A new web-based management tool to help businesses take the first steps towards understanding and improving their environmental and economic performance was launched on 15 July 2009 by Commerce Minister Hon Simon Power.

Envirostep is part of the Government's eco-verification programme, which is designed to give businesses the tools to respond to challenging economic conditions.

Mr Power says consumers, and increasingly businesses, are demanding 'greener' responses.

'It makes good business sense to integrate environmental management into businesses.'

'Businesses recognise that effective environmental management practices can deliver real cost savings by reducing energy, waste, and transport costs. At a global level, it can help reduce emerging trade risks and better position businesses to take advantage of competitive market opportunities.'

Envirostep is free for anyone to use, and fills a gap in the suite of tools available to small businesses to help build their capability. The tool was developed in partnership with business and sector stakeholders to help small businesses:

• measure their environmental performance
• take practical steps that benefit both the environment and their business
• communicate their environmental performance
• progress to more sophisticated environmental tools and schemes if they wish.

The programme enables businesses to measure their environmental performance by answering a series of specifically tailored questions. They then receive a report with a list of practical steps to help them improve their performance.

'I hope the business community will use this tool to help make improvements to both business performance and to the environment,' Mr Power said.

Envirostep is at www.eco-verification.med.govt.nz/envirostep.

Reproduced from a media release, 15 July 2009, on The Employers and Manufacturers' Association (Central) website, www.emacentral.org.nz.