Wellington - New Zealand's Christchurch International Airport has been certified carbon neutral - the secondin the world to achieve the ultimate environmentally-friendly status after Sweden's LFV, it was reported on Thursday. Chief executive Rene Bakx said it was the first in the southern hemisphere to attain certified carbon neutral status by reducing greenhouse gas emissions directly generated by airport operations and offsetting any remaining by purchasing carbon credits.
Bakx said that with tourism accounting for 10 per cent of New Zealand's gross domestic product it was "essential that positive steps are taken to address the climate change concerns of international travellers visiting New Zealand.
"Research has shown that the carbon footprint issue is becoming a decisive factor for tourists in planning their overseas holiday, and as the international market makes up 30 per cent of our passenger base, we worked towards achievement of this accreditation," he said.
Welcoming the move, Prime Minister Helen Clark said that New Zealand was a long haul destination for many foreign tourists.
"We don't want to be ruled out of consideration as a destination because it is seen as unsustainable to be here at all.
"New Zealand as a country, and tourism as an industry, must go the extra mile to prove sustainability credentials," Clark said.
She said that the tourist industry's promotion of New Zealand as "being clean and green and 100 per cent pure is priceless positioning and we must keep it."
