Sue Cassells

Cost and trade impacts of environmental regulations: effluent control and the New Zealand dairy sector

In New Zealand the Resource Management Act 1991 has put standards in place regarding surface and ground water quality. Nitrogen leaching from dairy effluent compromises these standards; consequently the nation-wide aim is to have all dairy farms operating land-based effluent disposal. An estimate has been made of the cost of this to the New Zealand dairy sector. An Applied General Equilibrium approach (GTAP) is used to look at the possible impact of these additional production costs on New Zealand’s dairy export trade. This analysis is conducted under two scenarios, the first being that New Zealand acts unilaterally in imposing water quality regulations. The second scenario assumes that New Zealand’s three main dairy export competitors, the EU, Australia, and the US also enforce their own water quality regulations and internalise the cost of such regulations.

SMEs and ISO 14001 adoption: A New Zealand perspective

Abstract The adoption of an Environmental Management System (EMS) is an important decision. The process and outcomes of EMS adoption reportedly differ according to firm size. In New Zealand formal adoption of the EMS ISO 14001 has been slow. This paper reports on the results of a questionnaire administered to the 126 New Zealand firms registered as being ISO 14001 accredited in 2007. There was a 47% response rate, and 25 of the 59 responding firms were SMEs. The data were analysed using non-parametric testing, and compared according to firm size. This paper reports on motivating factors for adoption; perceived benefits of uptake; critical success factors in terms of engagement; and the perceived barriers to ISO 14001 implementation.

An exploration of ISO 14001 uptake by New Zealand firms

Purpose – New Zealand firms display reluctance in embracing the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) standard. The low adoption rate suggests that the benefits of doing so are not adequately understood by New Zealand firms. The purpose of the paper is to report success factors for the implementation of ISO 14001, as well as the barriers to, and benefits of, adoption.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on data from a survey of all ISO 14001 certified firms in New Zealand.Findings – The key factors reported as being critical to the successful implementation of an ISO 14001 driven EMS for the respondent firms are planning and strategy, and capability building, with process management of lesser importance. Factors recognised as potential barriers to successful ISO 14001 adoption are primarily implementation processes and costs, with external engagement, information and infrastructure, and contractor commitments deemed lesser barriers. Perceived benefits of ISO 14001 adoption are report...

End-of-life vehicle disposal: Policy proposals to resolve an environmental issue in New Zealand

Abstract The disposal of vehicles at the end of their useful life is a rapidly growing waste management problem in New Zealand. Vehicles abandoned on public and private property impose environmental costs on society, as do some practices within the automobile recycling industry. The increasing number of vehicles entering the country will exacerbate these environmental costs. In this paper, New Zealands abandoned vehicle problem is quantified and contributing factors identified. The end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management approaches of the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and the UK are examined, and their effectiveness assessed. Policies, such as extended producer responsibility and recycling targets are discussed in the context of an economy without domestic producers and with limited opportunities for economies of scale. Policy recommendations for New Zealand target four areas: legislation and institutional practices relating to vehicle licensing and disposal; entry of vehicles into the recycling system; information sharing; and dismantling operations. Key recommendations are the free acceptance of ELVs for recycling, an up-front disposal charge to cover the cost of de-pollution, licensing and monitoring of automotive dismantlers from within the industry, and the enforcement of vehicle licensing and disposal legislation in order to close the data gaps and overcome free-rider problems.

Environmental management training for micro and small enterprises: the missing link?

Purpose Micro and small enterprises face growing expectations from stakeholders to behave responsibly in respect of environmental management. However, many continue to exhibit patterns of relative disengagement with both environmental management and associated training. The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes and experiences that underpin both. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on survey data from 148 owner-managers of micro and small firms in New Zealand’s manufacturing sector. Binary logit regression and non-parametric testing were employed to examine influences on engagement with both environmental management and environmental training. Findings There is a lack of knowledge of, and participation in, training related to environmental management. Awareness tends to be from firms already engaged in training; signalling a potential circularity of exposure effect. A distinct division in attitude exists between those who identify with personal responsibility and autonomy as the pathway to responsibility in respect of their firm’s environmental impact and those who cede to the collective actions of other communities to dictate engagement (i.e. industry associations and government). Research limitations/implications The survey is based on the perceptions of the respondents to the survey statements and as such it is a self-assessment. Originality/value The paper is one of few that investigate the challenge of securing engagement with training and development in environmental management by micro and small enterprises in the New Zealand context.

The Spiritual Dimension of Biodynamics: An Alternative Source of Capital in the Rural Context

Abstract Purpose Biodynamics is a specific form of organic production with spiritual underpinnings. This chapter explores it as a form of rural entrepreneurship using the capitals framework of Bourdieu as a conceptual tool. Methodology The chapter draws upon 11 qualitative case studies of New Zealand firms engaged in biodynamic growing methods. Data collected via in-depth narratively oriented interviews inform the chapter, along with other relevant secondary material. Findings The chapter suggests that the spiritual underpinning of the biodynamic approach imbues the experience with a form of spiritual capital that is not captured within traditional interpretations of capital. We conceive of this as a form of alternative capital and offer a conceptualisation as an attempt to capture that difference. Research limitations This is a niche, small scale, exploratory study limited to one geographic context (New Zealand) at one particular point in time. Originality/value This chapter offers a modest expansion to previous conceptualisations of capital in the rural context.

Testing vertical price transmission for Vietnam's Robusta coffee

Vietnam has undergone market reforms over the last three decades; and as a consequence, the coffee sector has become increasingly market‐driven. The success of the governments liberalisation policies in terms of market efficiency is investigated by examining the transmission of both positive and negative price changes for Robusta coffee between export and farmgate prices. We used a threshold vector error correction model and high‐frequency daily data. The primary result here is that of a symmetric price transmission between export and farm‐level prices. This result holds when tested with weekly price data, derived from the daily data. Farmgate prices respond faster to decreases than increases in export prices when the long‐run deviation exceeds a certain threshold. These price changes are transmitted within several days. This research also confirms the importance of transaction costs, and other price frictions mostly ignored in prior analyses for coffee.