Annual Report 2002/2003

1 Overview

2 Statement of Service Performance for the Year Ended 30 June 2003

3 Financial Statements and Schedules: Non-Departmental

4 Financial Statements

5 Triple Bottom Line Progress

6 Management of the Ministry

7 Contact Information

5 Triple Bottom Line Progress

In March 2003 the Ministry published Towards a Triple Bottom Line - A Report on our Environmental, Economic and Social Performance. This section updates the operational environmental and social performance of our offices and staff in 2002/2003.

In April 2003 we published our first Statement of Intent, which sets out the wider environmental and economic outcomes that we are working towards during 2003-2006. Our next Annual Report will discuss our progress in relation to these outcomes. A stand-alone Triple Bottom Line Report will not be produced for 2002/03.

Highlights of this year's office environmental and social performance include:

• agreement in principle of an overarching Operational Environmental Policy Statement
• the launch of the Ministry's 'Govt^3' project, focusing in its first year on assisting government agencies assess their environmental impacts and encouraging eco-efficient procurement
• a concerted effort to reduce the weight of our publications from 22 to seven tonnes in paper content
• signing an Energy-Wise Government Agreement with EECA and appointing an Energy Manager
• carrying out the first quantitative survey of staff attitudes.

Two commitments have been postponed to next year and some commitments are ongoing.

Office environmental policies and systems

Towards the end of 2002/2003 work began on drafting operational environmental policies. An overarching Environmental Policy Statement was agreed in principle by management in August 2003. Supporting policies for procurement and resource use, energy, travel and waste are expected to be signed off by December 2003.

Environmental policy statement [The full Environmental Policy can be viewed on our website www.mfe.govt.nz.]

Our environmental principles: what is important to us?

Through its Environmental Policy Statement (EPS) the Ministry for the Environment will strive to:

1. Meet, and where appropriate exceed, the requirements of all relevant environmental legislation and government policies and initiatives.
2. Continually improve our operational environmental performance by meeting our targets and goals.
3. Use materials efficiently.
4. Proactively manage waste and divert recyclables from our waste stream.
5. Favour the purchasing of more sustainable goods and services.
6. Reduce emissions associated with our activities.
7. Use energy efficiently.
8. Monitor progress and publish results on our environmental performance through our Annual Report.
9. Inform staff about our environmental policy and procedures.
10. Demonstrate environmental leadership and encourage other organisations to improve their environmental performance.
11. Action what is important to us, as outlined in points 1-10 above, through supporting guidance on procurement and resource use, energy, and waste.

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Overarching environmental policy, and policies for purchasing, waste and energy to be published and embedded by June 2003.	Ongoing: Over-arching Environmental Policy Statement to be agreed in principle by group leaders by August 2003. Supporting policies are due to be signed off by December 2003. Embedding of policies will continue in 2003/04.
Drive responsible procurement for all of government.	Achieved: The Ministry commenced its 'Govt3' project in July 2003. An initial focus of this project is eco-efficient procurement in government.

Materials

Publications: During 2002/2003 we published 108 different reports, brochures, booklets, cards, etc. The paper content of publications fell by 69% to 7.0 tonnes compared to 22.5 tonnes for the 126 items in 2001/2002. Three things contributed to this change: senior management review has meant fewer documents are published; fewer copies are printed of each publication; and we have increased the number of web-only publications.

We estimate that 91% [86% 2001/2002] by weight of publications were chlorine-free and that recycled paper content by weight was 20% [56% 2001/2002]. The lower recycled content this year was due to the current paper purchasing policy not being followed for three major publications. The revision of the paper purchasing policy has been postponed, so as to incorporate it within a general review of procurement policies in 2003/2004.

Office paper: During the period we used 7.9 tonnes of A4 copier and headed paper or 18.8 reams per staff member. While this 3% decrease in reams per staff member is less than targeted (10%), planned promotions to staff on ways of reducing paper usage has been postponed until 2003/2004, as part of the promotion of office environmental policies. We will now undertake an audit of typical office paper usage and promote paper reduction to staff by June 2004.

During the year we also sourced a recycled content office paper, so 58% of paper used was 100% recycled and chlorine free [0% 2001/2002].

Our performance over time

	Actual 2002/03	Actual 2001/02
Weight of publications per staff member (kg)	41 kg	162 kg
Reams of copier paper per staff member (number)	18.8	19.4

 

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Investigate alternatives to printing large numbers of publications as a way of achieving our overall objectives.	Ongoing: Senior management reviewed proposed publications in 2002/2003. Management and senior staff are to improve systems for ensuring publications contribute to achieving our objectives.
Review and update our paper purchasing policy, including the issues around recycled content.	Revised commitment: The review will now be incorporated in the development of procurement policies due by December 2004.
A 10% reduction in reams of paper used to 17 reams per staff member.	Ongoing: A 3% reduction was achieved. We will now undertake an audit of typical office paper usage and promote paper reduction to staff by June 2004.

Waste

Ministry for the Environment analysis of waste streams

The Ministry continues to recycle over 80% of the solid waste it generates (37 tonnes or 238 kg per staff member). There has been a 3% reduction in waste per staff member, which is less than the targeted reduction (10%) due to an increase in paper/cardboard waste recycling, as relocating staff cleaned out desks during the Transformation Process.

While it is good that we recycle a high percentage of waste, it is desirable to focus on reducing paper waste generated by the staff. Opportunities in this area will be investigated in the audit of office paper usage in 2004.

Of the remaining 20% of waste going to landfill, 4% could have been recycled under existing procedures. During October 2003 we plan to re-promote our internal recycling practices to all existing and new staff. We will also be exploring our options for organic waste, which makes up 44% of the waste to landfill.

