Three key aspects have remained unchanged throughout. Our dedication and passion to using business as a force for good. The pioneering people and businesses in our network that inspire us every day. And Rachel Brown at the helm.
The SBN story
Two decades ago Rachel Brown signed a document that would create the Sustainable Business Network. It was the first nationwide organisation dedicated to help businesses of all sizes with sustainability. SBN was the result of a merger between the Auckland Environmental Business Network, Businesses for Social Responsibility and a number of smaller organisations. Its original mission still resonates today: to make New Zealand a more sustainable nation.
Rachel says in the first days we ‘bumbled along’. “When we first started we were uber passionate, really unprofessional, very creative and had absolutely no resourcing. We used to have an AGM and didn’t even know how to do the minutes and pass motions. All that stuff was a mystery!
“When we used to have events, we had them in pubs or cafés. We were so lean and had just two staff. There was a real love of each other and respect for the businesses doing great things, but we didn’t have the scale of impact we’re having now.”
Rachel’s hard work was recognised in 2018 when she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for years of service to sustainable business.
Theresa Gaire, our Head of Finance, has been overseeing our finances for 19 years. She recalls in the early days her main challenge was making sure there was enough money to pay staff wages over the Christmas period. “We were very marginal!”, she says.
Over time, the Network grew and our work expanded. It has included sustainability expos, conferences, awards, advicelines, planting days, directories and many hundreds of networking events. We’ve even held a fashion show and a carrotmob!
However, as the urgency of sustainability issues became more pressing, it was increasingly apparent that we needed to tackle the more gnarly issues related to system change. So, after consulting with our members, we launched system change projects focused on the most pressing topics facing Aotearoa New Zealand – climate, waste (the circular economy) and nature.
The projects have grown to become significant public-private partnerships, with growing scale and impact. We have raised $11 million to invest in nature regeneration since 2014. 40,000 people have used our Climate Action Toolbox. And 15,000 people have used our Circular Economy Directory since its launch six months ago. We’ve also got better at tracking our impact and sharing it.
Rachel’s hard work was recognised in 2018 when she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for years of service to sustainable business.
Highlights
Rachel’s highlights over the years are many, but one stands out.
“Definitely the amazing people I’ve met, particularly from local businesses but I’ve been able to work with some phenomenal people and had support from amazing people on our board. I feel so lucky,” she says
She is most proud of some of our recent outputs, including creation of the Climate Action Toolbox; Million Metres, which connects nature with communities; our work on the circular economy; and our communications.
Theresa’s highlight is the growth of the organisation, from a tiny organisation to a ‘Tier 2 public benefit entity’ in accounting terms” (an entity with a turnover greater than $2 million a year).
Both Rachel and Theresa’s favourite event has been the Sustainable City Showcases we held from 2011-2013.
Theresa says: “They were such hard work but so much fun. I enjoyed the whole buzz.”
Rachel says: “The first one nearly killed us but it was so cool and so creative. That was hilarious!”
Reflections
Rachel says in the early days she was often out of her comfort zone. “I was often very nervous. I’d feel like I was the only person in the room with those values. I knew I was doing the right thing though. I never questioned that. This is the work of our lifetimes.”
Theresa never planned to stay at SBN very long, but “I loved working for the organisation and working for purpose. It means a lot”.
Our network
At the heart of SBN have been the people and businesses in our network. We are truly grateful to them for their support. Many have been with us for years and we particularly want to acknowledge the following who have been with us from the first year:
Money Matters, Commonsense Organics, ecostore, Peter Crothall, New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust, Better Drinks Co, Inzide Commercial, EECA, Fletcher Building, Paradigm Associates, Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency), SolarCity, Oxfam New Zealand, NZI, Jennifer Pearson, Comvita, Reid Technology, WSP New Zealand, Sustainability Matters, GoodSense Ethical Marketing, Toyota NZ and CarbonEES.
In particular we’d like to acknowledge NZI, our first foundation partner, whose support was instrumental over many years. Thank you all!
We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary with parties in Auckland and Wellington for current and former staff, board members and organisations in our network. It has been wonderful to reconnect with the SBN whānau!
Marking the occasion
To mark the anniversary, we are launching an SBN brand campaign to encourage other businesses across Aotearoa New Zealand to start and progress their own sustainability journeys. Help us spread the word, so together we can see our mission from 20 years ago become a reality – making Aotearoa New Zealand a more sustainable nation.