The Aotearoa Circle 2024 Workplan

If you were able to read our Year in Review from 2023, you would have noticed there is a substantial amount of mahi planned for 2024.  While the workplan for this year continues to develop, we do want to share with you some of the fixed commitments we have.  Below are four of the ten workstreams we currently have underway.  We invite you to reach out to ask us more about this work or to offer to get involved in work that interests you, or which is relevant to your organisation. 

Biotechnology

This project looking at modern genetic technology is already underway.  The Circle has commissioned a report from PwC to look at the risks and opportunities presented by potentially introducing a selection of genetic technologies to New Zealand.  The report will consider five technologies as case studies.  These have been selected to represent a range of production systems, types of genetic change, methodology and other factors.  Genetic technology is a sensitive area and we are speaking to a wide range of experts for this report including Māori representatives, scientists and experts from industry.  The intention is to make the report available to the sector and to government.  It is intended to inform decision makers about the possible risks and benefits of this technology and the factors that must be considered when assessing any changing regulation

Global ESG Reporting

In brief, this work will come from Chapman Tripp and will investigate international climate and ESG reporting requirements affecting New Zealand exporters.   We see this as an essential tool for exporters, who need to be aware of the changing landscape of of our markets.  We will have more to say about this work at our in-person Hui in Wellington on March 19. 

TNFD Directors’ Course

In 2023, we launched our bootcamps, training sustainability and finance professionals from our Leading Partners in how to apply the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures to their organisations.  These disclosure requirements follow on the heels of Climate-related Financial Disclosures.  The move to including nature in our risk reporting is likely to happen faster than TCFDs did.  The Circle is organising a second series of bootcamps this year, delivered by PwC.  Places have been offered to all Circle partners. 

The 2024 course starts this month.  However, we listened to feedback from our bootcamp participants last year, who suggested that training for board members and executive teams would help their organisations as a whole.  So we are working with Deloitte to develop a short course for New Zealand directors that we hope to launch mid-year.  We will pilot this programme with our Leading Partners before considering sessions with other Partners and how we might then work with other relevant organisations to roll out.

Natural Capital Regional Resilience

This new workstream for 2024 will focus in one key New Zealand region to consider an economic, environmental, social and cultural value of its natural capital. The Circle has commissioned PwC for this work who will then apply all we have learned from our agriculture, tourism, energy, transport and seafood sector climate scenarios to assess the value of that natural capital in the future.

Key details of this work will be announced at our Hui on March 19.  These details will include the name of the region selected.