Diverse

Aro Ha Wellness Retreat generated and used 100% renewable energy in 2023, offsetting more than 69 tonnes of emissions. 

Aro Ha Wellness Retreat embodies a net zero, sustainable business model that integrates renewable energy, permaculture and Passivhaus design. It showcases how incorporating regenerative design principles can offer high quality guest experiences while seeking to protect and enhance ecological health.

In partnership with CarbonTrail, BNZ provides 1,000 small businesses and enterprises with tools to measure and manage their emissions, aligning with the country's climate disclosure requirements. 

This collaboration empowers businesses to track their environmental impact while enabling BNZ to include these indirect emissions in its Scope 3 reporting. By offering accessible, automated emissions insights, BNZ and CarbonTrail foster transparency and accountability, helping businesses to advance their sustainability goals and contribute to nationwide climate action.

Cleanery provides high performing, vegan, cruelty free, refillable cleaning products without the water content, reducing transportation emissions. 

Cleanery refill products have 99% less waste and up to 99% less emissions than the traditional cleaning products they replace. Each Cleanery refill product saves over 25 times its own weight in carbon. The company measures scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and offsets any remaining emissions by 120%. It is B Corp certified and an accredited Living Wage Employer and provides transparent ingredient guides on its website.  

American philanthropists Debbi and Paul Brainerd are the visionaries behind The Headwaters Eco Lodge.

After falling in love with Glenorchy over 20 years ago and building a home, Debbi and Paul took an opportunity to buy a run-down campground and village store. They then set about transforming it into something ahead of its time, leading the way in sustainability and world-class regenerative design principles. The lodge generates more energy than it consumes and uses 50% less water than comparable facilities. Since opening in 2018, it’s the first-ever accommodation facility designed and certified to Living Building Challenge (LBC) standards, the most rigorous in the world.

The Urban Advisory has supported hundreds of clients in adopting circular, regenerative approaches to urban development.

The organisation champions sustainable urban design by promoting healthier, more equitable living spaces across Aotearoa New Zealand. Founded by Natalie and Greer, the Urban Advisory challenges traditional approaches to urban planning, advocating for solutions that address both environmental and human wellbeing. Their work includes client support in adopting circular economy principles, aiming to enhance communities and reduce environmental impact.

EV Maritime aims to reduce emissions with its electric ferries by 500,000 tonnes per year by 2040. It plans to launch two vessels in Auckland in 2025.

With contracts in Auckland and projects underway globally, the business pioneers clean transportation with its electric ferry technology, developed to support urban public transport and reduce emissions in harbour cities. Founder Michael Eaglen’s commitment to decarbonising cities through cleantech engineering positions EV Maritime as a visionary force in sustainable public transport.

Economist Ganesh Nana integrates wellbeing and ecological perspectives into economic policy. He challenges the traditional narrative focused on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ganesh advocates for a shift in economic analysis to consider long term wellbeing and ecological health, emphasising Māori perspectives and sustainable development. As a visionary leader, Ganesh broadens the role of economics beyond financial metrics, promoting an inclusive approach that values community and environmental resources. His transformative work in both private and public sectors establishes a framework that centres on human and ecological wellbeing. He sets a new direction for Aotearoa New Zealand’s economic future.

Gratpak is the first local manufacturer to make 100% recycled paper bags from cartons and building industry waste.

By locally manufacturing these products, Gratpak reduces reliance on offshore production, creates local jobs and minimises transportation emissions. Its commitment to sustainability spans the entire process, from raw materials to final product.

Jobs for Mums has enabled more than 1,800 sustainable employment placements for caregivers across Aotearoa New Zealand in two years.

Jobs for Mums aims to champion an inclusive workforce by eliminating employment barriers for underrepresented groups, particularly parents and caregivers. Through innovative partnerships and flexible employment opportunities, the organisation has attracted more than 20,000 candidates, with 69% new to traditional job markets. Jobs for Mums prioritises work-life balance and diverse hiring.

Kate Meyer's Planetary Facts environmental-labelling system is scaling up across New Zealand's primary sector.

Kate Meyer, founder of the Planetary Accounting Network, is pioneering a new era of accountability with Planetary Facts, an environmental-labelling system that provides clear, science-based sustainability metrics. Since 2018, her framework has gained international support, addressing greenwashing by providing individuals, businesses and governments with more reliable data for informed decisions.

Katrina Wolff is integrating biodynamic composting into mainstream urban gardening to promote circular, organic ecosystems.

Katrina advocates for biodynamic composting within urban gardening, expanding practices traditionally reserved for organic farming into city environments. Her work highlights the potential of biodynamic composting for schools, community gardens and urban spaces, positioning this sustainable approach as a mainstream solution. By making composting accessible to all, Katrina aims to create a fully organic, circular ecosystem in Aotearoa New Zealand.

La Marzocco is shifting a growing portion of its business to refurbishing Espresso machines.

The business promotes re-use and repair by refurbishing used espresso machines, reducing waste and supporting sustainability in New Zealand’s coffee industry. Through incentivised trade-ins, the programme refurbishes machines for resale, balancing new equipment demand with sustainable solutions. This offers high quality, affordable refurbished machines while extending the lifecycle of coffee equipment and reducing environmental impacts.

Laura Gemmell is an example of the passionate, authentic and inspiring leaders needed to connect organisations across sectors and create the collaborative mindset needed for Aotearoa New Zealand's future.

