NZ Engine

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Last week, the UNFCCC released the cover decision from COP28 in Dubai. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, senior vice president of climate change:

For the first time, the final decision of the UNFCCC COP28 contains a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels. While this provides a long-awaited acknowledgment that the burning of coal, oil and gas is the main cause of global warming, the language falls short of a clear call for the phase out of all fossil fuels. The agreed upon language remains insufficient to meet the moment and requires further global action to keep 1.5°C alive in this decisive decade. We must persist with necessary urgency and not fall back on unrealistic promises that carbon capture technologies or “transition fuels” will solve the climate crisis.

We know from our lived experiences that floods, heat waves, storms and wildfires are threatening our way of living. Across the globe, 2 billion people are living through drought that threatens food and water security that can quickly become the source of political conflict and regional instability. We must put aside excuses and act on the need to leave our fossil fuel powered past behind.

The early decision at COP to operationalize the Loss and Damage fund for climate vulnerable nations was an important step in the right direction. So was the pledge by 130 countries to triple the amount of renewable energy deployed and double the rate of energy efficiency. This must be followed up by more ambition and funding to help countries adapt to rising temperatures and preserve nature as our main ally in the fight against climate change. As we leave Dubai and prepare for COP29 in Baku, we must move the needle on carbon pollution. The tide has turned on the era of fossil fuels and now is the time to secure a livable future for ourselves, our children and our planet.

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Today, World Wildlife Fund’s ReSource: Plastic program released its fourth annual public report, Transparent 2023, revealing how some of the world’s largest brands are tracking, measuring, and reporting on their respective plastic footprints. The data compiled in the report reveals insights and in-depth recommendations on tackling plastic waste within internal, corporate supply chains, and across wider multi-stakeholder efforts. The elimination of unnecessary, single-use plastic continues to be the most important action that companies can take to directly address the plastic pollution crisis through their own portfolios.

Transparent 2023 examines the plastic footprints of ReSource Members Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive, CVS Health, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company. The report captures each company’s plastic by polymer type and form, their use of recycled content and sustainably sourced biobased content, and the likely waste management pathways for the aggregate portfolio. The comprehensive report includes progress made by each ReSource Member from 2021 to 2022 and compares year-over-year results for legacy Members.

“All companies should be reporting on their plastic footprint—something we are advocating for in the UN Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution,” said Erin Simon, vice president of plastic waste + business at World Wildlife Fund. “ReSource Member companies are ahead of the curve, demonstrating that plastic reporting is not an onerous or impossible task. Their transparency enables lessons to be learned and actions to be taken that will reverberate across supply chains and industries worldwide.”

For the first time, ReSource is collecting comprehensive data from its Members on reuse efforts with the hope of sharing learnings on the best ways to eliminate plastic waste. WWF sees reuse systems emerging as a key strategy, with all nine Members exploring reuse in some capacity. This year’s Transparent report also measured progress and captured invaluable insights across four areas, including: eliminating unnecessary plastic, doubling global recycling and composting, shifting to sustainable inputs for remaining plastic, and improving data harmonization.

As for the 2023 key findings, please see the below top-level highlights:

• Five ReSource
  Members saw an overall reduction in their virgin fossil-based plastic tonnage from 2021 to 2022.
• Of the nine Members, four have reduced and five have increased their absolute tonnage of plastic since their baseline.
• Despite progress in some areas, the total weight of plastic in the aggregate portfolio increased by 0.8% to 7.26 million metric tons in 2022 from 7.20 million metric tons in 2021.
• Overall, ReSource Members have made progress to reduce problematic plastics. In 2022, these products made up 1.2% of Member portfolios, which is less than half of the 3.2% in the 2018 baseline year.
• Among ReSource Members, the use of recycled content has increased to 12% in 2022 from 10.2% in 2021.
• The share of packaging that is recyclable has increased to 72.5% in 2022 from 70.4% in 2021.

Learn more about how ReSource measures and analyzes data through the ReSource Footprint Tracker here.

