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Sustainability news, views and insights
   

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of the 2026 Insights on Sustainability Professionals, developed by Oxygen Consulting in partnership with SBC, SBN and AUT. This year’s insights reveal sustainability is now firmly embedded in organisations with 88% of respondents confident in their capability. However, gaps in training, unclear career pathways, and rising workload pressures risk slowing progress. 

Download the full report here or read recent reflections from Oxygen’s Sarah Holden on the profession here.
   

2026 Business Breakthrough Barometer

SBC’s proud to have supported WBCSD’S Business Breakthrough Barometer 2026, released as part of London Climate Action Week. Drawing on input from more than 500 global business leaders, the annual pulse check found 92% of business leaders expect sustainability to be a source of competitive advantage over the next 5-10 years. Unpack the full findings here.

   

Join SBC’s Social Impact Sprint

Social impacts are a growing source of economic risk and opportunity for business. SBC’s Social Impact Sprint helps you understand how your activities affect people, from workers to communities and supply chains. Using the TISFD framework, you’ll identify key risks and actions. Sessions run online on 15 and 22 July (up to 12 businesses). Members attend free; non-members $500 per business (up to 2 people). Contact Jay Crangle for info.

   
   

Woolworths helps rescue millions of kgs of food

In a new case study, Woolworths shares how working alongside KiwiHarvest, Aotearoa NZ’s largest food rescue organisation, they've helped rescue 1.4 million kg of food from waste. While surplus food at supermarkets is inevitable, Woolworths says the partnership ensures excess food is redirected to those who need it, helping shape a more sustainable food system.

   

Join CCBC from the Christchurch Hub

We’re thrilled to be beaming #CCBC26 directly to Ōtautahi Christchurch this September, with sessions streamed live to the satellite hub at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre. Join the conference as it unfolds in Auckland, while connecting with your local network of sustainability professionals and business leaders. Early birds close 30 June.

   

Pāmu and BNZ’s new model unlocks value in native forests and boosts biodiversity

Pāmu and BNZ are piloting a model that unlocks value from existing native forests while supporting biodiversity restoration. The initiative enables businesses to account for carbon removals through leasehold agreements, offering a practical alternative to traditional carbon projects. Read more.

Counties Energy and ASB advance sustainable finance

Counties Energy and ASB Bank have established a Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL), marking the first time an electricity distribution business in Aotearoa NZ has entered this type of financing arrangement. Counties Energy CFO says, “As trusted guardians of essential infrastructure, we have a responsibility to make decisions that create positive long-term outcomes.” Read more.

   

New EECA data tracks NZ’s energy transition

EECA’s latest Energy End Use Database update shows fossil fuels still supply around two-thirds of NZ’s energy, but investment in electricity and renewable fuels is gradually shifting the mix. Covering energy use across homes and businesses to the end of 2024, the data provides insights into electrification, transport, data centre demand and changing business energy use. Read more.

   
   

Contact Energy and Lightsource bp reach financial close on solar farm

Contact Energy and JV partner Lightsource bp has reached financial close on the Glorit solar farm on the Kaipara Coast. The project will support a more resilient electricity system and enable future battery storage. The solar farm marks another step forward towards Aotearoa NZ's renewable energy future.

   

Across the Ditch: BCSD Australia

In the latest update from our friends at BCSDA the sustainability agenda is moving from commitment to implementation. Australia’s first climate-scenario guidance is raising expectations for boards to demonstrate how climate risks are being tested and managed. Meanwhile, investors managing A$3.5 trillion say Australia has the capital for transition but needs more investable projects. Check out the latest ESG Snapshot here.

   
In other news
   
   
Job opportunities
   

Genesis (Christchurch)
Environmental Advisor

   

Other hui

Unlocking Aotearoa NZ’s Full Potential - what will it take?

Online | 26 June 2026 | 8:00 - 9:30am

Join for a free 90 minute conversation exploring how Aotearoa New Zealand can unlock value through a more circular economy. Introducing Circular by Nature - a strategic, practical platform and living white paper designed as a decision-making instrument for the boardroom, the minister’s office, and the council chamber. Through the lens of daily life: how we live, how we eat, and how we move, the discussion will share the emerging thinking, invite challenge and contribution and highlight opportunities to reduce waste, strengthen resilience and build momentum.

   

Carbon 101: What every business leader needs to know

Online | 1 July 2026 | 11:00 - 12:00pm

Carbon is no longer just a sustainability issue - it’s a business one. As regulatory pressure increases and stakeholder expectations grow, the language of carbon is becoming part of everyday decision-making across organisations. This practical one-hour webinar cuts through the complexity, unpacking key concepts like Scope 3, net zero, and science-based targets, and explaining how carbon is measured and reported. Gain a clear, practical understanding of carbon without the jargon, and how it applies to your business.

   

NEW: New Zealand-German Energy Dialogue - Market Comparison & SWOT Discussion Webinars

Online | 1, 2 July 2026| 7:00 - 8:15pm

The German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (GNZCC), in cooperation with adelphi, is hosting two technical webinars under the German-New Zealand Energy Dialogue focusing on onshore wind development and utility-scale solar development in both countries. Both sessions will bring together industry associations, companies, and system-level actors to compare market conditions for large-scale solar in NZ and Germany. The discussion will be structured around a SWOT analysis, covering market scale, project pipelines, regulatory frameworks, grid integration, and implementation featuring SBC members participating as speakers, including Meridian Energy, NZTE and Transpower.

   

SBN Nature and Business Symposium

Auckland | 5 August 2026 | 8:30 - 5:00pm

Back by popular demand, SBN’s Nature and Business Symposium this year will focus on helping organisation's take action, make connections and grow stronger partnerships. In the session, make sense of nature and business, cut through the jargon, explain why it all matters and explore the latest developments. Be part of the discussion with businesses, community groups, tangata whenua, landowners, NGOs, government, philanthropy groups and finance experts. Curious or committed, you'll leave ready to take action for nature.

   

See all SBC events here. For other low emissions events, see the Climate Leaders Coalition events calendar.

Please send Pānui stories (50 words plus square image) or event listings (100 words plus banner image) to sbccomms@businessnz.org.nz by Wednesday 12pm. 

See guidelines around SBC's expectations of member communications and transparency here


25 June 2026

   

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