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News
NZ’s Sustainability Awakening and TNS’s role
TNSNZ is in a phase of reenergizing and expansion against a Rip van Winkle like sustainability ‘awakening’ in New Zealand. Yes Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud and much touted clean green credentials started talking, in earnest, about 18 months ago about how to become the first carbon neutral truly sustainable nation. Our Prime Minister, the Rt Honourable Helen Clark, launched the new awakening in late 2006 at a Labour Party annual conference. She repeated her aspirational goals for NZ at the opening of Parliament in February 2007 and has reiterated them in international fora such as the Annual Conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development – Berlin November 2007.
Supporting these aspirations has been substantive policy and legislative work. The Governments September 2007 Energy Conservation and Efficiency Strategy included the goal of 90% renewable electricity generation by 2025. The strategy also proposed, and a Bill currently before Parliament will put into law, that no base load fossil fuel generation be permitted for 10 years. Parallel to this an Emissions Trading Scheme has been launched which will include all GHG’s and sectors by 2013.
So the ‘climate’ for sustainability strategies and action has really improved. The demand for sustainability services is gaining new momentum, thus increasing interest in TNS. However there is still a strong tendency to want actions now to deal with a perceived urgent current problem, rather than also seeking a broader frame work for action – a more strategic, systems orientated approach. However some organizations such as one of our tertiary education institutes (Otago Polytechnic) have embraced the TNS framework as a guiding one for all courses and development at the Institute. This is a NZ first in the tertiary sector which overall is being very tardy at embedding sustainability education and learning into their courses or campus management. It is planned to have a MOU agreement with the Otago Polytechnic signed in mid-March.
Despite the ‘action now' focus, there does appear to be growing recognition that the quest to be more sustainable, whether as a business, Government agency or not-for-profit, requires a guiding framework. The evidence for this is a growing number of requests to TNS consultants and more hits on our website by public agencies.
Building the team:
The advisory team has been greatly strengthened this year as a result of training programmes in the second half of 2006. We now have ten accredited advisors in Auckland, Canterbury and Otago and a further five are part way through the process. In August 2007 seven of the advisors and our office staff held a two-day retreat in Christchurch. This has strengthened the national team and contact is being maintained via monthly tele-meetings. To formalise the relationship between the TNS Foundation Board and advisors, the MOU has been completed and agreed between both parties.
While the advisory team has been growing, several new members have joined the Board. In March Dr Morgan Williams, recently retired Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, joined the Board and at the September Board meeting was elected Chairperson, succeeding Dr Lin Roberts who has done a superb job in the role. Also in September Dr Gill Wratt, Chief Executive of the Cawthron Institute in Nelson, Wendy McGuiness, Head of Sustainable Future, Wellington, and Wayne Cartwright, Adjunct Professor of Strategic Management in the Department of International Business at the University of Auckland were welcomed to the Board.
New relationships:
A significant initiative over the last six months has been the culmination of closer working relationships with The Sustainable Business Network in NZ. The work of the TNS Foundation and the TNS advisors is very complementary to that of The SBN. Their members are seeking practical sustainability strategies, systems and tools and that is what we provide.
The focus of our stronger relationship will be through the new Christchurch office of SBN. The TNS Board approached the SBN Board with a proposal that we combine our office operations in Christchurch. The objective is to strengthen the regional service base of both organizations but more importantly to increase the opportunity to work collaboratively from a city location, to service regional needs and grow our synergies – particularly in Canterbury and the South Island – but also nationally. The SBN board endorsed this proposal at a December 11th meeting and we are currently bringing our operations together.
Dr Morgan Williams
Chair
TNSNZ
1 March 2008
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The Sustainability Leadership Challenge 2008
The Sustainability Leadership Challenge 2008, the second summit for cross-sector and
interdisciplinary cooperation for sustainable development, will be held in Stockholm on Friday May 9th. The most proactive leaders in the world, all planning ahead with a robust definition of sustainability as their vision, are personally invited.
The summit is hosted by our Patron HM Carl Gustaf of Sweden, The Natural Step, a group of particularly proactive business leaders and Swedish Governmental Agencies with high interest and competence in sustainable development. The theme is our new international research program “Real Change” aiming at supporting the invited proactive leaders by use of the most effective scientific tools and concepts for strategic sustainable development. The invited guests are carefully selected executive representatives having systematic progress towards sustainability as their shared mental model.
The challenge is not to improve what we are doing today by this or that percentage, but to bridge the gap towards the full scope of social, ecological and economic sustainability using a strong definition of sustainability principles as our guide.
The leaders are from business, policy and science, and they will have the opportunity to meet each other, explore possibilities for cross-sector cooperation, make business agreements, and explore the scientific opportunities within the Real Change program. Speakers will be leaders from companies, communities and academics with outstanding examples of how to plan systematically and strategically towards sustainability.
