News & Insights

A new year, a new team: growing our nature mahi this Matariki

Te Tau Hou Māori, the Māori New Year, is a time to pause, reflect, and look ahead. As Matariki returns to our skies, we find ourselves doing exactly that!

Entries open for 2026 Sustainable Business Awards

Entries are now open for the 2026 Sustainable Business Awards, New Zealand’s pre-eminent sustainability awards. Now in their 24th year, the Awards celebrate outstanding innovation and leadership in sustainability.

From Extraction to Restoration: Ōnuku's Vision for Akaroa Harbour

A powerful call to action in restoration rather than extraction was shared with more than 100 community and political leaders at the Te Kori a te Kō Nature Symposium in Akaroa on New Zealand’s South Island.

Electrified from day one

Puhoi Organic Distillery & Caviar House is a model for full electrification and whole-business sustainability.

Electrification is key to our energy future

Insights from Electrify Queenstown 2026, an event that has grown well beyond a regional showcase for electric innovations.

Kaibosh powers ahead with an electric fleet

By committing early to an electric vehicle fleet, Kaibosh Food Rescue has reduced its emissions and is better positioned to respond to a community in need, even as fuel costs squeeze the organisations around it.

SBN wins sustainability award for annual report

We are thrilled that our 2024-25 annual report has won the sustainability award in the New Zealand For Purpose Reporting Awards 2026!

Three SBN Next list innovators named among New Zealand's Earthshot Prize nominees

Three organisations from the Sustainable Business Network's Next list (finalists in the Sustainable Business Awards) have been selected as nominees for the prestigious 2026 Earthshot Prize.

2026 Sustainable Business Awards expand

The 2026 Sustainable Business Awards are expanding to encompass eight categories, broadening their reach to a wider pool of entrants.

Fast fashion is drowning our op shops

Kiwis currently landfill around 52,000 tonnes of “post-consumer clothing” every year. A lot of it gets there via op-shops. But they’re increasingly overwhelmed with discarded clothing. This means a lot of it ends up in landfill anyway.

Is your business sending recycling straight to landfill?

Almost a third of Auckland's kerbside recycling ends up in landfill, not because the system is broken, but because of how material arrives at the recovery facility.

Next in motion: signals from our emerging economy builders

A new wave of businesses is reshaping Aotearoa New Zealand's economy and they’re gaining traction.

Here's how your business can help conservation groups

Community conservation groups need your help and you might have more to offer than you realise. These groups run on tight budgets and are constantly pulled away from their core mahi by the need to find resources. They're not just looking for donations. They need skills, equipment, vehicles and volunteer time. That's where businesses like yours come in.

Trust, storytelling and impact

This March, the Sustainable Business Network hosted its third Communicating Sustainability Masterclass, bringing together sustainability and communications professionals from a wide range of organisations for a day of discussion, reflection and practical learning.

Make your business volunteering count for nature

Conservation Week, Te Wiki o te Taiao, is a great time to get your staff volunteering on nature projects. Learn how to make that count.

Small budget, big impact: FSM's journey to a cleaner fleet

FSM partnered with Carbn to switch to a cleaner fleet, which helped to balance costs and reduce emissions while delivering essential community services.

How to build trust through authentic sustainability communication

In an era of ‘fake news’, AI and proliferation of content and channels, trust matters more than ever. It’s a cornerstone of company reputation – hard won, but easily lost. Trust is particularly important when it comes to sustainability. That’s largely due to greenwashing cases, which have caused scepticism about sustainability messaging.

Scholarship spot open for course on Leadership in Sustainable Business

We’re looking for an up-and-coming sustainability leader to fill one scholarship spot on our Leadership in Sustainable Business Course later this month.

Employer subsidy programme drives increase in public transport use

More than 80 businesses are subsidising public transport for their staff through Auckland Transport’s Fareshare programme and it’s getting more people out of their cars and onto buses, trains and ferries.

Connect for Nature: What community action achieved in 2025

Thousands of volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to restore Aotearoa New Zealand's rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. Our Connect for Nature 2025 Report highlights eight community groups leading this vital mahi.

Unlocking growth for Aotearoa New Zealand’s most impactful businesses – new approach to finance required

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, sustainability-led enterprises are innovating in circular economy, low-carbon solutions and regenerative practice. But while demand for their products and services is rising, many are struggling to secure the right kind of capital to scale.

2026 Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals survey launches

Oxygen Consulting, in partnership with Auckland University of Technology (AUT), the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), and the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), have launched their seventh annual survey on the sustainability profession in Aotearoa New Zealand and are inviting eligible professionals to take part.

Talk to us about your business, sustainability and the real world economy

We’ve spent more than two decades connecting small or medium-sized businesses to the wider world of sustainability. So we know how hard it is for busy people to grapple with all its ramifications. That’s never been more true than now.

Reviving a depleted seabed: New Zealand efforts to bring back scallops

For years, the scallop has been a symbol of Kiwi summers – its meat golden-seared on a barbecue, skewered at a bach, or piled high at Whitianga’s famous Scallop Festival. But beneath the nostalgia lies something far less celebratory; New Zealand’s wild scallop populations have collapsed, their once-abundant beds dredged, degraded and, in many cases, destroyed.

Predictions for sustainable business in 2026