What your business can do for nature

Restoring our waterways and landscapes must be a business imperative and it’s time to get involved, writes Andy Kenworthy. 

Knowing when to invest is a key skill in business. People, equipment and facilities can all get run down. Taking timely action avoids reduced performance or even breakdowns.

Unfortunately, the fabric of Aotearoa New Zealand has been getting run down for some time now. It’s time to act.

The transformation of these islands into this nation has come at great cost. Three quarters of the indigenous forest has been cut down. More than 90 percent of the wetlands in this country have been drained and destroyed. Today, around 4,000 species are at risk and more than three quarters of our freshwater fish are threatened with extinction. That’s one of the highest proportions of threatened indigenous species anywhere in the world.

You might be thinking: “What’s this got to do with my work? With my business?”

Our businesses are where most of us wield the greatest influence on the world around us. If we want a vibrant Aotearoa, then that’s a great place to start.

The worsening state of the country is also starting to impact our work. This happens directly, with storms and slips disrupting road and rail, or destroying crops. It happens indirectly, damaging the purity of our brand in tourism and food, or the wellbeing of our staff.

In this way sustainable business is no longer just about being ‘green’. It’s about resilience. It’s about having a positive impact on the communities in which we work.

Sustainability is, fundamentally, the ability to continue to earn a living, long term. It has something to say about everything we do. That includes the products and services we sell as well as the actions we can take or support.

Making the shift to a circular economy

We have to do more to limit the damage being done. We need to shift to a low carbon circular economy. This is an economy in which resources are never abandoned to become waste and pollution. We’re seeing this develop across all sectors, from packaging to energy use.

There’s the growth in product stewardship. This is where manufacturers act to ensure their products and packaging go back into production, not into landfill.

Since July 2022, the Ministry for the Environment has been working to establish schemes for plastic packaging, tyres, e-waste, agrichemicals, refrigerants and farm plastics. Big businesses are working to make sustainability a key criterion in what they buy. And businesses large and small are measuring and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

These moves are environmentally savvy. They’re also triggering fresh opportunities for business innovation and success. A study from the Sustainable Business Network and Sapere demonstrated how Auckland could be $8.8 billion better off in 2030 if the city makes the transition to a circular economy.

New initiatives

There is a long way to go. So much damage has been done to the living landscapes and waterways we rely on. We can’t just conserve those that remain. We have to rejuvenate them nationwide.

Planting plants and trees, especially natives, is a great start, and needs all the support we can give it. But what we really need to do is recombine our economy with our ecology and our communities. This too is happening. Mana whenua and community are leading projects on this all over the country.

In Auckland, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has created an organic community garden. This is creating lifelong nature-based careers for young people. It’s generating up to 400kg of food free for local families every week. They’re replanting the neighbouring Kepa Bush Reserve. They have contractors working on spray-free native landscaping all over the city.

In South Auckland mana whenua are leading the transformation of the Puhinui Stream and its surroundings. Iwi collective Te Waiohua has brought together representation from Te Ākitai, Ngāti Tamaoho and Ngāti Te Ata to create Te Whakaoranga o te Puhinui. Together they’ve created an award-winning strategy for multi-generational ecological, economic and cultural rejuvenation.

This is also backed by the wider Auckland Council and government agencies. This includes The Southern Initiative, Eke Panuku Development Auckland Manurewa and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Boards and Kāinga Ora.

Get your business involved

Similar initiatives are underway all over the country. What they all need now is more focused support inside and outside of businesses. A quick ‘Google’ is all it takes to find something happening near you and how you and your business can get involved.

And, if you need further convincing, there’s a lot in it for your business too. The Kantar Better Futures report surveys New Zealand households. In the latest report nearly half the respondents said they had switched to more sustainable purchases. More than a third listed climate change as an issue of concern. Twenty nine percent actively seek out ‘do good’ brands to invest time and money in. Nearly three quarters of those aged 13 to 17 say it’s important that their future employer is socially and environmentally responsible too.

So, by doing the right thing you can help restore this country to its former beauty. You can secure your business’s success into the future.

Every bit helps, so what will you do?

Andy Kenworthy is the communications and campaigns manager for the Sustainable Business Network. Email [email protected]