Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand’s electricity, generating approx. 35 percent of the country’s electricity, and is the fourth largest retailer, with 14 percent of market share in terms of customers.
Meridian operates seven hydroelectric power stations and one wind farm in the South Island of New Zealand, and four wind farms in the North Island.
Woke Rating
Overall we rate Meridian Energy as moderately woke (woke lite), however it was very close to getting a full woke rating.
Woke Summary
- Virtue Signalling – virtue signalling found.
- Gender Ideology & LGBTQ – Meridian Energy is Rainbow Tick Certified. Meridian supports gender transitioning.
- Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) – has DEI policies. Applies gender recruitment targets. Committed to 40:40:20 gender split.
- Climate Change – supports the Paris Agreement, committed to net-zero, and has emissions reduction targets.
Woke Policies
Wokeness and virtue signalling distracts a company from its core business, which is to make a profit for shareholders while delivering excellent, affordable products and services to its customers. Businesses should not be distracted from this core purpose, otherwise there will be unnecessary costs which are ultimately passed onto consumers. Woke ideologies are typically unfriendly towards the traditional family unit.
Below are some woke policies and initiatives from Meridian…
Virtue Signalling
Meridian’s diversity and inclusion programme includes Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview, beliefs, and mythology) – “to encourage increased cultural competence.”
Meridian loves to collect and promote their Diversity & Inclusion “Ticks” …
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+
“We’re proud to say we’ve met the standard required to be certified with the Rainbow Tick.”
“While the areas of gender balance, ethnicity and ability have been the focus of most Diversity and Inclusion programmes, the Rainbow Tick addresses that of sexual orientation and gender diversity.”
Our commitment to rainbow staff:
- We have drafted Gender Identity and Sexual Diversity guidelines.
- Our Board supports these guidelines, management ensures they are followed, the diversity committee undertakes to provide regular training and human resources provides support and advice to employees transitioning and their managers.
- We have a sincerely positive and engaged attitude to supporting Rainbow staff in our workplace and engaging in the Rainbow Tick process- which was started on the recommendation of Rainbow identified staff members.
- Because of our geographic difficulties, we have face-to-face training at our more remote sites and online training is made available.
- We have Rainbow flags that we display at our asset sites (dams and wind farms) for days of significance (IDAHO, Pride).
- Our staff wear lanyards and all those who wish can choose a Rainbow lanyards to replace the standard issue black.
- In our job interviews Meridian’s stance on Diversity & Inclusion is always mentioned.
Source: www.meridianenergy.co.nz/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion/the-rainbow-tick
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Meridian’s Belonging (diversity and inclusion) programme centres on seven key focus areas.
- Te Ao Māori – to encourage increased cultural competence
- Accessibility – to welcome people with disabilities and neurodiversity
- Gender – to achieve gender balance with a focus on leadership and senior roles
- Rainbow – to encourage LGBTQIA+ diversity
- Ethnicity – to encourage ethnic diversity
- Inclusion – in our culture, people, systems, processes and procedures
- Wellbeing – to nurture our people and enable them to blossom
Committed to 40:40:20 gender split – “To achieve more-balanced gender representation at all levels, Meridian has a target that for new employees hired each year, we’ll aim for 40% of these appointees being men, 40% women, and the remaining 20% being of any gender.”
Source: www.meridianenergy.co.nz/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion
Climate Change
Committed to the Paris Agreement and net zero targets.
“A big priority for Meridian is to make a material and positive impact to a net zero future and in the shorter term, take Aotearoa closer to achieving a national target of 50% renewable energy consumption by 2035… Some of our targets and current results are shared here and we are excited to further increase our impact and contribution to climate action through these areas beyond here.”
“We want to accelerate decarbonisation across the nation and want to help others do the same. ”
“Meridian’s purpose of Clean energy for a fairer and healthier world is at the centre of everything we do on our journey to a resilient, net zero future.”
Half by 30 – “Our science-aligned gross emissions reduction target for Scope 1, 2 and 3 operational emissions. Halving total emissions by 2030.”
Source: www.meridianenergy.co.nz/public/Sustainability/Climate-Action-Plan_2023.pdf
“Agricultural emissions are almost half of New Zealand’s emissions, so working towards farming more sustainably is undeniably a good idea.”
Source: www.meridianenergy.co.nz/good-energy/sustainable-farming
Positive Policies & Activities
KidsCan Partnership: “Education can help a child get out of poverty, but kids can’t learn when they’re cold, wet or hungry and that’s why we’ve been proud principal partners of KidsCan since 2013.”
www.meridianenergy.co.nz/community-support/kidscan
Kākāpō Recovery Programme: www.meridianenergy.co.nz/community-support/kakapo-recovery-programme
Note – This page was updated as of 20th May 2024. Please contact us if you’ve discovered other relevant information about Meridian Energy or other businesses pushing woke agendas. You should also contact us if you discover some positively woke-free businesses.