MAS measures its carbon footprint with Toitū Envirocare

Teaming up with Toitū Envirocare means we can actively measure and report on our greenhouse gas emissions (also commonly known as a carbon footprint).

With support from the experts at Toitū, we have measured our emissions across 3 key areas: travel, office waste and energy usage. This process involves entering a range of detailed data into Toitū’s specialised tools to calculate an annual emissions figure. Our emissions figure is then independently audited by Toitū to ensure it’s accurate. 

Now in our second year of measuring our emissions, we will continue to be audited annually and are looking at areas that we can reduce our environmental footprint over time – for instance, updating our travel policy to align with our commitments to reducing emissions, signing up to an office composting scheme and running education sessions with employees. We are also looking at further areas across the business that we can collect emissions data on. 

We have worked with Toitū to purchase high-quality carbon credits from native forests in Aotearoa New Zealand to offset our emissions, creating a net-zero emissions balance. We are conscious that not all carbon credits are created equal and have only used credits that have been externally assessed for credibility. For more information on carbon credits, see toitu.co.nz/what-we-offer/carbon-management/mitigate

For the MAS team involved in the project, it’s a rewarding way to make a meaningful difference. 

“It’s about doing the right thing,” says MAS Chief Finance and Risk Officer Matthew Judge. “As an organisation, it just made sense to become a Toitū member. It wasn’t hard to convince the MAS Board and executive team. Everyone was really supportive and keen to get started. 

“Our account manager at Toitū said our first-year audit was one of the best they had seen, which was really encouraging. Now we just have to keep going, and each year, we’ll set a new target to aim for. There are so many things we can do, and the best way to make change is if we all work together.” 

For more, see toitu.co.nz/our-members/members/Medical-assurance-society-new-zealand-limited.