Bill English, Gerry
Brownlee, Nick Smith29 January, 2011 - Finance
Minister Bill English, Economic Development
Minister Gerry Brownlee and Environment
Minister Nick Smith today announced the
establishment of an Advisory Group on Green
Growth in enabling New Zealand to grow the
economy while enhancing our clean, green
brand.
“This new initiative
is another part of the Government's plan
to build a faster growing economy,"
Mr English said, announcing the advisory
group at the National Party’s Bluegreens
forum in Akaroa.
"We are keen to
help businesses – particularly our export
industries - leverage New Zealand's clean,
green brand, explore and develop new clean
technology and move towards a lower carbon-economy.”
Mr Brownlee and Dr Smith
said it was important the Government received
the best advice on green growth initiatives
and that is why an advisory group had been
established.
“This group will look
at how we add value to our export industry,
ensure smarter uses of technology and innovation
– including cleantech – and assist small
and medium-sized businesses to become more
energy efficient,” Mr Brownlee said.
Dr Smith said: “The
concepts of green growth, green jobs and
cleantech are attracting international attention
with the work of the OECD and the United
Nations. This is about New Zealand applying
some of our best private sector minds to
how we ensure we take up these green growth
opportunities to support the Government’s
broader economic growth strategy.”
The eight-strong Advisory
Group will be chaired by Business New Zealand
Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly and includes
entrepreneur Melissa Clark-Reynolds, professional
director and conservationist Whaimutu Dewes,
ZESPRI Chief Executive Lain Jager, businessman
Neville Jordan, former Landcare Research
Chief Executive Dr Andrew Pearce, Ecologic
Foundation Executive Director Guy Salmon,
and winemaker and businessman Peter Yealands.
The terms of reference
focuses on how Government agencies can help
exporters leverage greater value from New
Zealand’s clean, green brand, how we can
assist the growth of clean technologies,
and how we can assist small and medium-size
businesses move to a low-carbon economy.
“We have a wide Government
programme of initiatives underway on home
insulation, pricing carbon emissions, supporting
waste reduction and recycling, improving
water management and facilitating more renewable
energy,” Dr Smith said. “This new advisory
group is complementary to this programme
in looking specifically at how we leverage
stronger and new businesses from the environmental
challenges facing New Zealand and the world.”
The advisory group will meet regularly this
year reporting to the Ministers of Economic
Development and the Environment with a final
report expected by the end of the year.
Biographies of Advisory
Group members
Phil O’Reilly (Chair)
Phil O’Reilly is the
Chief Executive of Business NZ. He chairs
the Government's Capitalising on Research
& Development Action Group, the Redundancy
and Employment Transition Advisory Group;
is Joint Chair of the NZ Workplace Health
& Safety Council; and is a board member
of the Foundation for Research, Science
& Technology and the Royal Society of
NZ. Mr O’Reilly also serves on a number
of other Ministerial and advisory groups.
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
is an international professional speaker
on business, entrepreneurship and technology.
Since 2004, Ms Clark-Reynolds has taught
courses for technology companies, specialising
in scaling and growth issues. She also has
a string of entrepreneurial successes, including
the establishment and eventual sale of Fusion
to Southern Cross Healthcare.
Whaimutu Dewes
Whaimutu Dewes is an
independent director on the Contact Energy
Board (since February 2010). He has held
numerous directorships in organisations
including Television New Zealand and the
AMP New Zealand Advisory Board. He was Deputy
Chair of Sealord Group (1992 to 2008) and
has held senior management roles at Fletcher
Challenge. Mr Dewes served 10 years on the
Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission.
Mr Dewes is of Ngati Porou and Ngati Rangitihi
descent.
Neville Jordan
Neville Jordan was formerly
the Chair of the CRI taskforce. Mr Jordan
served six years on the board of AgResearch,
and three years each on the boards of the
Foundation of Research Science & Technology
as well as the Prime Minister’s Growth and
Innovation Advisory Board.
In 1997 he received
the Governor General's Supreme award for
Exporting and was invested in 1999 as a
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Mr Jordan was inducted into the NZ Hi Tech
Hall of Fame in 2004 and recently into the
NZ Business Hall of Fame. In early 2006,
he was appointed President of the Royal
Society of New Zealand.
Andrew Pearce is Chair
of the Regional Committee to give effect
to the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.
During his career, he
has been involved with a diverse range of
public and private-sector organisations
and brings broad governance and management
experience. His experience has included
roles in the infrastructure sector, banking,
publicly-listed companies, research and
development organisations, as well as the
not-for-profit sector.
Dr Pearce was founding
Chief Executive Officer of Landcare Research
in 1992 and sits on a number of boards including
the Bank of New Zealand, Christchurch City
Holdings, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority, and Terranova Charitable Trust.
Lain Jager
Lain Jager has been
the Chief Executive of ZESPRI since December
2008. Previous roles with the company included
Human Resources, Grower Relations, Innovation
and Corporate Strategy.
Prior to joining ZESPRI,
Lain worked for Starwood Hotels and Resorts
and Fletcher Challenge in a variety of Human
Resources and Operations Management roles.
Lain has a Masters degree in Psychology,
Philosophy and English from the University
of Waikato.
Guy Salmon
Guy Salmon is Executive
Director of the Ecologic Foundation, an
environmental consultancy. As a member of
policy task forces for successive governments,
he contributed to the reform of the government’s
environmental administration system, the
development of the Resource Management Act,
and the development of policies on forestry,
climate change, electricity markets, land
transport and overseas aid.
He has worked closely
with business on environmental projects
especially in the fishing, agri-food and
waste management industries. He has also
served on the boards of Landcare Research
and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority, and is a Trustee of the Cawthron
Institute.
Peter Yealands
Peter Yealands is the
founder of Yealands Estate which has achieved
rapid growth in the international market,
exporting to over 20 countries in less than
two year. He is described as a hard-working,
entrepreneurial risk taker. After success
in the building and aquaculture industries,
followed by deer farming, Mr Yealands then
got involved in the wine industry and runs
Yealands Estate with a strong sustainability
ethos.
Thank You