WWF recently joined the Steering Committee of the Scaling Plastics Disclosure initiative to inform and support the expansion of the CDP’s plastic questionnaire. As the CDP questionnaire becomes increasingly robust and comprehensive, our intent is for it to replace the mandatory annual reporting for ReSource Members that currently occurs through the ReSource Footprint Tracker. As part of the Scaling Plastics Disclosure initiative and ReSource: Plastic, the ReSource Footprint Tracker serves as a tool for companies wishing to understand not only the amount and the kinds of plastics they are releasing into the market, but also the waste and leakage being generated as a result. It also provides a common framework for companies to report on their plastic impact.

Understanding the scope of the problem through plastic reporting is the first step to addressing plastic pollution. ReSource
Members are demonstrating that plastic reporting is possible. However, voluntary corporate action is not sufficient to address the scale and urgency of the plastic waste crisis. National and international policy action, through a legally binding Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution and Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, is critical to ensuring a future free of plastic waste. Six out of nine Members are actively engaged in the Global Treaty process.

To view the full report, click here. To view the executive summary, click here.

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

ReSource: Plastic Member Quotes

Amcor

“In addition to doing our job of helping to deliver products safely, we also make our packaging more circular by designing for recyclability, lowering the demand for virgin resources and using more recycled content. We have increased our target on recycled content use across the Amcor portfolio to 30% by 2030 and were the first global packaging company to pledge to design all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025.” He added, “However, all of us in the packaging value chain need to work together to ensure that recycling infrastructure is in place, feasible reuse systems are introduced, and that consumers are engaged to use those systems to return used packages to be recycled or used over and over again.” — David Clark, Amcor’s Vice President of Sustainability.

Colgate

“At Colgate-Palmolive we are excited to continue our partnership with WWF’s ReSource program. WWF and our peer companies have worked hard to facilitate a key collaborative network that moves forward our sustainability ambition to Eliminate Plastic Waste. The WWF ReSource program is also supporting our collective work toward an ambitious UN Plastic Pollution Treaty.” -Ann Tracy, CSO

Keurig Dr Pepper

“Keurig Dr Pepper’s packaging strategy is centered on advancing the use of more sustainable packaging materials and designs that use less virgin plastic. We continue to make progress against our ambitious 2025 sustainable packaging goals, including the increase of post-consumer recycled content across our plastic packaging from 11% in 2021 to 18% in 2022. We appreciate the WWF’s ReSource: Plastic program with data-driven recommendations to help drive industry focus on high impact actions.” – Charlie Schwarze, Senior Director of Sustainability, Keurig Dr Pepper

The Coca Cola Company

“In partnership with others, we are addressing the critical issue of packaging waste. Our goal is to help create a circular economy by 2030 where we get every bottle back so that none of it ends up as litter or in the oceans. We’ve set ambitious packaging goals for our business to help eliminate waste and increase reuse across the Coca-Cola system. We have made progress and recognize we have much more to do. We know by partnering with other organizations and across sectors, we can achieve more. That’s why we support a global treaty on marine plastic pollution and well-designed Extended Producer Responsibility legislation. We believe these efforts will help drive a more consistent approach to recycling infrastructure planning, investment and implementation across the world.” — Michael Goltzman, Global Vice President, Public Policy, Environmental Sustainability and Social Impact

Starbucks

“At Starbucks, our environmental promise to give back more than we take from the planet underpins our efforts to cut our waste, water, and carbon footprints in half by 2030. To further our waste reduction, we’ve continued our shift toward reusables, with 20 reusable cup tests in markets around the world, as well as industry-leading single-use packaging solutions, like the recent roll out of our FSC-certified single-use cup made with 30% recycled material and 25% less plastic in the liner and our transition to 100% rPET Ethos water bottles in US and Canada. As we look to the future to meet our ambitious goals, programs like ReSource are key for collaboration across sectors to drive meaningful progress,” – Starbucks chief sustainability officer, Michael Kobori.

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BNZ today cut interest rates across a number of home loan terms, with a market-leading 18-month fixed rate of 4.95% p.a.*

BNZ’s rates include 5.49% p.a. for 6 months, 4.99% p.a. for 1 year, and 4.99% p.a. for 2 years. The new rates are available from today for both new customers and existing customers who are eligible to refix.

