First NZ Retirement Village Provider Certified for CEMARS

Summerset Group Holdings Limited
Level 27 Majestic Centre, 100 Willis St, Wellington
PO Box 5187, Wellington 6140
Phone: 04 894 7320 | Fax: 04 894 7319
Website: www.summerset.co.nz

NZX & MEDIA RELEASE

3 December 2018


FIRST NZ RETIREMENT VILLAGE PROVIDER CERTIFIED FOR CEMARS

Summerset is the first retirement village operator in New Zealand to become CEMARS (Certified
Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme) certified, following an independent
greenhouse gas emissions audit in November 2018.

Summerset CEO Julian Cook said Summerset will begin reducing its carbon emissions
nationwide from early next year.

“We are proud to have achieved CEMARS certification which means we are actively addressing
our environmental impacts,” Mr Cook said.

“Environmental stewardship is now a fundamental element of successful business,” he said.

“It’s clear that business practices need to change to help protect the environment. We have 24
villages with over 5,000 people living in them and we need to make it easy for our residents to
leave a positive legacy for their descendants.”

In 2017 Summerset generated 5,939 tonnes of C0
2
equivalent. That figure corresponds to the
average electricity emissions from 4,357 New Zealand homes in one year.

Mr Cook said Summerset is aiming to reduce the intensity of its carbon emissions across the
business by 2022.

Summerset will focus on managing emissions in five key areas: energy, waste, travel, paper and
use of fertilisers.

Mr Cook said he believed the new programme would be popular with Summerset residents.

“I’ve heard a consistent drumbeat of demand from residents for more environmentally aware
practices in their villages.

“We’ll be meeting that demand by involving our residents in our sustainability programme.

“We’ve chosen to include resident’s energy and waste in our emissions targets and we’ll work
with them to find ways to reduce emissions. It’s important to include residents because they
make up the majority of the Summerset community.

“Residents and our 1,300 staff can make a meaningful difference.”

ENDS

For media enquiries:
Jenny Bridgen
Senior Communications Advisor
jenny.bridgen@summerset.co.nz
021 408 215


ABOUT SUMMERSET

 Summerset is one of the leading operators and developers of retirement villages in New
Zealand, with 24 villages completed or in development across the country. In addition,
Summerset has eight sites for development in Parnell (Auckland), St Johns (Auckland), Te
Awa (Napier), Pohutukawa Place (New Plymouth), Richmond (Tasman), Papamoa
(Tauranga), Kenepuru (Wellington) and Lower Hutt (Wellington), bringing the total number
of sites to 32.
 It provides a range of living options and care services to more than 5,000 residents.
 Four-time winner of Retirement Village of the Year and Silver Award winner in the Reader’s
Digest Quality Service Awards 2018.
 The Summerset Group has villages in Aotea, Avonhead, Casebrook, Dunedin, Ellerslie,
Hamilton, Hastings, Havelock North, Hobsonville, Karaka, Katikati, Levin, Manukau,
Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Rototuna, Taupo,
Trentham, Wanganui, Warkworth and Wigram.