The world of sustainability is changing quickly. Methods of measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions are evolving, and our systems (and our team members) are constantly adapting to keep up. New technology arrives and makes some things easier, while fresh challenges appear from unexpected directions.
At Cooper and Company, we have always taken the long-term view that social, economic and environmental goals are mutually supportive. We have had a formal sustainability framework in place since 2017 and began reporting annually on our progress in 2019. Our experience so far shows us that sustainable progress isn’t a series of trumpet-blast breakthroughs and ‘aha’ moments. Instead, it is founded on incremental day-to-day improvements and constant analysis of the areas in which we could do better.
Some examples: when we began producing these sustainability reports, we didn’t have a way of adequately measuring our greenhouse gas emissions. Now, thanks to our work with Toitū and our Carbonreduce certification – as well as the addition of better monitoring systems in our buildings – we are getting more and more effective at tracking our emissions, identifying problem areas and making improvements.
Similarly, our work within the NZ Green Building Council’s Green Star ratings system – which we began in 2008 – means our design and construction processes are becoming more refined, ensuring reductions in waste and emissions from the beginning of the development process and better-performing buildings at the end of it. These are things we are learning as we go, incremental improvements that, week by week, become baked into our way of doing things.
As we all know, greater sustainability is a collective pursuit, which is why we’re also pleased to highlight the innovative work of some of our lease partners in this report, including EY’s new investigation of the concept of natural capital, Westpac’s focus on the economic sustainability that home ownership brings, and Comensa Group’s participation in the Kai Keepers food waste reduction scheme.
As well as the important data it contains, this report is an opportunity for reflection, as it marks 20 years since Cooper and Company began its work regenerating Britomart, restoring its heritage buildings and designing new ones in the spaces between. This process, too, was one we embarked on with a broad long-term vision but very few specifics. Looking back, it seems like the regeneration of Britomart – and the evolution of our sustainable practices – has happened in the blink of an eye. It’s something that shows how a focus on day-by-day change can, over time, quickly yield more substantial results.
NEXT / Read about the goals we've set ourselves for the 2025 year
