SnippETS for 26 July 2018

Welcome to this week’s edition of our SnippETS newsletter. In this issue we focus on what’s happening with vehicles, and impacts of this and other changes on city design. We also look at the rural sector in NZ and how attitudes are changing. A couple of articles to finish – one on how Cape Town survived a water crisis, and the other on an innovative NZ company eliminating plastic wrap.

On 12th July, Energy TS were pleased to join with the CEO’s of 60 New Zealand companies in the Climate Leaders Coalition, representing nearly half of New Zealand’s emissions. By signing the Climate Change Statement, each of the business leaders committed to measuring and reporting their greenhouse gas emissions and working with suppliers to reduce emissions, to help keep global warming within two degrees, as specified in the Paris Agreement. Read more.....

In another announcement, called Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Challenge, many large multinationals united to bring the global purchasing power of businesses, cities, states, regions, and NGOs for electric and other non-fossil-fuel vehicles. “As part of EV100, we have committed to a phased integration of electric vehicles into the fleets that we directly control — the ones we own or lease,” Unilever said in September. The market has been notified-change is happening. Read more.....

Also in support of the drive for non-fossil fuel vehicles, a group of major automakers, utilities, tech companies, environmental firms and industry groups have come together to outline best practices to help build ev charging networks that are open, smart, clean and equitable. The agreement, the Transportation Electrification Accord, shows how building electric vehicle networks is a uniquely collaborative effort requiring participation from energy, auto, tech and environmental firms. Read more.....

With the prospect of a future of autonomous, community owned vehicles, it is how our cities function and are designed that also is likely to have to change and adapt. An example - having fewer vehicles on the roads and having a higher utilisation of those, and therefore less parking requirements, means areas presently set aside for parking could be rezoned for residential use. Inner-city population density would therefore also likely increase. Read more.....

Have you ever wondered what the eco-communities of the future will really look like? The urban development ‘Clichy-Batignolles’ in Paris gives us a glimpse of the what is possible with environmentally conscious urban planning, and aims to be "a flagship project for sustainability”. The project is maximising the use of space, minimising emissions and creating a vibrant atmosphere for its residents.Read more.....

The idea of re-introducing greenery to urban areas is not new - bridging the urban-rural divide has long been a focus of city planners. In this article, Carlo Ratti traces the rocky relationship between cities and the natural world, and the best attempts to reconcile the two.

It appears that NZ may have reached a turning point in the climate debate, and that we are on the cusp of de-politicising the issue and moving forward with action. In a recent joint statement with Prime Minister, the Farming Leaders Group stated its support of the government’s Zero Carbon goals. While the statement is symbolic, it is a very important change that sets the stage for real progress.

Another article that highlights the fact that there is change afoot in the NZ farming sector comes to us from a farming “climate change ambassador”. This article goes a long way in showing that many farmers want to tackle climate change. The author certainly has a grasp on the nature of the problem and no doubt he will be a good ambassador to communicate the issues to other farmers. We wish him well. Read more.....

Cape Town was heading for a water crisis, but before the taps ran dry residents managed to use 50% less water, and it rained in the nick of time. How did they to halve usage? Initiatives included intensive media campaigns; water-saving measures from rest rooms to restaurants and hotels (no plugs in baths to discourage bathing); and the city council fixed leaks. Cape Town is okay for now…

As we become more aware of the menace that is plastic, particularly single use, people are looking to alternatives. A Hawkes Bay company has developed a reusable wrap (beeswax, tree resin, organic coconut oil infused into 100% cotton) as a replacement for plastic wrap. Word is it smells great and comes in a range of different designs and sizes.