BNZ General Manager Home Lending James Leydon says these competitive rates respond to customers’ diverse home loan needs, giving customers more options as they navigate the current interest rate environment.

“We know many of our customers are looking beyond the very short-term fixed rates as the interest rate environment evolves. By offering a market-leading 18-month option, we’re giving customers more choice and the ability to lock in a competitive rate for a longer period,” he says.

“At the same time, we continue to compete hard for those New Zealanders who prefer the flexibility of our 6-month and 1-year fixed rate options. With fixed rates reduced across multiple terms, we’re providing solutions that work for a wide range of borrowers.

“It’s also a timely Easter bonus for homeowners, when household budgets can face a bit of extra pressure from those extra school holiday costs.”

The changes follow BNZ’s announcement last week that it will cut its floating home loan rates by 25 basis points, following the Reserve Bank’s OCR reduction.

BNZ lending criteria (including minimum equity requirements), and terms apply. Rates subject to change. Up to $150 establishment fee and early repayment charges may apply.

*As at 6.30am, 16 April 2025, BNZ has the market leading 18-month fixed rate of the five main banks.

The post BNZ cuts home loan rates, offers market-leading 18-month fixed rate appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

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BNZ today announced an investment in New Zealand payments technology company Centrapay to enhance digital payments capabilities across both organisations.

It builds on the established partnership between the organisations, which has led to the development of Payap – New Zealand’s first digital wallet and Point of Sale app compatible with all New Zealand banks. Payap is due to be launched in March next year.

Centrapay CEO Greg Beehre will continue to lead the company.

“With BNZ’s support, we can go further, faster. This enables us to continue delivering for our clients and partners while accelerating growth and development,” Beehre says.

BNZ CEO Dan Huggins says the investment builds on BNZ’s existing payments and open banking infrastructure.

“Payment technology continues to evolve rapidly, and our partnership with Centrapay helps further position us to serve our customers’ changing needs.”

The post BNZ expands digital payments capability appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

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BNZ is cutting its standard variable home loan rate, passing on the full OCR cut of 50-basis points.

This follows BNZ’s 50-basis point cut to its standard 6-month fixed home loan rate last week to 5.99%.

BNZ Executive Customer, Products and Services Karna Luke says while a 50-basis point cut to the OCR was widely expected, today’s announcement will be welcome news for many New Zealand households and businesses.

“With Christmas approaching and many households managing their budgets carefully, lower interest rates should help make a difference for New Zealanders.”

BNZ will also make changes to its Total Money, Rapid Repay and Mortgage One rates. BNZ’s Rapid Save rate will decrease by 45 basis points to 3.75% effective from 29 November 2024.

The changes to BNZ’s variable home loan rates will be effective from 11 December 2024 for both new and existing customers.

All home loans are subject to our lending criteria (including minimum equity requirements), terms and fees. An establishment fee of up to $150 may apply.

The post BNZ passes on full OCR cut to its standard variable home loan rate appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

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One in four older New Zealanders are hesitant to go online due to fears of being scammed, BNZ research reveals.

Up from 13% three years ago, the growing hesitancy among over-65’s raises concerns about digital exclusion in an increasingly online world.

Released for Fraud Awareness Week, the research shows a stark generational divide in digital confidence, with only 10% of under-35s expressing hesitancy about going online due to scams. However, the findings show age doesn’t increase someone’s risk of becoming a scam victim, suggesting fear among older people may be creating an unnecessary barrier to digital participation.

BNZ Head of Financial Crime, Ashley Kai Fong, says this creates significant challenges as we increasingly manage our lives online.

“When older New Zealanders avoid going online out of fear, they miss out on everything from banking convenience to video calls with family. As our world becomes increasingly digital, we need to ensure everyone can participate with confidence,” says Kai Fong.

More positively, the research found strong engagement with education efforts, with 96% of respondents aged over 65 seeing scam prevention material recently.

“While it’s encouraging that older New Zealanders are engaging with scam education, we need to ensure this builds confidence rather than creates fear,” says Kai Fong.

“The goal isn’t to avoid technology – it’s to use it confidently and safely. This is particularly important as more essential services, from banking to government support, become digital-first.”