An inspirational leader at Eco Choice Aotearoa and across the sustainability ecosystem in Aotearoa, Laura uses her storytelling expertise to make climate issues relatable and urgent. By focusing on the human aspects of climate action, she bridges the gap between technical language and public understanding, transforming how people perceive environmental issues. Laura’s work amplifies the importance of relatable climate communication, encouraging a wider, more inclusive audience to engage with and support sustainability initiatives.

LINQ’s Carbon Insight Tool enables quick, accessible emissions predictions, integrating carbon data into business decision making.

The tool simplifies emissions insights by incorporating carbon intensity into an organisation’s existing metrics, such as cost and operational efficiency. This forward-looking tool empowers decision makers to plan and optimise for carbon reduction, making sustainability actionable at every stage. LINQ’s ability to model emissions on an activity level creates a digital asset for ongoing compliance. It supports businesses in achieving their decarbonisation goals with greater accuracy and ease.

Michael Eaglen, founder of EV Maritime, is helping to transform harbour transport by developing carbon-fibre, zero-emissions fast ferries. By 2040, EV Maritime aims to operate 300 zero-emission ferries, reducing emissions by 500,000 tonnes annually.

Through self-funded advocacy across 20 cities, Michael is a recognised leader in decarbonising marine transport. EV Maritime’s first two ferries will launch in Auckland in 2025, followed by a project in San Francisco in 2027. Michael’s vision for sustainable urban water transport has the potential to reshape city transit globally, reducing reliance on private vehicles and achieving substantial emission reductions.

The Go Well Consulting team have developed more than 40 sustainability strategies and 14 sustainability reports based on global standards for organisations in seven years.

Go Well Consulting, led by Nick Morrison, is a full-service sustainability consultancy dedicated to advancing a circular, regenerative and inclusive economy. By providing strategy development, emissions mapping and sustainability reporting, Go Well Consulting has empowered numerous organisations to adopt sustainable practices. Its work supports businesses in understanding and improving environmental, social and governance impacts. Committed to modelling the transformation they advocate, the team exemplifies leadership in building a sustainable future for Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

Aged just 30, Oliver Hunt has already made a big impact on the healthcare sector. 

Under the visionary leadership of Oliver, Medsalv achieved the highest B Corp score in its sector globally, increasing resource efficiency by up to 1,400%. Medsalv’s remanufacturing model promotes healthcare sustainability by reducing waste, lowering carbon emissions and achieving significant cost savings for hospitals. Medsalv has partnerships with nearly 100 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand, and has more than 50 different medical devices in its remanufacturing portfolio.

The Lever Room is a science-based sustainability and carbon impact advisory enabling transformative change.

The team, led by Rebecca Mills, uses impact science and AI-powered technology to help clients achieve real-world positive outcomes for nature, climate and communities. Projects across multiple sectors have achieved long-lasting change. The Lever Room has supported the deployment of sustainability transformation plans covering 126,650 square kilometres of Aotearoa New Zealand - equivalent to 47% of the country’s land area. On behalf of clients, it is managing 16.6 million tonnes of carbon reductions - equivalent to about 65 million return flights between Auckland and Sydney. The Lever Room’s transformative work demonstrates its commitment to tackling complex, systemic issues, long-term resilience and ecological health.

Solid has saved more than 150,000 toothpaste tubes from landfill with its plastic-free oral care range.

Solid replaces unrecyclable plastic toothpaste tubes with toothpaste, toothpaste tablets and toothpaste powder in a glass jar. Its product lineup, which includes the world’s first in-store toothpaste dispenser, encourages reuse and refill to reduce waste. Solid’s products are popular online, in ecostores and supermarkets, helping prevent plastic waste on a large scale.

In four years, Environment Hubs Aotearoa members diverted 35,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and rescued 2.4 million kilograms of food.

Environment Hubs Aotearoa fosters nationwide environmental achievements by supporting regional environmental centres with funding and impact-focused governance. As a pillar of community infrastructure, commitment to regeneration of natural and human systems guides their strategy and activities. The diverse initiatives and collaborative efforts of members include waste reduction and ecological restoration, supporting transformative community-led action, addressing immediate needs and laying the groundwork for a future with sustainable,
resilient communities.

The Planetary Accounting Network’s Planetary Facts is an environmental-labelling system that emulates Nutrition Facts by offering clear environmental data. 

This system enhances consumer choices, guiding purchasing and design decisions towards sustainable practices. Unlike conventional environmental labels, Planetary Facts provides comprehensive, cross-product data beyond carbon metrics, setting a new standard for environmental transparency in the market. Scaling across the New Zealand food and fibre sector, Planetary Facts addresses greenwashing by enabling accurate, data-driven insights for impactful environmental decision making.

Wishbone Design Studio has sold more than 200,000 fully-repairable ride-on toys.

The business uses circular economy principles to create durable, repairable and multi-functional ride-on toys. Since 2008, the Wellington-based company has prioritised sustainability and longevity. Recognised globally by institutions like New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, Wishbone Design Studio stands out for its commitment to product stewardship in the toy industry.

Workride is designed to help businesses get more employees riding to work and living healthier lives.

The Workride programme operates on a ‘salary sacrifice’ model. Employees agree to reduce their pre-tax salary over 12 months in exchange for a bike, e-bike or scooter for commuting. This arrangement lowers the employee's taxable income, resulting in tax savings on PAYE, KiwiSaver and ACC levies. In effect, this means they can buy a ride at a discount of between 32% and 63%. There are also tax benefits for the employer. Following a successful public campaign that changed legislation, Workride has enabled more than 700 employers to offer this benefit to more than 50,000 employees.