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  1. Home
  2. Why Mercury
  3. Sustainability
  4. Kaitiakitanga
Kaitiakitanga (GUARDIANSHIP).

Kaitiakitanga (GUARDIANSHIP).

What's Kaitiakitanga? It means guardianship and protection - something that is woven into the fabric of Mercury.

Here you can learn more about our management of natural resources, and our wonderful partnerships and how we are looking after our assets for the long-term.
Partnerships Sustainability

Watch // Turitea Lizard Release.

Here's an update on our Turitea wind farm and some of the work we went through to protect those that call it home while construction is underway.

Mercury: Turitea lizard release.
Watch // Mercury: Turitea lizard release.
<a id="climatechange"></a>Managing climate change.

Managing climate change.

For the last 4 years, we've submitted information to the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). The CDP runs the global disclosure system that enables organisations and government to measure and manage their environmental impacts.

With the 2020 result in, we're pleased to have received an A-, which puts us in the "Leadership" category and in the top 5 of New Zealand companies. It's a reflection of our continued focus on measuring and managing our own climate change risks, as well as influencing our industry, customers, and supply chain.

our submission More about sustainability
What we're doing.

What we're doing.

We love New Zealand and take climate change measures seriously. We're actively measuring and monitoring our carbon emissions, and we've been investing in a wonderful forestry programme since 2010.

Moving away from thermal generation helped us decrease our total emissions by 40% since 2015. Our generation emissions (CO2e/MWh) have decreased by 49% over the same period.

Our geothermal operations do generate greenhouse gas emissions but these are reducing each year. Our hydro, solar and wind generation activities are largely emissions free.  

Our TCFD Report is prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Read it here.

Our strategy Our emissions report
Managing natural resources

Managing natural resources.

There are a number of programmes and surveys that we undertake (or participate in) to ensure we're caring for natural resources. Here are some great examples.

 

Environmental audits

16 audits were carried out at our operating sites during FY19.
 

River bed surveys

We conduct 5-yearly bed degredation surveys to understand the potential impacts of sediment retention in the dams along the river from Karapiro to Ngaruawahia.
 

Foreshore survey

The annual Lake Taupo foreshore survey helps us and others understand how lake processes might be affecting the lake.
 

Erosion surveys

The 5 yearly erosion survey provides insight on potential impacts of our hydro operations on bank stability along the river.

Ecological monitoring

We've kicked off an ecological monitoring programme to ensure we understand any impacts downstream from Karapiro, beyond our hydro system.
 

Consents

35 years is the term of our most recent Waikato River resouce consent granted in 2006.
 

renewable generation

renewable generation

The energy we generate is 100% renewable - hydro, geothermal and soon, wind. We think that's pretty wonderful.
 
renewable sources
Iwi

Iwi

We work with iwi in a number of ways, which include commercial partnerships and community programmes.
 
Iwi partnership
partnerships

partnerships

Working with other great people and organisations is an essential part of who we are, and what makes us successful.
 
Partnerships