Sustainability in New Zealand

sustainability.govt.nz was a website promoting sustainability, operated by the Ministry for the Environment.

The importance of sustainability in New Zealand is increasingly recognised, and the government has taken steps to promote sustainable practices.

History

Over the relatively short period of human occupation in New Zealand, significant changes have been made to the natural environment. While some individuals and organisations have highlighted environmental issues, government responses at both central and local levels were initially ad hoc. Sustainability emerged as a key concept from the environmental movement, which became a distinct social and political force in the 1960s. In 1972, the Values Party was formed, becoming the world’s first national-level Green party.

The New Zealand government has since enacted legislation to incorporate sustainability principles into law, most notably the Resource Management Act 1991. This landmark legislation was the first to explicitly adopt the principle of sustainability.

In 2003, the government introduced the Sustainable Development Programme of Action. That same year, the Govt³ programme was launched but was later discontinued in March 2009.

As in many other countries, there has been increasing demand for sustainable products and services, prompting some businesses to cater to this market. In March 2007, Westpac became the first New Zealand bank to offer a "green" home loan.

There have also been growing calls for green growth, a model of economic development that utilises natural resources in a sustainable manner. The Ministry of Economic Development established the Green Growth Advisory Group, while the lobby group Pure Advantage was formed in July 2011 to advocate for sustainable economic policies. In 2012, Pure Advantage released a report urging New Zealand to enhance its environmental performance and global reputation.

Despite its green image, New Zealand’s environmental rankings, including Yale University's Environmental Performance Index, have indicated that the country is not consistently improving in sustainability.

Strengths

International business adviser, author, and speaker Paul Gilding believes that New Zealand dairy farmers hold a significant advantage over those in other countries due to their use of pasture-fed systems, as opposed to the grain-fed systems commonly used in the United States. Another advantage, according to Gilding, is New Zealand’s international reputation as a clean and green country—at least in comparison with many others. "As the demand rises for clean and green food, the better off New Zealand dairy is," Gilding said.

Measuring progress

In 2002, a range of recommendations were made regarding indicators of sustainability. It was suggested that the ecological footprint be used as a cost-effective and easily understood indicator, accessible to the general public.

Sectors

There is growing environmental awareness in New Zealand, and the voluntary efforts to adopt more sustainable practices reflect this trend.

Waste

Supermarket shopping bags have been targeted as a means of reducing waste.

Energy efficiency and conservation

EECA Cycling Public transport

Organisations

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Sustainability in agricultural practices

Although agriculture accounts for only 7% of New Zealand’s GDP, agricultural products remain one of the country’s biggest exports. While New Zealand is striving to become more sustainable, challenges such as water quality degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity loss have resulted from intensified cattle farming and monoculture systems. González-Orozco’s (2020) study supports this viewpoint, arguing that the stability of New Zealand's agriculture depends on its ability to adapt to shifting environmental conditions.

Sheep farming is one industry working to become more sustainable. This is being achieved by adopting rotational grazing systems, which allow pastures to regenerate and sequester carbon. Another strategy involves investing in genetic improvements for sheep breeds to enhance efficiency while reducing resource use.

See also

• Conservation in New Zealand
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
• Environment of New Zealand
• Generation Zero (organisation)
• Green building in New Zealand
• New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities

Further reading

• Patterson, Murray (March 2002). Headline indicators for tracking progress to sustainability in New Zealand. ME429. Wellington, NZ.: Ministry for the Environment. ISBN 0-478-24057-0.}
• Sustainable Development for New Zealand (PDF). Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Government. January 2003. ISBN 0-478-26326-0.
• New Zealand Energy Strategy to 2050 (PDF). Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Economic Development. 2007. ISBN 978-0-478-31087-0.
• New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (PDF). Wellington, NZ.: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. October 2007. ISBN 978-0-478-19502-6.
• Clough, Peter (November 2009), "Sustainable development: Have we got our priorities right?", Working Paper, Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, ISSN 1170-2583
• Rudzitis, Gundars; Bird, Kenton (2011), "The Myth and Reality of Sustainable New Zealand: Mining in a Pristine Land", Environment Magazine
• Miller, Caroline (January 2011). Implementing Sustainability: The New Zealand Experience. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-49550-9.

External links

• sustainability.govt.nz

Organisations

• Centre for Sustainability
• Sustainable Business Council
• Sustainability Council of New Zealand
• Sustainable Living Education Trust
• Sustainable Otautahi Christchurch
• Transition Towns New Zealand Aotearoa
• Pure Advantage
• 350.org Aotearoa