16 Sep 2011

Air NZ keen to join ETS

11:55 am on 16 September 2011

Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe says the airline will probably opt in to the Emmissions Trading Scheme, despite a Government review which recommends slowing its implementation.

The energy, transport and industrial sectors were due to come under the ETS from 2013 but the review recommends that their obligations be gradually introduced by 2015.

Mr Fyfe says Air New Zealand may opt to fulfil its obligations earlier.

He says the move would mean customers pay an increased cost, but he says people have to make a decision about how important protecting the environment is to them.

Mr Fyfe also says New Zealand should become the centre of green environmental technology.

He says New Zealand enjoys the economic benefits from its image, irrespective of whether it deserves to, but that image needs to be protected and built upon.

Mr Fyfe says there are opportunities to create green-related industries that have not been dreamt up yet, in the same way Silicon Valley in California developed.

He says the Government and industries need to be doing strategic planning for green technology with a 15 to 20 year time frame and focus less on the costs and more on the investment.

Mr Fyfe is a trustee of the Pure Advantage lobby group, which aims to ensure New Zealand's ''clean green'' image is authentic.