Sustainability news, views and insights | | | |
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SBC Executive Networking Breakfast | This week we had the pleasure of bringing together many of our Council Members in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland for our latest Executive Networking Breakfast. Our CEO Mike Burrell unpacked global insights, trends, tools, and global momentum shaping the future of sustainable business, following his recent international travel. Huge thanks to everyone who attended, and to Tonkin + Taylor for hosting us! | | | |
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NZ Steel continues work on Electric Arc Furnace installation |
A recent BusinessDesk (paywalled) article details the latest updates on where New Zealand Steel is at with its $300-million electric arc furnace installation. December will mark a huge milestone for the initiative that will see national carbon emissions slashed by around 1%. Read more here. | | | |
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SBC Releases 2025/26 Annual Plan | We are delighted to share SBC’s Annual Plan for 2025-26, which outlines our key focus areas and work programme for the Financial Year ahead. Want to find out how to get involved? Members are invited to join us for an online session on 4 June to hear from our team as they unpack what we have planned and explore our upcoming work and priority areas. | | | |
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Infrastructure choices for sensitive areas of Aotearoa |
The land can be an infrastructure project’s biggest hurdle, so designing for sensitive environments is key. Mark Wollina, Principal Project Manager at Stantec, discusses how to balance the new and the natural, showcasing projects from walking paths to water supply. Read more here. | | | |
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SBC CEO talks Greening the economy | SBC’s CEO Mike Burrell chaired an insightful session at this week’s EDS Conference, alongside panel participants, EU Ambassador Lawrence Meredith, MfE’s Anne Haira, Westpac’s Ben Taylor and University of Otago’s Viktoria Kahui. With a focus on the opportunities posed from greening the economy, the panel explored a variety of topics around driving green growth. | | | |
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New SBC Member Edge Impact |
Edge Impact is a global sustainability consultancy working across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and South America. For over 15 years, Edge has helped businesses, governments and industry leaders turn sustainability ambition into action – combining science, strategy and storytelling to deliver lasting environmental and social impact. | | | |
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SBC Spotlight Series: Transition planning - applying the XRB guidance to climate change strategy and implementation Online | 21 May 2025 | 10:30am - 11:30am
Transition planning is crucial for climate-related disclosures and for the financial resilience of a business’s overall strategy. Through transition planning, you can monitor signals and identify decision trigger points, strategically allocate resources, and take tangible actions to address your risks, opportunities, and impacts from climate change. | |
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Resilience Through the Inner Development Goals Auckland | 5 June 2025 | 9:00am - 2:00pm
In our complex geopolitical environment, business leaders have a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change by fostering resilience, adaptability, and strategic influence. This workshop explores how the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) can empower leaders with the mindset, skills, and emotional intelligence needed to champion and sustain sustainability efforts, even in complex and evolving landscapes. | |
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NEW: SBC’s plans for the year ahead Online | 4 June 2025 | 10:00am
Join the SBC team – including our programme leads for Climate and Nature, and ESG as we unpack the SBC 2025/26 Annual Plan and programme of work around our three strategic pillars. The session will be an opportunity to hear first-hand about our priorities for the year ahead as well as how we will be supporting our members to get involved. We will close the session with a Q&A. | |
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NEW: SBC nature regeneration and climate collaboration update Online | 18 June 2025 | 10:30am - 11:30am Following our recent work with Sapere to explore the drivers for biodiversity and/or carbon sequestration credits, join SBC CEO Mike Burrell and Sapere Economist Corina Comendant for an update on SBC's nature regeneration and climate collaboration exploratory work. The findings, which will be shared as part of this session, follow engagement with SBC members, the Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation, Toitū Tahua: Centre for Sustainable Finance, and other key stakeholders. | |
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Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals - launch of findings 2025 Online | 26 June 2025 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm Oxygen Consulting, together with the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), are launching the results of the sixth year of research into the role of the sustainability professional in New Zealand, including its challenges and opportunities. | |
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Collaborative Advantage Masterclass Series Auckland | 22 July, 31 July, 7 August 2025 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm
SBC has partnered with Deloitte to co-deliver the Collaborative Advantage programme. Registrations are now open for the Collaborative Advantage Masterclass Series on addressing modern slavery taking place online. This series provides clear, practical guidance on assessing risks, strengthening policies, and improving disclosures using the Walk Free Modern Slavery Benchmarking Tool. | |
