Reflections of a Founding Guardian

While I have much pleasure in being here today to address this hui of The Aotearoa Circle, it is with a tinge of sadness - this will be my last time speaking to you as the Secretary for the Environment.

I am proud to be one of the co-founders of The Aotearoa Circle, along with Sir Jonathon and the late Sir Rob Fenwick back in 2018, and to have been a Co-chair.

In the seven years that I have been leading the Ministry for the Environment, we have strived to fulfil our vision of a flourishing environment for every generation in New Zealand.

That vision, I know, is shared by The Aotearoa Circle. And as such, you have played a vital role as one of the most significant strategic partnerships of the Ministry, bringing together both private and public sectors. This important work requires a different collaboration between the private and public sector and the Circle has been an innovative approach to achieving this.

I would like to acknowledge the inspiring role played by the Sir Rob Fenwick. In his final article for the NZ Listener magazine, only weeks before he passed way in 2020, he reminded us that “all trees are natural historians, keepers of our past, but they are also vital guardians of our future.”

With Living Earth and his other businesses, Sir Rob clearly showed that companies can put nature at the centre of their business practice. He knew that the economy is not separate from the environment, but embedded within and reliant upon it.

Ultimately, it has become clear that the wellbeing of humankind relies on a flourishing environment. When we degrade the environment, we are degrading our own wellbeing.

But change is possible. Collectively, we need to support a change in our mindset and behaviour, towards one of environmental responsibility where we recognise the need to invest in nature as much as we invest in other areas.

This means advancing intergenerational fairness, living in a way that provides the same or better opportunities for our future mokopuna.

It also means having an economy that sits within the bounds of nature, as well as recognising and acting on our responsibilities towards nature. We have a collective need to prevent further environmental and social deterioration. And we learn from te ao Māori, while taking care not to co-opt it.

There are many international thinkers that are already considering these ideas and putting them into practice – Sir Jonathon, you are a great example. But here in New Zealand, we are doing it too – in fact, we can once again make this country a world leader in environmental action. And by committing to priority actions, The Aotearoa Circle exemplifies this leadership.

I would like to highlight two key initiatives of the Circle in which the Ministry for the Environment has been actively involved.

One of the first projects delivered by the Circle which gained significant media attention was the ‘Roadmap to a Sustainable Finance System by 2030’. Published in 2020, this ambitious project was made possible through the efforts and the mana of the co-chairs of the Sustainable Finance Forum, Matt Whineray and Karen Silk.

The Forum engaged over 200 stakeholders to unify the finance industry in the need for a change in mindset and this was a first for Aotearoa.

Since then, Toitū Tahua has been established and we are seeing significant growth in the sustainable finance offerings across Aotearoa. A voluntary, sector-led Stewardship Code was developed this year by a steering Committee of industry experts.

In 2021, the Aotearoa New Zealand Investor Coalition for Net Zero was established to accelerate the adoption of credible pledges amongst asset owners and fund managers.

Multiple New Zealand investment organisations have signed up and collectively, they represent NZ$40 billion of funds under management. In addition, several Crown Financial Institutions, which collectively administer around NZ$100 billion, have signed up to the Net-Zero Asset Owners commitment.

This is undeniably a collective success, and a testament to the action mindset of both private and public sector partners within the Circle.

Another significant project is the Mana Kai Initiative.

Food systems are complex, interconnected, and underpinned by our relationship to te taiao. Mana Kai is an initiative that aims to propose solutions to the biggest challenges that the food system is facing.

As in any complex system, there are many organisations and businesses with various roles across food systems in Aotearoa. Mana Kai has been developed by a diverse leadership group which reflects this broad range of actors. It spans industry, research organisations, iwi, community groups, NGOs, and government represented by MPI and ourselves at the Ministry for the Environment.

We have worked closely with MPI on supporting Mana Kai to align with current government policies and directions. This has included sharing and receiving feedback from other agencies, as we acknowledge that various government agencies hold levers for different components of the food system.

Reflecting over the past few years, I have really valued the ability to shape this partnership that has pushed Government to participate in ambitious initiatives for Aotearoa – like the Sustainable Finance Roadmap and the Mana Kai Initiative.

Importantly, I want to acknowledge Vicki Watson. Her leadership has been central to the continued success of the Circle.

I have also greatly valued working with our board and diversity of perspectives we bring to the table. This was our initial vision that restoring te taiao/our nature and natural resources couldn’t have been done by Government alone. It needed leadership across the public and private sectors.

I would like to leave you with this whakatauki that captures our why - Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua – As people disappear from sight, the land remains.