Suncorp New Zealand will look to extend a carbon management program that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its suppliers following a successful pilot.

The program, developed by Oxygen Consulting and completed by five suppliers in the pilot, helps small and medium sized businesses identify their emissions and create an action plan towards achieving reduction targets.

“As well as helping the five businesses we worked with, this pilot has helped us to learn more about the emissions in our value-chain, and where to target future actions and support,” Sustainability Manager Rob Siveter said.

“We’re now looking at how we can use the insights to improve the support we give, expand the program to more suppliers, and ultimately identify how we might set meaningful targets in this space.”

Suncorp’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions extends to looking at emissions indirectly associated with the business, he says.

Though the program, the five suppliers identified opportunities to reduce their collective Scope 1 and 2 emissions by almost 60 tonnes a year by 2025, representing 17.5% of their total 2020 baseline emissions.

The suppliers were Green Park Panel and Paint, Cooper Young Construction, Phoenix Services Dunedin, Sun City Panelbeaters & Spraypainters and Rod Wood Collision Repair Centre.

The New Zealand insurer in August said last financial year it had achieved a 49% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to its 2018 baseline.

“Insurers like Suncorp have an enormous opportunity to support and influence the small and medium sized businesses in our network to measure and reduce their carbon emissions, to reach New Zealand’s critical net-zero target, and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis,” Mr Siveter says.