a new zealand perspective on life cycle management · pdf file–voluntary standards (e.g....

A New Zealand Perspective On

Life Cycle Management

Sarah McLaren

Outline

• Context: New Zealand• Context: international• New Zealand activities:

– MAF Greenhouse Gas Footprinting Strategy– Life Cycle Management Project– New Zealand Centre for Life Cycle

Management

New Zealand: Location and Population

New Zealand:Clean and Green

New Zealand:Export Earnings

New Zealand:Carbon Emissions

Outline



Management

Context: International

• Evolution of environmental management approaches

• Food Miles• Carbon labelling

Context: International(a) Evolution of Approaches

“It is becoming more and more evident that consumers are increasingly interested in the “world that lies behind” the product they buy”

Klaus Toepfer Executive Director, UNEP, 1999

• Expressed through:– Voluntary standards (e.g. PAS 2050)– Ecolabelling (e.g. Carbon Trust label)– Supply chain-focused retailer initiatives (e.g.

Wal-Mart)– Consumer-focused retailer initiatives (e.g. M&S)

Context: International(b) Food Miles

Context: International(c) Carbon Labelling …

• Carbon Trust• Tesco• Marks & Spencer• UK PAS 2050 • International standards (ISO; Greenhouse Gas

Protocol Initiative)

Context: International(c) Carbon Labelling +++

Outline



Management

Activities in New Zealand(a) MAF GHG Footprinting Strategy

• MAF GHG Footprinting Strategy for the Primary Sector– Kiwifruit, apples, berryfruit, summer fruit, wine,

onions– Dairy products, lamb/mutton, beef, venison– Wood products

• Characteristics:– Whole life cycle– Options for GHG footprint reduction– Practical and feasible measurement– Sector-level approach

Activities in New Zealand(a) MAF GHG Footprinting Strategy

• Kiwifruit project funded by MAF and Zespri• Consortium involving:

– Landcare Research– Plant & Food– Massey University– AgriLINK

• Full life cycle but informed by PAS 2050

Kiwifruit ProjectResults

0.0

0.50

1.0

1.50

2.0

2.50

IPCC GWP 100aComparing processes; Method: IPCC 2007 GWP 100a V1.00 / characterisation

kg C

O2

Orchard operations Packhouse NZ port Shipping Repackaging, Zeebrugge Retailer, UK Consumer

* Based on carbon emissions per 3.3kg export tray

Kiwifruit Project: Reduction Opportunities

Orchardist decision Political decision

Short term

Low Cost

Sector decision

High cost

Short time Long time

Medium term Long term

Kiwifruit ProjectContinuous Improvement

• Organisational Plus approach• Aim is to develop a cost-effective option for

both obtaining a CF for kiwifruit as a product, and driving continuous reduction of the CF through organisation-oriented initiatives

• Organisation-oriented approaches: GHG Protocol (WRI, WBCSD) Scope 3

• Product-oriented approaches: Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040 series), PAS 2050

Orchard 1

Orchard 2

Orchard 3Orchard 4

Organisational Plus Inventories

Packhouse 1

Packhouse 2

Product Inventory

Growing

Packing and storage

Shipping

Retailing

Consumer

Waste management

Repackaging

• Partners: Landcare Research, MED, MfE, NZTE, Business NZ

• Case study companies: AHI Roofing, Comvita, David Trubridge, Mastip, Nufarm, Verda

• Project components:– Company Training Programme– Research Programme– Student placements

New Zealand Activities(b) Life Cycle Management Project

Aims and Objectives

• Aim– Use LCM to build international competitiveness

of New Zealand companies• Objectives (first two years):

– Develop and deliver LCM Training Programme to six companies

– Understand process of implementing LCM to facilitate sectoral uptake in future

– Support postgraduate training of up to six students in LCA techniques

Training Programme Structure

Research – Key Questions

• What are the benefits and costs of implementing LCM in manufacturing companies?

• What are the enablers and barriers to implementation of LCM in manufacturing companies?

• How can the results of the project be amplified across the manufacturing sector (and beyond)?

Research Themes

The Bigger Picture

• Value proposition over five years: – Widespread uptake in manufacturing sector

and beyond– Companies realising economic benefits

• Strategy:– Case study companies as exemplars in sector– Pathway for transfer to other sectors (via

NZTE, Business NZ)– Building capability in tertiary sector

Some Observations• Motivations

– “It’s the right thing to do”– “We need to do this to maintain our market

position”– “This will give us a competitive advantage”

• Functional units• Strategic versus operational aspects

New Zealand Activities(c) NZ Centre for Life Cycle Management

Vision • Massey University (MU) will establish the New Zealand

Life Cycle Management Centre (NZLCM Centre) in collaboration with AgResearch, Landcare Research, Scion, and Plant & Food Research. The LCM Professor will coordinate efforts in NZ to develop graduate capability in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Management (LCM) for the agricultural and forestry sectors. MU will educate graduates to meet the range of LCA/LCM skills urgently required by the agricultural and forestry production and research sectors to ensure international market access to NZ products.

Activities of NZ Centre for Life Cycle Management

• NZ capability to undertake LCA/M and footprinting:– Postgraduate courses/programme– Three scholarships for PhDs

• LCA/M research• Development of fair and practical standards• Enable primary producers to measure and

reduce their GHG emissions• NZ Life Cycle Inventory database

Conclusions

• Recognition that environmental profile is increasingly part of maintaining market access

• More than just greenwash – demonstration of environmental credentials

• Challenge is to products - not (so much) companies

• NZ Inc versus individual companies/products• Sector-based approach a practical response to

challenge of carbon footprinting

http://lcanz.org.nz/

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