About
Meridian Energy Ltd is a State Owned Enterprise and New Zealand’s largest renewable energy generator. Currently Meridian operates nine hydro stations in the South Island, the Te Apiti wind farm in the Manawatu, the White Hill Wind Farm in Southland, and a wind turbine in Wellington
Meridian was formed in April 1999, and has been reporting on its sustainability performance since 2000, and its carbon footprint since 2001. In 2006 Meridian made a commitment to becoming a carbon neutral company.
Using Landcare Research’s carboNZero programme, Meridian began the journey toward carbon neutrality by ring-fencing the ‘energy facility’ responsible for Meridian’s core activity, generating and retailing electricity from renewable sources. Meridian
achieved carboNZero certification for this facility in February 2007.
[ Back to Top ]
Strategy
Meridian is committed to meeting the growing energy needs of New Zealanders. As well as increasing the efficiency of our generation assets and investigating new, economical methods of renewable generation, we are initiating and implementing sustainable development activities throughout the company, in line with our Sustainable Development Policy.
Meridian Energy has a GHG emissions reduction plan that has set targets and initiatives to reduce overall emissions on two levels:
- Direct initiatives to reduce the number and volume of emissions sources, including:
- Managing and reducing the fuel used in vehicles, boats and stand-by generators
- Managing and reducing the amount of air travel undertaken
- Reducing the amount of electricity used in office operations
- Minimising waste to landfill and maximising recycling efforts
- Incorporating carbon considerations into all business decisions, specifically reducing the carbon intensity of communicating with customers, and in planning for future projects; and
- Actions to help reduce the emissions of New Zealand as a whole, relating to gaining and protecting access to renewable energy sources for electricity generation, and using Meridian Energy’s reach and influence to encourage other New Zealanders to reduce their emissions.
While the plan has been developed specifically for the Meridian Energy facility as outlined above, it has been shared with the parts of the business that make up other facilities and these are implementing many of the initiatives.
[ Back to Top ]
Photo Gallery