New Zealand has seen a groundswell in action against climate change as more people come to the realisation the time for talking is over, and the time for doing is now
It’s a theme running throughout society and business, with scientific consensus around the problem translating into action at the grassroots.
The necessity for action is distilled in the nature of the threat: according to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), avoiding catastrophic climate change depends on countries limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“Achieving this goal is ambitious, but the stakes have never been higher,” says Lorraine Smith, organiser of the Facilities Integrate trade expo taking place at ASB Showgrounds, Auckland this September. “The good news is the construction, property and facilities management industries are taking notice, with multiple initiatives towards more efficient buildings and reduced resource utilisation, and the emergence of organisations such as NABERSNZ and the New Zealand Green Building Council driving awareness and assessing properties for measurable environmental credentials.”
Smith says Facilities Integrate, a trade-only show which brings together all aspects involved in the construction and management of property, is itself responding to the reality of climate change, introducing a Climate Change Response Zone for the first time this year. “This reflects not only our acknowledgment of the challenge we all face, but also the availability of solutions and ideas to mitigate climate change,” she explains.
“Facilities Integrate is the trade show for people who manage, operate, develop and design New Zealand’s buildings. We believe we have a moral duty to address the important issues of climate change within the building management industry,” Smith says.
This part of the show features exhibitors which provide products, services and solutions which put New Zealand’s buildings and facilities on their own path towards Net Zero Carbon.
In fact, with the exhibition taking place in World Green Building week, the NZGBC is launching the first draft of the Net Zero Carbon standards, sure to be of interest to every building owner and facilities manager interested in achieving environmentally responsible operations. Another extension of the Climate Change Response Zone is an Energy management workshop, while multiple exhibitors will demonstrate practical methods for a better built environment.
The activities at Facilities Integrate align with national interest in addressing the climate emergency. Smith points to the Climate Change Response (Zero-Carbon) Amendment Bill which aims to address the problem of global warming by codifying the reduction of New Zealand’s carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050. “The Bill will help establish a framework that the Government can use to deliver clear, stable and balanced policies, in accordance with the Paris Agreement which New Zealand joined in 2015,” she notes.
The Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament; public submissions recently closed and it is presently at Select Committee, with the second reading imminently due.
Smith says climate change is everyone’s responsibility, and a mantle Facilities Integrate is proud to take on. “From the perspective of our Expo, delegates include Facility Managers, Developers, Building Owners, CEOs, and Directors. We know there is heightened concern from these individuals, and heightened interest in achieving NABERSNZ and NZGBC star ratings which attract quality tenants. When our industry has access to the right tools and information, they can play a key role in reducing their facilities/buildings carbon emissions,” she concludes.
Facilities Integrate takes place 25 – 26 September 2019 at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland.
Attendance is free for all registrations prior to midnight 23 September.
Tickets for those registering after this date are priced at $25. For more information or to register your interest, visit https://www.facilitiesintegrate.nz/.