To help customers stay safer online, BNZ provides scam education resources through its Scam Savvy programme. Offering practical tips and updates on emerging scam trends, the programme equips customers with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the digital world safely.

This is in addition to other measures, including:

• Tools such as its new online banking lock feature in the BNZ app, which gives customers the ability to disable all online banking activity and lock access to their online banking if they suspect a scammer has gained access to their accounts.
• Enhanced verification processes for high-risk banking actions
• Two-factor authentication for greater security
• In-app identity verification when speaking with BNZ staff

“Digital inclusion is about more than just having internet access – it’s about having the confidence to use it safely. At BNZ, we’re doing our part to better educate New Zealanders about the risk of scams, what to look out for and how to keep yourself safer online,” says Kai Fong.

Keeping account details, passwords and pin numbers safe

• never click on links or attachments sent by someone you don’t know or that seem out of character for someone you do know
• keep your computer and phone security software up to date
• contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve been scammed

Top tips to get scam savvy – BNZ will never:

• email or text you links to online banking and ask you to log in
• send you a text message with a link to a website, or link to call us
• ask you for information about your PIN number, bank account number, or password
• ask you to verbally share the authentication codes sent to you by text or email, even with a BNZ staff member
• ask you to transfer money to help catch a scammer or a bank employee who is scamming customers send you a text message about account issues with a link to log in
• ask you to download software to access your Internet Banking remotely
• use international phone numbers to call or send you notifications.

The post A quarter of older NZers fear going online due to scam concerns appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

A six-person hut in near Maruia on the South Island’s West Coast has received a major makeover, with a refurbished roof, new piles and a smart paint job. 

The work was planned and led by ranger Matt Ainge, with team members Ben Pigott, Mike Detlaff, David Deck, Darrell Haworth (all DOC staffers from a range of teams) and John Edwards (volunteer).

Matt says, “the entire objective of this work was to protect this hut for generations to come, while leaving the hut in the original condition as we had found it.”  

First things first, Ranger Darrell surveyed a rotten tree for the presence of bats, of which there were none. The tree then needed to come down as the hut was in the fall zone. 

The hut was built in the 1960’s. Over the years it has received minimal maintenance, so a major spruce up was required. The job required the team to entirely re-pile the hut and replace almost all the bearers as some were completely rotten. The team discussed the work needed, which required digging under the hut to dig out and replace each pile, and repair and replace the bearers.  

They then got stuck into the large amount of earthworks needed to unearth the hut in order to re-pile it. Getting down and dirty on the job. Lying down while shovelling was hard work.  

While the re-piling was underway, the paint preparation was also started. 

After the underneath of the hut was dug out, a subfloor was put in the porch entry for stacking up the firewood, with the original porch step being put back in the same place where it came out. A front step was also added so hut users can easily gain access to the hut.  

Large rocks were stacked under and around the entire fireplace structure to help future stabilization.  

The hut roof was taken off, wire brushed, metal primed, and laps painted before going back on the same position it came off.   

 Afterwards, the ridge cap, barge flashings, and lead head nails were all replaced.  

The inside of the hut also received attention, a new fire shroud and insert was put in the open fireplace to protect the outer steel and concrete with rollout protection on the front to minimise the chances of logs rolling out of the fire. A stainless-steel bench was also added inside over the existing painted timber bench. More bunk slats were added to the existing beds, and the entire inside was cleaned and the floor treated with linseed oil.  

Paint prep complete, the hut was ready for a coat of orange paint.  

Matt says, “Apart from the fact that this job was a complete labour of love, it was great to have a range of people from different teams all working together, sharing knowledge, learning from each other and working together towards a common goal: protecting and maintaining the back country for all to enjoy.” 

Find out more about Wheel Creek Hut in Victoria Forest Park.

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  29 April 2025

Lake Marian Falls and Lake Marian Track are about 30 km from Milford Sound/Piopiotahi on the lower Hollyford Road off State Highway 94.

Lake Marian Falls’ new platform will be semi-circular and positioned to allow visitors to enjoy the dramatic waterfalls and water-sculpted rocks, away from the river’s edge.

The platform will also mark the start of the advanced Lake Marian Track, which continues past the falls up to Lake Marian/Hinepipiwai.

