New Zealand businesses taking measures to combat climate change

Almost two thirds of New Zealand's private sector businesses are taking measures to mitigate climate change, according to a survey out Tuesday.

The Business New Zealand Climate Change Survey found that 61 percent of businesses surveyed had introduced initiatives to reduce emissions, and that businesses wanted to see unified commitment at the international climate change COP21 negotiations in Paris this month.

Business would continue to take action regardless of what happens at Paris, but the negotiations are still an opportunity to set climate goals to give businesses the confidence to invest, innovate and act to reduce emissions, Business New Zealand head of climate change policy John Carnegie said.

"We need to see an agreement that sets a predictable and transparent regulatory environment, to provide the direction to enable scaled-up action at a country level," Carnegie said in a statement.

Businesses wanted to work with government on market-driven solutions to address emissions, which meant supporting the development of international carbon markets to facilitate the global transfer of low emissions technology and finance to where it was needed most.

The businesses surveyed made up 36 percent of New Zealand's private sector gross domestic product. Enditem