In 2011 Morphum decided to track our emissions and establish ways to improve our carbon footprint.

From the outset, Morphum was founded on the principle of ‘engineering done better’, with the environment at the forefront. To uphold this vision, we had to lead by example and that meant more than supporting environmental initiatives; it required us to track our emissions and asses our own impact. For a small business, investing in emissions tracking can be a significant step but by understanding our footprint, we could identify opportunities for improvement and set a standard for the industry.

Our journey to carbon neutrality wasn’t just about reducing our own impact – it was also about making connections with like-minded organisations and people committed to meaningful change. The best way to connect was through a shared story, and the best way to lead was to act ourselves.

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At the time, not many companies reflected on the carbon costs of their operations.

Achieving carbon neutrality involves a combination of emissions reduction and offsetting.  While eliminating emissions entirely is rarely possible, businesses can take meaningful steps to minimise their footprint by improving efficiency and re-thinking operations. Any remaining emissions can then be offset through certified initiatives such as reforestation, regenerative land management such as wetland restoration, or other carbon sequestration projects.

For most businesses, achieving carbon zero requires a combination of emissions reduction and offsetting. At Morphum, our focus has always been on reductions first, supported by locally based and high-quality offset programs for unavoidable emissions. This ensures our approach is both impactful and credible.  Beyond reducing our own emissions, we’ve thoughtfully chosen to support offsetting initiatives that deliver broader environmental benefits such as reforesting mountain areas in the Marlborough region, helping to restore the habitat for a threatened plant species and breeding area for the New Zealand Falcon (Kārearea). By investing in impactful projects, we could see the meaningful physical changes our contributions were making.

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With a clear approach in place, we selected Toitū Envirocare, Aotearoa’s leading carbon certification provider, to guide our journey to carbon neutrality. Their certification process follows the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard, ensuring rigorous and transparent emissions measurement. To meet this standard, we undertook a comprehensive assessment of our operations, analysing both direct and indirect emissions associated with our activities.

We tracked our fuel consumption, material usage and worked with contractors who shared our commitment to a more sustainable future for Aotearoa. This data allowed us to identify, our largest sources of emissions and take targeted actions to reduce them.

With calculations and documentation in place, we submitted our first assessment against Toitū’s CarboNZero standards on the 14th of March 2012. From that point forward, Morphum was a certified carbon neutral business.

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After a few years in the CarboNZero programme, we sought to further measure and improve our performance.

In 2016, six years after beginning this journey we established a base-year summary to track progress and set reduction targets. This approach aligned with the introduction of our ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management System (EMS), reinforcing our commitment to continuous improvement. By setting annual emissions metrics and reduction goals, we hold ourselves accountable to the standards we set.

The process has evolved, and with an Environmental Management System (EMS) team in place, we can now track our emissions and broader environmental footprint with greater accuracy.

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Over the past 14 years, we have reduced our carbon emissions by more than 700 tonnes, have contributed to the regeneration of over 1,000 hectares of land.  Along the we, we’ve gained invaluable insights into emissions reduction, the certification process and our ongoing journey toward sustainability. As we look ahead, we’re ready to build on our progress for the next 14 years and beyond.

Across Aotearoa, businesses are increasing required to achieve carbon neutrality prompted by industry standards, regulations, or client expectations.

Our own journey has enabled us to replicate proven systems and tailor solutions to specific business needs, providing expertise to help.  Our organisations across Aotearoa and Australia identify, measure, and reduce their carbon and environmental impacts with confidence.

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Taking the next step to carbon reduction can start now, and if you would like support, we’re here to help.

More about Carbon Reduction Support

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