The Landing

Director Peter Jones says the 125 hectares of native plantings, including more than 1.2 million trees planted by The Landing team over the past 20 years, absorbs more carbon than is emitted by all the operations on the 400ha coastal property.

The Landing is the first luxury lodge in New Zealand to be certified carbonzero by Toitū, while its vineyard and winery join a small group of New Zealand winegrowers and wineries certified as carbonzero. Achieving net zero carbon emissions over the entire country by 2050 is a team effort involving everyone in New Zealand, says Peter. "We are committed to working with Toitū Envirocare to ensure we're doing our part."

To gain carbonzero certification a business is required to measure all activities that product greenhouse gases each year, including waste production, travel, fertilisers and use of electricity and fossil fuels, to find the businesses total gross annual greenhouse emissions. Those emissions can be offset either by investing in carbon credits from third parties or, as in The Landings case, via its very own carbon sink. As well as regenerating forest, the area is home to one of the most abundant populations of Northland brown kiwi in the country, along with many other native birds, says Peter. "At The Landing, we are honoured to be kaitiaki of the unique natural landscape, native wildlife and cultural heritage that lie within this property."

As well as offsetting through the native plantings, The Landing has worked to reduce its emissions. A 2021 sustainability report outlines six local environmental projects for the 2020/2021 year, including reducing non-renewable electricity consumption and reduced use of chemicals in the vineyard. The projects also including continued reforestation - with over 100,000 native seedlings grown on site, and 12,200 planted at The Landing over the course of the year - and biodiversity protection, including pest control. Meanwhile a "Green Christmas" initiative saw 4000 native seedlings raised at The Landing given away at Auckland's Britomart in 2020, in exchange for a gold coin donation to the Motutapu Island Restoration Project, raising more than $6000 for the project.

The company's 2022 targets include working towards the carbon reduction commitments of the Toitū carbonreduce programme, progressing a solar panel installation project and investigating the feasibility of electric vehicle charging points for work vehicles, staff and visitors.