Although The Landing is already carbon-negative (absorbing more greenhouse gases than it creates), as part of the Toitū carbonzero programme its businesses have committed to reducing gross greenhouse gas emissions by moving to renewable energy, transitioning to electric vehicles and reducing waste to landfill over coming years.

The Landing, a 1000-acre coastal property in Northland, home to four luxury guest Residences and a boutique vineyard and winery, has received carbonzero certification through New Zealand’s leading certification body, Toitū Envirocare.

This makes The Landing the first luxury lodge in New Zealand to be certified carbonzero by Toitū Envirocare, with The Landing Wine vineyard and winery joining a small handful of other New Zealand winegrowers and wineries certified as carbonzero organisations.

Toitū’s carbonzero certification means a business has measured all activities that produce greenhouse gases each year (such as using electricity, using fossil fuels, or producing waste) to find the business’s total gross annual greenhouse emissions. These emissions can be offset by activities that reduce carbon emissions (such as planting trees) or through purchasing carbon credits to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Significantly, The Landing achieved carbonzero status not by purchasing carbon credits, but because the native bushland on the property – which contains over 1.2 million native trees planted by The Landing team over the past 20 years – absorbs more carbon every year than all businesses operating at The Landing produce.

As well as being a carbon sink, the regenerated bushland is home to one of the most abundant populations of Northland brown kiwi in the country, along with many other native birds. The bushland on the property will continue to be regenerated by planting thousands of native saplings every year, increasing its capacity as a carbon sink over time.

“At The Landing, we are honoured to be kaitiaki of the unique natural landscape, native wildlife and cultural heritage that lie within this property,” says Peter Jones, director at The Landing. “All of these taonga have potential to be negatively affected by climate change, so we feel a sense of duty to protect them.”

“Achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a team effort involving everyone in New Zealand. We are committed to working with Toitū Envirocare to ensure we’re doing our part.”

The Landing is owned by Cooper and Company, which also owns the Britomart precinct and The Hotel Britomart. Both these businesses are also on a path towards Toitū Envirocare certification.