Benchmarking our performance

	Actual 2002/03	Actual 2001/02	Benchmark*
Total waste generated per staff member (kg)	215	220	200
Waste to landfill per staff member (kg)	32	32	-

*UK Environmental Agency good practice benchmark

 

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Reduce waste per staff member per year by 10%.	Ongoing: A 3% decrease has been achieved. We will seek opportunities for a further reduction in waste generation per staff member through a review of paper usage and options for organic waste.

Energy

Growth in staff numbers means we have rented additional office space in Wellington and Christchurch during the year, so overall electricity usage has increased 43% to 373,460 kWh. However, electricity usage per m² increased by only 6% for offices with 'tenant-only electricity' (i.e. excluding heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)) and by 24% for offices with HVAC. As the above graph shows, our offices continued to perform close to or well below their respective EECA low-usage benchmarks.

Benchmarking our performance

	Actual 2002/03	Actual 2001/02	Low-typical usage benchmark*
Offices - tenant electricity only (kWh/m2)	61	58	60-150
Offices - with HVAC (kWh/m2)	140	113	200-280

* Per Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA)

The increase in 'Offices - tenant electricity' is because of the utilisation of one floor which was previously partially vacant. The increase for 'Offices - with HVAC' is due to slightly lower efficiency in our new Wellington office space, however this temporary office space still performs well below the low EECA benchmark.

In June 2003 we signed an Energy-Wise Government Agreement with EECA and appointed an Energy Manager. Our policies and the management of our energy use will be further developed in 2003/04 as part of our commitments under the agreement.

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Maintain our office's energy performance close to the low EECA benchmark.	Achieved: Continue with this target pending the joint review with EECA of any further possible savings.
To have signed up to the EECA Energy-Wise government scheme.	Achieved: Senior management signed off the agreement in June 2003. Energy Manager appointed.

Transport

In 2002/2003 staff flew 1,262,532 km domestically and drove 61,345 km on Ministry business. Senior staff also flew a total of 1,229,950 km on long haul international flights presenting or representing New Zealand concerns. Domestic air travel was 15% higher per staff member kms than in 2001/2002, but still well down on 2000/2001. Factors behind the increase were general staff growth (including the reintegration into the Ministry of the Climate Change Office), the regional aquaculture road shows and iwi consultations, the Oceans Policy stakeholder meetings and hui (March 2003) and the September 2002 series of stakeholder breakfast meetings on the Ministry's strategic direction.

Our performance over time

	Actual 2002/03	Actual 2001/02	Actual 2000/01
Domestic air travel per staff member (km)	7,449	6,499	9,367
International air travel per staff member (km)	7,256	8,600	12,326
Ministry and hire car travel per staff member (km)	362	476	525

 

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Monitor our travel and understand and report back on the reasons for any fluctuation from 2001/02 levels.	Achieved: We will continue to monitor our travel throughout 2003/04 as we embed our revised travel policy.
Consult staff on appropriateness of a voluntary survey of commuting methods.	Revised commitment: This survey will now be carried out by July 2004.

Carbon footprint

Our use of fuel in company cars, our use of electricity and the fuel used in air travel and hire cars all contribute to our CO₂ emissions. In 2002/2003 we generated a minimum of 439.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions, a 25% increase on 2001/02: 75% of the increase is due to increased domestic flights (as discussed in Transport above) and 22% relates to increased electricity usage (as discussed in Energy above). However, the Ministry footprint per staff member increased by only 2% from 2.5 to 2.6 tonnes and remains well below the 2000/2001 (3.5 tonnes).

Our travel policies are being reconsidered as part of our environmental policies review. However, given our continuing staff growth and need to engage with our stakeholders, we anticipate that overall electricity usage, travel and, hence, total CO₂ emissions may continue to rise in 2003/04.

Note that while calculated in accordance with international Green House Gas (GHG) accounting protocols, [See The Challenge of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development. 2002.] in common with many organisations reporting on their CO₂ impact, our CO₂ figure represents a minimum only. For example, the electricity usage for air-conditioning/heating/ shared areas for two of our Wellington offices is currently not included because of difficulties in obtaining data.

Key targets and commitments	Progress at 30 June 2003
Monitor our CO2 emissions to understand and report back on the reasons for any fluctuation from 2001/02 levels.	Achieved: We will continue to monitor our CO2 throughout 2003/04 as we embed our new supporting policies.

Our staff

We have seen a steady increase in the number of staff over the last year. Despite this increase the profile of the Ministry remains much the same as the previous year. Over half the staff are advisors (53%), with specialist roles (33%), and managers (14%).

With the increase in the number of managers has come an increase in the number of women managers. We have achieved our EEO target.

Overall we have seen a slight decrease in the average age from 39.02 to 38.59. Though the female average age has increased 38.83 to 39.91, the male average age has decreased from 39.69 to 37.71.

The average length of service with the Ministry is now 4.21 years - a slight decrease from the previous year. The most noticeable change has been a decrease of years for managers from 7.86 to 5.26 years.

Despite a period of significant change, the turnover at the Ministry has been the lowest for five years: 11%.

Our culture

The Ministry undertook a climate survey in June 2003.

Key findings

Overall the findings are very positive.

• All 12 factors surveyed scored above 60% on the positive scale.
• 'Equity, Cultural and Customer Responsiveness' scored the highest at 92%.
• On the whole there were no significant differences on factors in relation to job type, and gender.
• Length of service did feature for many factors - e.g. people with less than six months on the whole were more positive than other groups.

The Ministry will be repeating this survey next year to gauge what improvements have been made.

Key priorities for 2003/04

• Leadership Programme.
• Introduction of Graduate Recruitment Programme.
• Implementation of new Competency Pay System.