Submitted by
Catherine.Wallace
on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 03:07
General Information
Resolution
46475
IUCN Constituent
Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand
IUCN Constituent type
IUCN Member organisation
Period covered
Geographic scope
Oceania
Country/Territory
New Zealand
Actors involved in implementing this Resolution:
IUCN Members
Department of Conservation ( New Zealand )
IUCN Secretariat
No
Other non-IUCN related organisations
New Zealand Treasury, Local government in New Zealand, Ministry for the Environment
II. Implementation
Activities carried out to implement this Resolution
Activity
Convene stakeholders/Networking
Description and results/achievements of activities:
ECO is a networking organisation and convenes various discussions as well as attending other networking events and electronic discussions.
Status
_none
Activity
Policy influencing/advocacy
Description and results/achievements of activities:
ECO has over many years pressed the case that NZ's public policy and national and institutional accounting shift focus to monitor and report on all the four capitals. In relation to natural capital we've urged recognition that natural capital is the biophysical systems that are habitat, provide biophysical functions, services and various flows and stocks. We have made a point of pressing this in a variety of policy and technical situations and have made considerable progress, at least on natural capital and the need to allow it to recover and be restored. We've also done this within policy, academic, public discourse, academic and professional contexts.
Status
On-going
Activity
Scientific/technical activities
Description and results/achievements of activities:
ECO has made submissions, conference presentations, and policy discussions to shift NZ's public policy and accounting fit our impacts on the planet within the biophysical capacity and have pressed this case within academic, policy and public discourse. This has been largely independent of IUCN's work referred to in this motion. We participated in technical meetings and seminars with the NZ Treasury and Ministry for the Environment's, and we have supported and critiqued the "four capitals" approach (Social, cultural natural and economic) in New Zealand policy and financial frameworks. We've urged recognition that there are ethical limits that that natural capital system function is crucial and is not tradable. Processes to foster and restore biophysical systems, biodiversity (in range, abundance, function, and condition) are necessary. We have stressed this in relation to the reinstatement of consideration of social, cultural, natural well being in the Local Government Act, and its adoption by the NZ Treasury for our 2019 national Budget. We have supported the introduction of natural capital into the frameworks for New Zealand national environmental and other reporting. On the policy front we have included in our submissions and discussions with officials, politicians and the community the need for "donut economics" or similar.
Status
On-going
Describe any challenges encountered in implementing this Resolution and the measures taken
We first suggested and were ridiculed for it that accounting for natural capital be included for the New Zealand Public Finance Act 1989. We are gratified now to see the idea not only adopted but implemented here. Thanks to the wider development of ideas and literature, official, public and policy community understanding have let these ideas become accepted.
Please report on the result /achievement of the actions taken
New Zealand has adopted a well being of "four capitals" approach, for statistics and reporting and for our national Budget by The NZ Treasury. ECO continues to advocate for a clearer understanding that natural capital is about maintaining and restoring biophysical processes and systems, it is not primarily about stocks and flows of stuff that people can use up.
Identify and briefly describe what future actions/activities are planned for the implementation of this Resolution
Future action / activity
Education/Communication/Raising awareness
Description
We will continue to foster these ideas in the community at large and support the consideration of the other three capitals.
Future action / activity
Policy influencing/advocacy
Description
ECO will support any government in NZ tha adopts this understanding of the concept of natural capital and will try to educate those in politics and the community who think natural capital is a perverse concept, or that it implies stocks and flows not systems. Our objective is to ensure that the idea is embedded in greater understanding of truly sustainable human systems and other activities and that we must live within biophysical limits.
Report status
Published
Constituent type
IUCN Member