Business Leaders Outline Election Priorities To Drive Climate Action

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) have laid out their joint climate policy priorities for political parties to consider as they gear up for October’s General Election.

The briefing paper sets out 10 key recommendations to advance a net-zero and climate-resilient future from the more than 160 SBC and CLC businesses who contribute more than 40 per cent of New Zealand’s GDP.

"Our paper recognises the importance of accelerating action on climate change by focussing on both reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of a rapidly warming world," SBC Executive Director Mike Burrell says.

"As the country continues to grapple with the devastation of this year’s severe weather events, it is painfully clear we cannot afford to lose momentum on climate action, and the advances we have already made.

"Our recommendations are designed to enable businesses to go further and faster on their climate action. If adopted, we believe they will provide the enduring pathways required to achieve New Zealand’s net-zero ambitions, as well as providing the certainty and confidence our businesses need to continue to invest and innovate in their own decarbonisation and climate-resilience journeys."

The top five recommendations include measures to:

1. Maintain and uphold the climate change response architecture;

2. Accelerate action on climate adaptation while reducing emissions;

3. Accelerate transport decarbonisation in both the light and freight fleets;

4. Increase investment in infrastructure for decarbonisation and electrification; and

5. Maintain momentum to reduce agriculture emissions.

CLC Steering Group member and thinkstep-anz CEO Barbara Nebel says, "We know neither business nor government can do this alone. Genuine and enduring partnership between the private and public sectors, that extends across multiple election cycles, will be critical to the path ahead."

"Our businesses continue to play their part in helping New Zealand secure a net zero and climate resilient future. For Election 2023, we’re calling on whoever forms the next government to adopt these recommendations and do the same. We stand ready to work with politicians from across the political divide to tackle the challenges ahead."

Read a copy of SBC and CLC’s full joint Pre-election Briefing Paper here.

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The full list of 10 recommendations include:

1. Maintain and uphold the climate change response architecture

2. Accelerate action on climate adaptation while reducing emissions

3. Accelerate transport decarbonisation in both the light and freight fleets

4. Increase investment in infrastructure for decarbonisation and electrification

5. Maintain momentum to reduce agriculture emissions

6. Accelerate action to ensure a just transition

7. Decarbonise industrial processes (especially process heat)

8. Reduce emissions from waste and the built environment

9. Implement a national sequestration strategy that protects nature

10. Improve the disclosures framework

About SBC

The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) is a CEO-led membership organisation with more than 130 businesses from all sectors, ambitious for a sustainable New Zealand. Members represent more than $118 billion of collective turnover, 33% of GDP, and nearly 190,000 full-time jobs. Our network gives members unparalleled influence and the ability to take large-scale collective action. SBC is part of the BusinessNZ network and is the New Zealand Global Network partner to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. www.sbc.org.nz

About CLC

The Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) was launched in July 2018 and has a mission of having New Zealand business CEOs leading the response to climate change through collective, transparent and meaningful action on mitigation, adaptation and transition. Our signatories represent 34% of GDP, employ more than 210,000 people and have a collective turnover of $126 billion. To be a signatory, organisations are held to account for delivering on a ‘Statement of Ambition’ with includes minimum commitments to measure and report emissions, adopt science-aligned emissions reductions targets to limit future warming to 1.5 degrees; assess and disclose climate change risk; and proactively enable employees and suppliers to reduce their emissions. www.climateleaderscoalition.org.nz

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