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Climate Change & Business Conference Auckland & online | 8 - 9 September 2025
The CCBC 2025 programme is now live. This year’s conference focusses on the key theme of: Ambition. Accountability. Action. The programme reflects the critical role of business in securing our ambitions for the future and explores the most effective climate interventions business leaders are taking at speed and scale. Early bird registrations close on 30 June, so don’t miss your opportunity to be part of this important conversation. | |
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Modern Slavery and Global Trade: Risk Management and Governance Auckland | 21 May 2025 | 7:30am - 9:30am Modern slavery is back on the political agenda, with the Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill before Parliament. Regardless of the outcome, Kiwi businesses can no-longer afford to take a passive stance on human rights in their supply chains. This exclusive in-person event brings together political leaders, legal advisors, and industry experts to unpack the legislative landscape, assess emerging trade and compliance risks, and provide practical guidance. | |
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Modern Slavery in Value Chains: Business Risks and Responsibilities Auckland | 21 May 2025 | 4:00pm - 6:00pm Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the few OECD countries without modern slavery legislation. However, Kiwi businesses cannot afford to ignore this responsibility. Join Eco Choice Aotearoa and Edge Impact for a vital conversation on modern slavery and human rights risks in your value chain. Learn how your business can not only mitigate risks but also build a strong business case for taking proactive steps to identify, manage and prevent these issues. | |
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NEW: Addressing Modern Slavery: A Practical Workshop for Procurement Teams Auckland | 22 May 2025 | 9:00am - 12:30pm Join Edge Impact for a half-day, in-person workshop designed specifically for procurement professionals who are ready to move from awareness to action. The in-person session will provide tools, frameworks, and strategies to help embed modern slavery due diligence into procurement practices. Limited spots. | |
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Sustainability for SMEs and Exporters Auckland | 28 May 2025 | 3:00pm - 5:30pm Join us for a panel discussion with industry experts, sharing practical steps for business leaders in export and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to introduce and develop sustainable practices while embedding a sustainability culture and mindset. This will enable your business to adapt to ongoing legislative and regulatory changes, both domestic and offshore, and to meet the sustainability demands of the international market. | |
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H2 2 ZERO Summit Wellington | 28 -29 May 2025 The New Zealand Hydrogen Council’s two-day international Summit brings together key influencers and industry and government leaders from New Zealand and around the world who are at the forefront of advancing the uptake of hydrogen as an integral part of our transition to a low emissions. | |
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GRI Certified Sustainability Reporting Training – Now with CSRD Insights Auckland | 28 -29 May 2025 This applied training now includes a module on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). The interactive course, run by Proxima (a Certified GRI Standards Training Partner), combines the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework with practical insights on strategy, communication, value creation, and reporting. By the end, you will: understand and explain the GRI framework; apply it to your organisation; and have the skills to prepare a GRI-compliant report. Participants receive official GRI certification on completion. | |
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NEW: Transition planning: from the boardroom to the billboards Online | 29 May 2025 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm This webinar series is designed to equip board members with the insights, strategies, and tools necessary to navigate this critical area of transition planning.Disclosing your transition planning is an opportunity for a business to own its own narrative. Transition planning is an opportunity to articulate the connection between climate-related risks and opportunities to strategic priorities, capital allocation, metrics and targets. | |
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New Zealand Climate Change Impacts on Extreme Weather Events - A Review Wellington | 30 May 2025 | 8:30am - 10:00am We are excited to invite you to a special breakfast event where we will delve into the latest findings from a comprehensive review of scientific studies on New Zealand’s evolving risk landscape. This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights and engage with leading experts in the field. | |
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NEW: NZGBC Green Property Summit 2025 Auckland | 12 August 2025 | 8:00am - 6:30pm Join the New Zealand Green Building Council for the Green Property Summit 2025 on August 12th. Building on last year's sold-out event showcasing innovative projects like the country's largest mass timber office building and featured industry leaders discussing the critical role of sustainable buildings in climate action, this summit promises cutting-edge insights and opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals. Don't miss this chance to be part of the movement towards a greener future. | |
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Please send Pānui stories (50 words plus square image) or event listings (100 words plus banner image) to sbccomms@businessnz.org.nz by Tuesday 12pm. | | | |
See guidelines around SBC's expectations of member communications and transparency here. | | | |
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