In line with the Paris Agreement, we committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, in comparison to our base year (FY20), by 2030. As you can see in our sixth annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report, we have met and surpassed this target already. Our FY 25 emissions intensity was down 78% compared to our base year. Now to continue our efforts as we continue to grow.

After a fabulous citizen science morning with WAI Wānaka a few months back, we’ve now joined their Adopt a Drain programme and taken responsibility for the two stormwater drains outside our Wānaka office. A quick weekly check helps keep rubbish out of our lake, rivers, and wildlife.

We keep our rubbish “art” on display as a visual reminder to get out and check the drains. If you squint a bit, it’s almost kinda pretty!

We’re also picking up other small but mighty habits, like washing ski-road dirt off our cars on permeable surfaces like lawn or gravel, so that sediment doesn’t end up flowing into stormwater drains.

Thanks to WAI Wānaka for teaching us that looking after our fresh water isn’t complicated—little things really do add up!

If you want to grasp the basics of carbon accounting before diving into your first measurement, our Carbon Kickstart Workshop is just the ticket. Join us for a friendly online workshop where you’ll get a jargon-free overview of how greenhouse gas measurement works—and what it means for your business.

We run these free sessions regularly to help as many Kiwi businesses as possible start their decarbonisation journey with confidence. Register your place via our Humanitix page.

A couple of weeks ago, our Wānaka team swapped our computers for microscopes and teamed up with the fabulous folks at WAI Wānaka to analyse water samples from Bullock Creek. It was a blast stepping into the role of ‘citizen scientists’ – but also a bit sobering. Our spring-fed creek, which looks pristine to the naked eye, was teeming with microplastics. The most common culprits? Synthetic clothing fibres and tyre fragments.

So, where’s it all coming from?

While research is ongoing, scientists believe microplastics like these are hitching a ride into the atmosphere—then falling back down with the rain and snow. That means it’s not just our waterways under threat. Microplastics have even been found in our alpine environment. Yikes!

What can we do?

Thankfully, there’s good news: small changes can make a big difference. According to the WAI team, here are three top tips to help protect our waterways:

1. Choose natural fibres. Clothes made from wool, cotton, or other natural materials don’t shed microplastics during washing like synthetic materials.
2. Wash smart. Do full loads to reduce friction (which leads to fibre shedding), and skip unnecessary washes when you can.
3. Catch it before it escapes. Use washing machine filters or laundry bags (e.g. Guppyfriend) to trap synthetic fibres before they enter the water system.

Want to dive deeper or get involved in hands-on conservation? Head over to the WAI Wānaka website to learn more or sign up for a volunteer event.

As part of our B Corp certification, we’re committed to publicly reporting on our business impact. You can check out our first Business for Good report here. We loved looking back and celebrating all of the cool things we were part of in FY 24.

The report includes some behind-the-scenes photos from the Wānaka team’s highly competitive adventure race party last year. “Is that how all accountants dress?” you ask. Nope. Just these loony tunes.

Greenhawk is all in on the global push to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This plan sets out where we’re headed and how we’re getting there: the targets we’ve set and the actions we’re taking to cut our greenhouse gas emissions.

We’ve been measuring our emissions every year since 2020. What we’ve found is that our biggest emission sources are staff commuting, air travel, and the energy used when our team works from home. These sources are where we’re focusing our efforts, and you’ll see the targets in our Climate Action Plan 2024-2027 built around tackling each of these.

Certified B Corps are companies verified to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. The B stands for ‘benefit for all’.

The B Corp assessment covers five impact areas: Governance, Workers, Environment, Customers and Community. Check out the big and little things that make Greenhawk a B Corp.