SkyCity’s Climate Change Commitment

At SkyCity we are dedicated to growing in a sustainable manner with a commitment to environmental sustainability as a foundation for successful economic, social and cultural development.

Climate change is an issue for us all, and as a business SkyCity is committed to playing a leadership role. We continually focus on new opportunities to make a difference both big and small.

A materiality assessment, completed by SkyCity, considered the views of both internal and external stakeholders, who have a strong interest in our business, and confirmed climate change to be of critical importance.

SkyCity is one of the first signatories of the Climate Leaders Coalition, and further commits to the revised target to help keep the rise in global temperature below 1.5 degrees.

We are committed to being CarbonNZero certified, by Enviromark Solutions, in New Zealand by 30 September 2019, and in Adelaide by 30 September 2020.

Carbon reduction is our priority. We have submitted science-based targets to the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative, against FY15 base year.

Our targets are to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 38% by 2030 and 73% by 2050 from a 2015 base year. SkyCity commits that 67% of its suppliers by spend, covering purchased goods and services and capital goods, will set science-based targets by 2023.

In February 2019, we released our Climate Change Strategy. Our current initiatives include:

• The establishment of a SkyCity Green Fund – funded by an internal carbon levy paid by each of SkyCity’s Auckland, Hamilton, Queenstown and Adelaide sites relative to each site’s emissions. Funds from the levy will be used to offset SkyCity’s carbon footprint to net zero by investing in emission reduction projects selected by Enviro-Mark Solutions.
• The SkyCity Green Fund also accrues and invests in projects identified and developed by SkyCity employees to reduce SkyCity’s carbon emissions in accordance with its science-based targets set in 2019.
• SkyCity employees can measure and offset their own household carbon footprint, with SkyCity matching their offset dollar-for-dollar by payment into the SkyCity Green Fund.
• The New Zealand International Convention Centre, currently under development in Auckland, will operate as a carbon neutral venue following completion of construction in 2020 – the only one of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
• The Sugar Club developed New Zealand’s first ever low carbon menu in partnership with Enviro-Mark Solutions and WWF New Zealand and included a ‘low carbon icon’ into the restaurant menu.
• SkyCity’s Auckland and Hamilton sites have implemented a food waste redirection and recovery programme.
• Copies of Paul Hawken’s climate change book Drawdown have been placed in all SkyCity Hotel rooms, alongside Bibles.

New initiatives currently being explored, include:

• Shifting from gas to electricity for stoves and ovens in our kitchens.
• Sourcing certified renewable electricity.
• Identifying new technology to reduce waste to landfill.
• Providing opportunities for guests to offset their travel emissions to our sites.
• Implementing greener standards in all future construction.

We undertake to update this Commitment regularly and report publicly on our progress in our Annual Report.