Sustainability thought leadership responses - video transcript

DR JOHN LLEWELLYN: 

I think it's going to be very important for New Zealanders to monitor this closely, to take it for real and to try and get out in front, otherwise at the distance that New Zealand is from its markets, it could easily fall behind.

MICHELLE TEMPLER: 

It's not just a European issue.  It's very much a global requirement now and we're seeing it very much as a part of international competitiveness.

GREG PARKER: 

Sustainability's been part of how we have to do business.  We don't have an option there.  This has been something the government here has driven, European governments have driven and that's, I think, something that's come out of these sessions is they differ somewhat from New Zealand where the legislative side of it is relatively recent so we've been in the thick of it for eight or nine, 10 years, in terms of having to be there or we're not in the running for work.

STEVEN PARSONS: 

It's a competitive advantage.  We're finding more and more UK manufacturers who we sell wool to actually coming to us saying what is your carbon footprint?

DR MARK WADE: 

And it's the same thing with procurement managers.  Increasingly they're going to put sustainability criteria into their requirements and if you can't match then you can't sell your goods.

GREG PARKER: 

If you haven't got a track record now you're definitely not in the game and in the future you need to be able to show not only that you've been implementing these practices but you've been pushing the boundaries and you've been looking for new and better ways to do these things.

GRANT BUTTERWORTH: 

It's had a lot of impact in terms of cost as well, in terms of cost benefits and also the staff have embraced it in terms of philosophically, that we're doing things that are good for the environment.

PAUL CAMPBELL: 

I think one of the biggest challenges for New Zealand is there's a perception that it's a long way away and therefore it's going to have a poor sustainability footprint, poor carbon footprint.  That, of course, is just not true.

DR MARK WADE: 

Get the facts, know your carbon footprint, know where your high energy costs are, then start to be able to compare yourself to your competition in the various markets and then so armed you are so equipped to leverage your good position in your brand.

GRANT BUTTERWORTH: 

The response we're getting from the trade is enormous.  As we go around Europe we're having customers almost relieved that they're finding that somebody has the solution for them, so it's been overwhelming.

END