Sustainability news, views and insights | | | |
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Smarter land use could add Billions to the economy | Optimising rural land use could unlock up to $10B to NZ’s GDP, according to a new report, The Future of Land and How to Fund It, from ASB and Lincoln University. The research shows that diversifying farm systems, finance sector innovation and improving productivity are all critical to land use transition and delivering value. Read more here. | | | |
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Phoenix Recycling Group is the first company in New Zealand authorised to recycle solar panels and export them for end-of-life processing to create new products. Once processed, over 98% of a panel's components can be recovered and re-manufactured, contributing to a circular economy. Find out more here. | | | |
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A cleaner future for road freight | The Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund has been refreshed to support New Zealand’s businesses in transitioning to a more resilient and efficient supply chain. Key changes being; expanded vehicle categories, broadened eligibility for conversions and increased grant levels. Read more here. | | | |
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Energy sector releases blueprint for NZ's energy strategy |
Energy sector leaders have collaborated to release a paper outlining a secure and affordable vision for a sustainable energy future in Aotearoa. It provides an overview of the energy sector, addressing challenges with security, investment, and infrastructure, and includes a vision statement with strategic priorities and actions for the energy transition. Read more here.
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Early Bird Registrations CCBC 2025 | One month left of early bird registrations for the 2025 Climate Change & Business Conference! This is not one to miss, with a fantastic lineup of international and domestic speakers, as well as over 35 different plenaries, workshops, breakouts and engagement opportunities. Register here before June 30th to secure your early bird tickets. | | | |
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What consumers want from boards on climate and sustainability |
In an article for Chapter Zero, Jay Crangle, SBC’s Head of ESG reflects on findings from the Better Futures report, indicating that NZ consumers care about social, and climate issues and how boards can take action. She discusses the uncertainty of the current business environment and external pressures. Read more here. | | | |
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Consultation is open for the annual updates to the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unit limits and price control settings and operational regulations. MfE are holding two webinars to discuss proposed changes. Find out more here. | | | |
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Climate resilience high on agenda for agribusiness |
KPMG’s 2025 agribusiness agenda has outlined climate resilience as a key focus, increasing by more than 40% to 18th place. The annual agenda draws on insights from nearly 200 industry leaders and outlines priorities around what needs to be done to create the future they envision for the sector. Read more here. | | | |
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AA Insurance aligns strategy with growing sustainability expectations | AA has doubled down on its commitment to ESG principles, by aligning sustainability with its core operations. Shaun Rees, Chief Product and Marketing Officer said that ongoing materiality assessments have identified community disaster recovery as a top priority, informing the decision. Read more here. | | | |
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Meridian completes Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System |
Meridian Energy have opened the Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), NZ’s first large-scale grid battery. The $186m battery has a maximum output of 1000MW and a storage capacity of 200MWh, it can power around 60,000 households during winter for a two-hour period. Read more here. | | | |
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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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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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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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NEW: Why nature loss is material to your business? Online| 3 June 2025 | 7:00pm
Join WBCSD’s upcoming interactive session designed for professionals who are new to nature-related topics. Whether you've just been tasked with exploring your company’s relationship with nature or simply want to understand where to start—this session is for you. | |
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NEW: ETS Settings & Regulations Webinar 1 Online| 4 June 2025 | 10:00am - 11:30am
Join this public webinar hosted by the Ministry for the Environment to learn about what the Government is proposing for the NZ Emissions Trade Scheme. This 90 minute online event will provide an overview from Government officials on both the annual review of the NZ ETS Settings to support climate change targets and the NZ ETS Regulations to identify technical and operational improvements. This session will have interactive elements designed to support you to have your say, your feedback will be used to inform decisions on these annual processes which will be confirmed by 30 September. | |
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NEW: ETS Settings Webinar 2 Online| 11 June 2025 | 10:00am - 11:00am
Join this public webinar hosted by the Ministry for the Environment to learn about what the Government is proposing for the NZ Emissions Trade Scheme. This 60 minute online event will provide an overview from Government officials on the annual review of the NZ ETS Settings to support climate change targets. This session will have interactive elements designed to support you to have your say, your feedback will be used to inform decisions on these annual processes which will be confirmed by 30 September. | |
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Environmental management for real business impact Online | 17 June 2025 | 10:00am - 11:00am
Join Toitū Envirocare and Epicurean Dairy (aka The Collective) to discover how Environmental Management Systems (EMS) can drive efficiency, reduce risk, and build credibility. This introductory webinar will explore how EMS is applied across industries and provide insights to help you implement or improve systems that deliver real business value. | |
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NEW: Sustainability in an uncertain world Online | 17 June 2025 | 2:00pm - 2:45pm
DLA Piper invites you to an exclusive webinar exploring the sustainability landscape amid political and economic uncertainty across the globe. From the United States’ changing approach to sustainability to the European Union’s Omnibus simplification package, businesses are encouraged to monitor worldwide developments – and prepare for what’s ahead. Senior leaders from DLA Piper’s global team will explore how businesses can respond to regulatory changes and monitor their impact on international commitments, particularly ahead of a pivotal COP summit in November 2025. | |
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NEW: Chapter Zero NZ | Aligning strategy with shifting societal expectations Online | 26 June 2025 | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Join us to discover key insights from the Better Futures 2025 report. The Better Futures 2025 report highlights a growing expectation among New Zealanders for businesses to lead with integrity and impact on both environmental and social issues. While concern for environmental sustainability remains high, there has been a marked rise in the importance of social issues such as mental health, equity, and fairness. Free for IoD Members and Chapter Zero NZ supporters. | |
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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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