 23 countries.

To meet Achilles’ needs, CarboNZero developed a new tailored product called CEMARS (Certified Emission Measurement and Reduction Scheme). The product was licensed to Achilles and Kiwi employees were seconded to England. “For a global organisation like Achilles to come all the way down to the Antipodes and select our programme is testament to the credibility of the programme and the skills of our staff. It also shows a commitment from Achilles to search out the best business solutions for its clients around the world,” says CarboNZero business manager Mike Tournier.

CarboNZero stood out as an organisation that had put sustainability at the heart of its operation, both internally and externally, says Sustainable 60 judge Justine Munro. Its work with Achilles showed how a project can be used to communicate a much broader message about sustainability, she says.

“We wanted to see authenticity around the learning. This is a hard space, this is new and there is real importance in actively learning from what you are doing and refining and getting back out there.

“Clearly CarboNZero’s alliance with Achilles is a really strong partnership and to achieve that there was a huge amount of relationship work required.”

Ask Kokako’s Mike Murphy about his business and the first thing he talks about is his suppliers. The Auckland coffee roaster, cafe manager and snack food producer even lists some of his suppliers on his promotional fliers despite the limited space — Omaha Organic Berries, beef and lamb from Ngaruawahia’s Te Akatea Station and chicken from Heuvels, a certified organic poultry farm in Invercargill.

Murphy also refers to them regularly in conversation with the familiarity of old mates. “Kevin” from Friendlypak gets several mentions as he’s behind the company’s new compostable wood cellulose coffee bags.

The right suppliers are vital to Murphy’s business, and to his sustainable ideals. But it’s not always easy to find people willing to play your game, he says. Many larger suppliers aren’t interested in working with a smaller company to develop new products.

Kokako’s biodegradable coffee bags took two years to develop, and the company still hasn’t nailed a potato starch packet for its salads. It isn’t surprising to build up strong supplier relationships, says Murphy. “We also grow at a similar rate. When you get quality brands working with other quality brands, which might start out quite boutiquey, you start to get momentum in certain parts of the market, and consumers connect with that.”

For a sustainable business, it isn’t enough to be sustainable in isolation. How companies research, design and produce their products, the relationships they build and how they communicate with suppliers and customers is equally important. It was important entrants in the marketplace category knew how to build relationships and communicate their messages, says Justine Munro.