Spotlight on Climate
Climate is an existential threat that must not be ignored. As a developed country it is our collective responsibility to reduce emissions and build a durable system for adaptation. Time is closing out for slow change and transitioning. We must act now.
Our climate change priorities are forestry, agriculture and biodiversity.
Forests play an important role in both mitigating and adapting for climate change. But decisions on forests should not be made without addressing the biodiversity crisis. The climate change and biodiversity crises are deeply connected and must be tackled together. We work with others to encourage the establishment of long-term native forests by influencing policy and law.
We are concerned by Aotearoa New Zealand’s high biogenic emissions and are helping to shape policies that encourage and incentivise sustainable land-use models and the retiring of land unsuitable for agriculture.
EDS also runs the largest climate change conference in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Climate Change and Business Conference. This brings together over 400 climate change and sustainability professionals, central and local government representatives and politicians, Māori, academics, journalists and activists. It galvanizes action and helps narrow our collective focus onto the work that needs to be done, urgently.
