Rob Fyfe (Air NZ’s CEO) gave a fascinating interview with Katheryn Ryan yesterday. He’s a member of Pure Advantage – the group that was set up a few months ago with people like Stephen Tindall, Phillip Mills and others to enhance our clean, green image and make money out of it. He is considering Air NZ voluntarily entering the ETS at 2013 despite a recent report recommending we delay until 2015.
What does he say?
- He was affected by a British journalist saying to him she’d love to come to NZ but couldn’t bring herself to go as it was like going “to a Greenpeace rally in a hummer”.
- “We need to show leadership [on clean, green issues] rather than align ourselves with every other country.”
- “We as a country … have to make a decision”.
- “Air NZ has reduced its fuel burn by 13%. “70% of international visitors coming to NZ do care and would prefer to fly on airline that is making an impact.”
- “People come to NZ because we are clean and green, not for the shopping. So brand and perception has enormous value.
- “We take our environment for granted … as a nation we think in short term-ism. People see the cost and not the long term value.
- “Political cycles make for short term thinking, therefore business needs to take a lead.
In other words, clean and green is very good for business. Pity other businesses and farmers don’t feel the same as Fyfe does and that he has so little faith in government.