CEMARS® certification

CEMARS certified logo Kāpiti Coast District Council has been CEMARS certified since 2012. CEMARS certification (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme) tracks how we measure, manage and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The scheme was developed by Landcare Research New Zealand and is the first Green House Gas (GHG) certification scheme in the world to achieve international accreditation. We’ve chosen to use the CEMARS certification to give independent assurance that we are working to minimise our impacts on climate change.

How we became certified

The general process for achieving certification begins with registering on the programme and conducting a measurement or carbon footprint in accordance with the programme requirements. Once this is done a management plan for managing and reducing emissions is developed. Verification is then conducted to verify that the measurement and management plan meets the programme standards, and is an essential part of certification. Following verification, a certification decision is made and the certificate issued. An annual measurement and verification is conducted to ensure the certification remains valid and accurately reflects the nature of the organisation over time.

Current Actions

Kāpiti Coast District Council is committed to sustainability and environmental management and as part of the certirfication requirements, has developed an Emissions Management and Reduction Plan. Council aims to reduce its operational carbon footprint by 45% in 2014-15 compared to its 2009-10 baseline year, increasing to 80% in 2021-22.

Some projects in this plan include: