Climate and ESG legislation: global shifts, local governance impact

 

This webinar is free for Chapter Zero NZ supporters.  When booking the event please enter the code SUPPORTERJUL26.

Overview

A directors’ briefing on fast-moving climate and ESG rules worldwide—and what shifting settings mean for NZ boards.

Climate and ESG legislation is evolving rapidly — but not uniformly. In some jurisdictions regulatory requirements are tightening and expanding; in others they are being recalibrated or politically contested. Enforcement priorities are shifting. Litigation strategies are adapting. The direction of travel is not always linear, but the pace of change remains significant.

For directors, the challenge is not simply compliance — it is keeping pace with a regulatory environment that is developing unevenly across markets and sectors. What is material for an exporter to Europe may differ from what matters to a domestically focused business. Supply chain exposure, investor expectations and market access are increasingly influenced by international developments, even where local requirements appear settled.

This Chapter Zero webinar, hosted in partnership with Dentons, will provide directors with a high-level overview of the changing climate and ESG legislative landscape — globally and in New Zealand.

Drawing on Dentons’ global network, we will explore:

• How climate and ESG legislation is evolving across key jurisdictions
• Where regulatory settings are tightening, shifting or recalibrating
• How litigation strategies are developing internationally
• What these global developments mean for New Zealand boards and sectors
• How directors can approach oversight confidently amid regulatory uncertainty

This session is designed as a strategic governance briefing rather than a technical legal deep dive. It will focus on helping directors understand direction of travel, sector exposure and practical oversight considerations in a fast-moving and uneven landscape.

Helen Bowdren

Helen Bowdren is a partner in the market-leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team at Dentons. She advises clients on all aspects of environmental, climate change, societal and human rights issues, across a wide range of sectors including energy, manufacturing, industrial and chemicals. Her practice is varied and includes transactional work as well as advisory and litigation, including Environment Agency and HSE investigations and prosecutions, judicial reviews and statutory appeals. She advises on environmental permitting, pollution liability, waste law, climate change, health and safety law, and product liability. Helen has an international practice, having worked in Dubai and South Africa, and regularly advises on environmental risk in cross-border transactions.

Gail Lione

Gail A. Lione is Senior Counsel at Dentons, advising executive leadership teams and boards of public and private companies on business strategy, innovation, risk management, sustainability and governance. Drawing on her experience as a former general counsel and active board member, Gail brings a practical, strategic perspective to complex organisational challenges. She is a Fellow of The Conference Board’s Governance & Sustainability Center and was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University for ten years, teaching advanced strategic intellectual property management.

Gail is the founding co‑chair of Dentons’ US ESG Advisory Team and serves on the Global ESG Steering Group. She is a highly respected corporate director, currently serving on the boards of Sargento Foods and U.S. News & World Report, and previously on NYSE‑listed Badger Meter, Inc. Her extensive nonprofit leadership includes global roles with United Way Worldwide, the University of Rochester, The Phillips Collection and the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Advisory Board.

Ezekiel Hudspith

Ezekiel is a Partner in the Environment and Planning team with nearly 20 years’ experience advising on all aspects of the Resource Management Act (RMA) and related legislation. He supports clients across the full lifecycle of environmental and planning processes, including obtaining resource consents and designations, navigating plan changes, managing compliance, and addressing complex or sensitive issues such as Wildlife Act matters and potential enforcement action. He regularly works with government agencies, local authorities, and private sector clients on large-scale infrastructure projects. Ezekiel has particular expertise in project scoping, alternatives assessment, and multi-criteria analysis to support robust decision-making.

Ezekiel has deep experience in major infrastructure and water projects, especially across three waters, transport, and energy, having secured approvals for significant developments including reservoirs, wastewater treatment plants, and national infrastructure assets. He is also highly regarded for his work in regulatory reform and policy advisory, and is currently assisting the Ministry for the Environment on the replacement of the Resource Management Act. With a strong technical foundation in environmental law and science, Ezekiel is a respected thought leader who regularly speaks at industry conferences and publishes on planning and resource management issues.

Judene Edgar (Facilitator)

CMInstD

Judene is a Principal Governance Adviser with the Institute of Directors’ Governance Leadership Centre and Chapter Zero NZ lead providing best practice advice, guidance and advocacy for directors. She is also chair of the Nelson Historic Theatre Trust, deputy chair of the Rātā Foundation, and a trustee for the Network Tasman Trust.

Prior to joining the IoD she ran her own consultancy for over 20 years, specialising in governance, policy, strategy and communications working across a wide range of sectors, including housing, health, solid waste, aviation, energy, not-for-profit and infrastructure. 

Judene was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance, local government and the community in the 2026 New Year Honours. She was a local government elected member for 12 years and a director on a range of private and public entity boards. She has a background in behavioural science and communications and is a Chartered Member of the IoD. 

 

Additional information

Event cancellation policy

Regrettably, registration fees cannot be refunded when cancellations are received within two working days prior to any event.

See our standard terms and conditions for more information.

Contact

Carla Britz
National Events Coordinator
+64 27 223 2802
Carla.Britz@iod.org.nz

The Institute of Directors New Zealand (IoD) launched Chapter Zero New Zealand in March 2022. It is the home for climate change governance at the IoD and aims to support directors to meet their fiduciary duties by supporting them with the skills, tools, processes and information they need to act and guide their companies through the challenges of climate change. For more information and to be kept up to date with the latest events, webinars and resources sign up here.

Thank you to the Chapter Zero Foundation Partners

Thank you to the Chapter Zero Partners