Spark took an ownership position in Adroit, a New Zealand-based IoT consultancy that specialises in water monitoring. Hodson says: "We can see there is a growth opportunity, and we are working a lot with Adroit. We are also working with Vector looking at next-generation electricity metres and the tools to make better use of electricity. There is a whole range of opportunities opening in these areas."
They are all part of a nationwide shift to lowering carbon emissions and building a more sustainable, climate-resilient economy. For Hodson, this is an important journey that New Zealand must take. She takes a personal interest and is the convener of the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC).
She says: "It's a group of more than 100 private enterprise businesses. Our membership accounts for around 60 per cent of New Zealand's emissions and about 38 per cent of GDP. Collectively we employ more than 220,000 people. We have come together, and we work to make an impact. Our members must commit to a science-based approach to reducing emissions, talking about climate risks, and working to help our suppliers and customers reduce their emissions."
Last year, the CLC report noted that members will invest around $5 billion over the next five years in reducing emissions from business operations and invest a further $750 million in developing products and services to reduce end-user emissions. Hodson says the real value of the CLC is when businesses work together across sectors to develop emission reduction strategies.
At Spark, the challenge is that 80 per cent of the company's emissions are related to electricity. Hodson says there are gains to be made from decommissioning legacy technology. The company is closing the old public switched telephone network: "There's a massive amount of equipment and energy use tied up in that.
"At the same time, we are working with our energy partners to switch to renewable energy."
On a broader front, Hodson says skills shortages right across the economy are particularly concerning, and likely to get worse before they get better. "We are rethinking how we reskill, upskill, and move talent through our business while doing what we can within the current settings to bring in highly-skilled roles that are harder to find locally."
A clear business priority is, setting a new strategy for a higher growth future. "When our sale of a 70 per cent stake in our TowerCo business completes, we will have the ability to return significant value to our shareholders while also investing in future growth opportunities — across digital infrastructure, new markets, and emerging technologies."