See also the International Eco-Municipality Conference below. |
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Upcoming Events
Our Changing World
Every Thursday 9.06pm on Radio New Zealand National
A mix of in-depth interviews, packages and sound rich features, Our Changing World covers topics across all scientific disciplines, natural history and environmental issues, and developments in health as well as exploring the human side of science and the personalities behind it. Segments are also played during Afternoons with Jim Mora at 3.45pm on Tuesdays to Fridays.
See www.radionz.co.nz/nr/programmes/ourchangingworld for each week's programme.
Sustainable Manufacturing and Green Supply Chain Summit
16 & 17 July (Workshop 18 July - see below) 2008, Stamford Plaza, Auckland
This groundbreaking summit is dedicated to advancing sustainability in the manufacturing sector. The summit address the issues of procurement, the manufacturing process itself, right through to product delivery using green supply chains.
Delegates at this event will hear from industry experts in the fields of manufacturing and supply chain including case studies from companies at the forefront of sustainability.
- Added Value Supply Chains in an FMCG Environment – George Weston Foods Australia
- 101 of Sustainable Manufacturing: Manufacturing Chaos Fatigue the Australasian Epidemic – Synergistic Manufacturing Systems, Australia
- Journey to Achieving Sustainability - Palliser Estate Wines
- Sustainability vs. Cost; Cutting Carbon Emissions at a Fraction Cost of the Savings Made $$ - New Zealand Aluminium Smelters
- Competitive Advantage in rethinking the Supply Chain: Good for customers, costs and climate- Wellington Drive Technologies
- Industrial Ecology; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- Resene
Simon Harvey, Director of Business Lab and TNS Advisor, presents a session on 'Implementing Effective Strategies for Sustainability Through Procurement and Supply Chain Management'.
Here’s your chance for a one-on-one with peers that have faced and successfully overcome problems that you might be facing in your industry or organisation.
Get the program and registration form.
Sustainable manufacturing: Developing Effective Strategies That Will Work for Your Business and Its Supply Chain
18 July 2008, Stamford Plaza, Auckland
Simon Harvey and Colin Bass, Directors of Business Lab and TNS Advisors, present this workshop following on from the Sustainable Manufacturing Summit.
The challenge of sustainability is one that all business sectors are currently facing and, as ever, there will be winners and losers. Manufacturers that understand what sustainability really means will be best placed to develop smart, effective strategies. Using relevant case studies, this interactive workshop will demystify sustainability and provide clear, workable guidelines for developing effective strategies for:
· Product design and life-cycle thinking
· Understanding, avoiding and mitigating adverse environmental and social impacts
· Obtaining resource and cost efficiencies by adopting a sustainable approach
· Obtaining “best value” outcomes from your procurement strategy
· Implementing an effective step by step approach to sustainability
Get the registration form.
Cultivating Sustainability - Psychology for Sustainability Advocates
18 July 2008, Wellington
23 July 2008, Auckland
Awake Organisational Psychology Services has developed a workshop to support those people who seek to promote sustainable behaviour in others.
The Cultivating Sustainability workshop draws on the psychological principles and models involved in sustainability, and provides skills and tools for facilitating behaviour change.
Topics covered include:
Identifying and developing personal responsibility and personal power
Influencing & feedback strategies
Understanding and using values
Modes of decision-making and how to access them
Changing Habits
Creating and using cognitive dissonance
For more information see the website
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International Events
The Sustainability Leadership Challenge 2008
9 May 2008, Stockholm, Sweden
See above for more information
International Ecomunicipality Conference
27-29 May 2008, Helsingborg, Sweden
Invited to the conference are representatives of the municipalities and communities in North America, Africa, Asia and Europe that that have made formal political decisions to work for sustainable development (as defined by the four system conditions developed by The Natural Step). Invited are also representatives from national eco-municipality networks and people who are in alliance with those networks. Attendees will get a wonderful opportunity to listen to and meet champions for sustainability such as Manfred Max Neef, Karl-Henrik Robèrt and Sweden´s Environmental Minister Andreas Carlgren. Expected outcomes are to strengthen the eco-municipalities identities and a closer international cooperation. The last day to register for the conference is March 31.
Visit the conference website
Sustainable Innovation 08: Future Products, Technologies & Industries
27-28 October 2008, Malmo, Sweden
Sustainable Innovation 08 will provide a platform to discuss in the future opportunities and challenges related to sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development. Sustainable Innovation 08 will include invited and refereed papers from academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, investors, technology providers, designers, sustainability, environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers as well as other business functions. The event will be a unique learning experience, networking space and an opportunity to think or even jump 'out of the box'. Delegates will come globally from large companies, entrepreneurs, as well as academia, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The conference is supported by an international Advisory Board.
Conference paper proposals close 3 March 2008.
Further information available from the Centre for Sustainable Design.
International Masters in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability, Sweden.
1 March 2009 - closing date for enrolment applications for the August 2009 intake.
Website: www.bth.se/tmslm Email: sustainabilitymasters@bth.se Master's program brochure Download pdf (168kb) Masters program in depth Download pdf (377kb)
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Newsletters
Download the most recent TNS NZ newsletter here. To subscribe to this free quarterly electronic newsletter, contact the National Office natstep@naturalstep.org.nz
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