WCC 2016 Res 058 - Activity Report

ECO is a networking organisation and convenes various discussions as well as attending other networking events and electronic discussions.

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.

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.