New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) has become the first New Zealand food business to join the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative and one of a handful of the country’s businesses to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
NZKS is one of 250 businesses worldwide to join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. Led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment, these businesses have pledged to decrease plastic usage and ensure 100 percent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled or composted by 2025.
The farmed salmon company has also been approved as a participant business to the United Nations Global Compact, joining close to 10,000 other businesses worldwide. This initiative’s participants pledge to take action across a broad range of principles covering the environment, human rights, labor and anti-corruption. The compact supports participants to take real action to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Grant Rosewarne, CEO of NZKS, said the company is working hard to be a sustainable business on all counts – the environment, economy and people.
“We believe the aquaculture industry can be a positive force for the future. There is always more to do and being a part of the Global Compact and the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment connects us to an international community of businesses that all share the same challenges and aspirations for the future," Rosewarne said. “We’re proud to be the first food business in New Zealand to sign up to the Global Compact, and want to see others take similar action,” he said.
In New Zealand, NZKS is helping drive this through the Sustainable Business Network Circular Economy Accelerator Research, where the company is one of 10 local businesses backing a diagnostic study to develop long-term viable solutions and alternatives to plastic packaging.
As part of the compact pledge, and to retain participant status, NZKS will report annually on the following 10 principles:
Human Rights
- Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
- Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses
Labor
- Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
- Elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor
- Effective abolition of child labor
- Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
Environment
- Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges
- Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility
- Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies
Anti-Corruption
- Work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery
“Salmon farming in New Zealand has a unique opportunity to contribute to sustainable regional growth and be a sunrise industry for our future. With the global demand for protein expected to double by 2050, New Zealand can lead the way in framing a better approach to food production without jeopardizing our natural resources," Rosewarne said. “At NZKS, we’re committed to leading this growth, including exploring open ocean farming, benchmarking our carbon emissions, and continuing to make sustainable improvements to our operations and supply chain.”
