environmental sustainability in Nelson New Zealand

Current news and views concerning sustainable and green tourism in New Zealand. The environmentally friendly sustainable tourism charter is investigating interest amongst local tourism businesses for ongoing ecotourism development.

A successful meeting for Charter members was held on Friday 20 June at Monaco Hotel & Resort - themselves a recent addition to the group. This was a good opportunity to update members on the Charter's progress over the past 6 months or so. There was also a fruitful group discussion led by Paul Davis which focused on the benefits of the Charter and where its future may lie, from the members' point of view.

- There is a need for a regional voice/catalyst/brand for sustainability within tourism

- Various benefits of the Charter including an external perspective, networking, assessment advice and resource-sharing

- Future options for the Charter as a group and as individual businesses may include forming a tourism cluster group under a wider umbrella and/or reducing the level of service provided by the Charter to more closely reflect the financial investment made by members

Copies of the presentations given can be downloaded from our website. The majority of the presentations are in this file, while Rory Cobb's (EMSOL) presentation is located separately here.

For those of you who haven't yet seen it, there is an easy-to-use website designed to make the NZ Tourism Strategy 2015 more accessible to tourism businesses and the wider public. You can download the whole document or read summaries its contents.

Just this last week sector specific guides have also been released online. These are aimed at the three predominant sectors of the industry; accommodation & hospitality, visitor attractions & activities and transport operators. Within each guide, simple checklists are provided within four sections; your visitors, your business, your environment and your community.

Referring to these sector guides provides a fast, effective way to understand what the Strategy means for you and your business - without keeping you up all night reading!

This article summarises what may very well become the central issue facing people in the coming years - scarce fresh water supplies. There have been comparisons drawn between oil and fresh water supply issues for some time now, but this is becoming a more mainstream issue as it is picked up by the media.

The analogy between oil and water is an interesting one. Unlike oil, water is fundamentally important for human survival but it is potentially renewable. However, the security of fresh water supply relies on foresight and prudent management.

There are some very interesting developments occurring around the world associated with bio fuel products based on algae. Strange as it may sound, indications are that algal farms can produce huge amounts of fuel on relatively small amounts of land. Furthermore, such farms do not necessarily require fresh water resources. This could well prove to be an industry to keep an eye on in the near future.

Air New Zealand also see merit in this new fuel source as they have joined the recently formed Algal Biomass Organisation. Have a look at their press release for more information.

As mentioned in my presentation at the Charter meeting, figuring out sustainability can sometimes be quite complicated! What may initially appear to be an advantageous choice may, upon further investigation, prove otherwise.

A good example of this is alternative technology for private transport, such as hybrids or hydrogen-powered cars. On the face of it such technology sounds promising, but looking at the big picture demonstrates that there are numerous variables at play worthy of consideration.

In the case of hybrid vehicles, they may not cost as little as you think. Another future possibility, hydrogen-powered vehicles require the simultaneous development of supporting infrastructure, which would undoubtedly take some time.

The government recently announced a strategy to phase out standard, incandescent light bulbs beginning late 2009. As part of the scheme, subsidies will be offered to various more energy efficient lighting products.

This scheme makes sense, especially when you look at the bottom line numbers; increased life cycles and reduced energy consumption per unit. However, convincing the public of the merits of the scheme may be rather difficult judging by the majority of comments posted underneath the story!

One fairly consistent issue that people raise is the fact that Compact Fluorescent Lighting contains (a small amount of) mercury. This is a valid concern, emphasising the need for an efficient and safe nationwide CFL disposal scheme which is coordinated with the government strategy.

The National Party have also entered the debate by saying that a ban on inefficient light bulbs is heavy handed and unnecessary. Their arguments are summarised in this story. The 'light bulb debate' is perhaps another example of how many sides to a story often exist, making research and considered decision making important.

Research suggests that many travellers are becoming more savvy when it comes to environmental and sustainability issues. This is a good thing, as Charter members should become increasingly well positioned to tap into such demand.

However, it also means that there will be a corresponding rise in awareness of 'greenwashing'; making promises to customers you can't necessarily keep or prove regarding sustainable business practices.

This article explores the issue of greenwash and encourages people to think critically when it comes to making purchasing decisions. There is also a story explaining how a Wellington taxi company got into trouble with the Commerce Commission for making environmental claims it could not entirely substantiate.

Greenpeace have recently released the latest installment of their Greener Electronics Guide which ranks major international electronics companies according to their e-waste management performance.

Interestingly this guide has been published 8 times by Greenpeace since 1996. By looking at the graph displaying the companies' performance and selecting the different versions, you can see who is making progress - or not, as the case may be.

Good is a new lifestyle magazine published in New Zealand dedicated to sustainable living. The first edition was just published this month and features full articles as well as online blogs on interesting sustainability-related topics.

You seem to be able to read most articles and blogs online via their website. A particularly interesting and well written article I came across is entitled 'Does being green make you happy?'. This thought-provoking piece challenges us to re-think our core values, what makes us happy and suggests that being green isn't actually a burden!

At the Charter meeting held on Friday 20 June, certificates were presented to those businesses who have joined the Charter and received Action Plans since April 2007. There were 13 such businesses and it was a pleasure to present certificates to those members who were present on the day.

Members to join the Nelson Tasman Sustainable Tourism Charter since the last certificates were presented are:

If you weren't able to make the meeting, I am looking after your certificates at the Nelson Tasman Tourism office. You are welcome to pick them up anytime that suits you.

"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things...I am tempted to think...there are no little things"