October 2022

Carbon is a bit of a dirty word in 2022. But it doesn’t have to be. 

Maybe it should be the start of a conversation

We might begin by acknowledging that, while transport and agriculture get most of the attention, commercial property is behind 20% of New Zealand’s total carbon emissions.

So where does your business stand – and how can Phantom support you? We are commercial partners, and we want to play our part in helping your business succeed. 

Here’s Phantom’s take on carbon emissions.

Low-carbon posters

The Phantom Billstickers frames on your walls aren’t just a revenue-generating tool. We are systematically decarbonising our operations to reduce their environmental impact.

Unlike flashier forms of advertising, static posters don’t suck energy from the grid. When we install lighting it’s low-energy LED. Our posters are printed on paper from sustainably harvested forests using Greenguard inks.

We are also moving our fleet away from fossil fuels. Our new e-vans will save 11 tonnes of carbon during their lifetime. 

You’ll find Phantom is the perfect partner to a carbon zero building portfolio or an owner just starting the journey. Our carbon zero certification and low-impact operations means the carbon impact of revenue-generating posters on your property is low. 

The bigger picture for building owners

Of course, what happens on your walls is only part of the story. You can drastically reduce a building’s total carbon emissions through design, technology and switching to sustainable energy. There’s a tonne of stuff owners can do – start by looking here.

This can have the welcome side-effect of cutting your costs. That’s a win/win for the planet and your wallet.

You might partner with an independent organisation like Toitū Envirocare to calculate your carbon impact. Armed with this knowledge, you can then take steps to reduce your footprint. 

Whether it’s solar panels, enhanced insulation, carbon offsetting or some other measure, the result is a property that no longer adds to carbon emissions.

And that’s exactly what Phantom has done. Yes, we’re now net carbon zero certified

As always, it’s about the numbers

As a property owner, you know that business is based on numbers. Yields, interest rates, revenue forecasts – just about everything that matters has a number attached to it.

We’re suggesting that the same applies to climate change. 

The good news is that you’re not alone. Organisations like Toitū Envirocare can help with tools to reduce your climate impact. And Phantom can play a part on the periphery – because we’re in it for the long term.

It’s the way we’ve always done business. Back in the day, Phantom invented the business model that enables building owners to earn passive revenue by renting the space on their walls. Now we’re adjusting our model to factor in our carbon impact.

Let’s work on this together.

Jim Wilson is the man behind Phantom Billstickers, which is celebrating its 40^th birthday this year. A prolific writer and blogger, the book features extracts from many of Wilson’s unpublished manuscripts where he often details life as a junkie in 1970s Christchurch. Having done a lag for possession of narcotics, Wilson returned to promoting live music, something he had first done as a 16-year old. He started booking bands at The Gladstone and Hillsborough in Christchurch, just as the first wave of independent Kiwi bands (including The Clean) were looking for stages to play on. One of the regular patrons at The Gladstone was a young music retailer by the name of Roger Shepherd. Then Wilson moved into promoting all areas of the arts through his paste-up business, which has become this country’s longest running and largest. A biography of Jim and Phantom Billstickers will be released next year

Register here for advance notification of the book release