Lake Marian Track (advanced tramping) is closed until approximately 30 May while the platform is built. The timing of construction should be less disruptive to visitors as the track is busiest in summer.

Access along the Lake Marian Falls Track (easy walking) will be limited over the construction period. It won’t be possible to view the upper falls, but visitors can still access viewing spots over the lower rapids.

John Lucas, DOC’s Operations Manager Te Anau, says barriers will protect people while the new platform is built.

“Climbing over or around barriers to have a closer look could result in serious injury or death. For your own safety, respect the advice on signage and stay behind barriers.”

Signage is in place at both the starting footbridge of the Lake Marian Falls Track and the point at Marian Falls where the track is closed. Visit DOC’s website for updates.

Note: All visitors to Lake Marian Track should avoid walking near the creek. The rocks are slippery, and Marian Creek’s current is strong. A fall into the water could cause serious injury or death. Stay on the track. Keep children within arm’s reach and watch them carefully.

While construction is underway at Lake Marian, visitors may like to explore stunning alternative tracks in the Fiordland National Park such as Key Summit Track or Hollyford Track.

Contact

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  17 April 2025

The DOC Community Fund (DOCCF) is a contestable Crown fund, open to community groups and private landowners to support community-led conservation projects on public and private land.

This 2025 funding round criteria focused on protecting and restoring threatened species and ecosystems. Projects are funded for up to three years and cover a range of threatened ecosystems and species across Aotearoa New Zealand, including plants, invertebrates, and birds like tara iti/fairy tern, New Zealand’s rarest bird.

Director Strategic Partnerships and Investment, David Van Der Zouwe, says the 20 projects and organisations funded are those most likely to have the greatest positive impact for biodiversity.

“The DOCCF is an investment in our future,” says David. “Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique species and habitats will have a better chance of being enjoyed by future generations thanks to this funding.”

The DOCCF received 291 applications, totalling requests for more than $141 million – the largest amount of funding ever sought through this fund – compared to $77 million in 2023. With an average grant of $450,000, the funding targets investment into high-value conservation outcomes, and supports collaboration and engagement with local communities and iwi.

“There is a huge appetite for funds from community groups to support conservation projects,” says David.

“The passion and dedication of all applicants is admirable, making this a challenging process. Ultimately, the projects awarded funding prioritise our species in genuine danger of disappearing forever.

“When they’re gone, they won’t come back. So helping our vulnerable species and places recover and thrive, through projects like these, is a great way to make a real difference for nature.”

The recipients and their related projects are available on the successful applications 2025 webpage.

Contact

Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house

Date:  17 April 2025

That’s according to last year’s winner Patrick Clement, whose photo featured three generations of family enjoying Taupō Fishery. He says his family all ended up with a licence featuring the photo to keep as mementos.

“They love it. The photo was taken in 2017, and the boys are now old enough to fish, and I’m pleased to report they caught fish not just at the Trout Centre, but also in the ‘big river’!”

As one of the winning entries, Patrick also received a free full season licence for the 2024-2025 season.

“My mates were out on the river bragging that they were fishing with someone famous,” he says.

This year, seven Taupō fishing licences are up for grabs to kick off the new trout fishing season beginning 1 July 2025.

While the overall winning photo makes it onto printed season licences, other winning photos are used for categories on the website and paper licences.

DOC Senior Community Ranger James Barnett says the judges are looking for photos celebrating the uniqueness of the world-famous Taupō Fishery.

“It could be a trophy shot, but equally important are those moments with family, with friends, or even landscape shots with a fishing theme.

“We’re looking for photos for seven licence categories, including family, senior, and junior,” says James.

“For many of us getting out into nature with a fishing rod is our happy place, and a photo of your fishing experience could be just the thing we’re looking for to celebrate the joy of fishing in Taupō.”

Entries close midnight, Sunday 18 May 2025.

Up to five photographs can be submitted per person. To enter, email photographs to fishlicence@doc.govt.nz along with your name, where the photo was taken, and the approximate date it was taken. All photos must have been taken in the Taupō Fishing District.

Further information, including a list of the licence categories and full terms and conditions for the competition, can be found online.

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