This Climate Business Podcasts NZ / Vincent Heeringa

Could congestion pricing be the way to address traffic gridlock and reduce emissions? Auckland Council seems to think so, suggesting congestion pricing within the next two years. If so, how will it work? Mark Heine is the CEO of eRoad, the Kiwi company managing electronic road user charges, or eRUCs. He sees a promising future for transport management using eRUC and shifting funds from roads to alternatives.

When it comes to aviation emissions, New Zealand is far from clean and green. Economist Dr Paul Callister tells Ross Inglis that we are the world’s sixth highest per-capita aviation polluter, emissions are tracking the wrong way, and the sector’s plans to cut emissions offer little real hope.

You’d be hiding under a rock if you haven’t noticed that there’s fierce disagreement about the growth of pine plantations on rural New Zealand. On the one hand, we need fast growing permanent forests to act as carbon sinks. Lots and lots if we’re meet our net zero goals. If grown on marginal these forests make welcome additional income for farmers and reduce reliance on sheep and beef – a win for landowners, win for climate, win for New Zealand. On the other hand, we need more permanent pine forests like a hole in the head – they lack biodiversity, they’re fire risks, harbour pests and are poor at creating rural jobs. Lose/lose/lose.
So, which is it: win or lose?
This is just the sort of trade-off that interests Geoff Simmons. Working as the chief economists of the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Geoff has been wrestling with the complexities of rural land use – what’s good for farmers, what’s good for communities, for biodiversity, for Māori, for the climate and for the future generations. What we do with land, the rules and policies that govern it, has huge implications for all of us. That’s all captured in a new report from the Commissioner called ‘Going with the grain: Changing land uses to fit a changing landscape’ He spoke to Vincent.

So businesses love parking and hate cycleways. Or do they? Bike Auckland chair Karen Hormann tells Ross Inglis about a new campaign that tackles a lopsided narrative about commerce and cycling.

We know that about a third of food is wasted.  If global food waste was a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind only China and the USA. No one believes it’s a good idea. So why does it keep happening? And who’s in charge of this madness? It’s turns out, it’s no one. Those numbers are mere guesses and gaps in the system remain unsolved. Someone needs to do something.
Kaitlin Dawson is making a start. Kaitlin is head of Foodwaste Champions 12.3 and is seeking a systemic solution.  Iain Lees-Galloway is interim General Manager of Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance which represents 35 community organisations, who are feeding 5500 Kiwis with rescued food everyday. They join me today on the show.

There’s a fast-growing thicket of regulations and trade agreements standing between corporate New Zealand and its overseas markets. This emerging landscape has been mapped out by law firm Chapman Tripp in Protecting New Zealand’s Competitive Advantage, a report for the Aotearoa Circle.  Co-authors Nicola Swan and Alana Lampitt told Ross Inglis what it all means for businesses big and small.