WCC 2016 Rec 110 - Activity Report

The Department of Conservation is championing a goal of ‘every business restoring nature by 2050’. It is a goal that is (increasingly) being adopted by the business community; we are seeing a marked increase in the number of businesses wanting to contribute to New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna.
The goal recognises the need to challenge the historic 4-pillar approach to sustainability. The national and international biodiversity crisis provides clear evidence that the traditional approach to sustainability has failed; if we are to reverse the trend of loss, it is critical that businesses move from a mindset of ‘reducing their environmental footprint’ to one of being ‘net positive’. Put bluntly, if businesses continue with traditional sustainability, the biodiversity crisis will deepen.
Adopting a strong restorative/regenerative component to business sustainability is central to the department’s approach. It’s clear that restoration must be mainstreamed as ‘normal business practice’ across the full business community if we are to halt the widespread loss of our unique nature.
In support of this approach, we are positioning the environment as the foundation for New Zealand’s cultural, social and economic success. The more we restore and revere our environment, the stronger the economic, cultural and social outcomes.
The department’s is focused on three key areas:
- partnering with a small cluster of corporate partners, primarily to showcase how a restorative approach is great for business and great for the environment. Corporate leadership is important and it also gives us access to a conservation audience of over 20 million customers and 40,000 staff.
- Working with the Tourism and Farming sector bodies to help embed restoration across their membership.