Getting started with sustainability reporting: Lessons from practice and leadership

This webinar is free for Chapter Zero NZ supporters.  When booking the event please enter the code SUPPORTERAUG25.

Overview

Sustainability reporting is more than a regulatory obligation — it’s a strategic opportunity. For directors and leadership teams, it's a chance to demonstrate purpose, build trust, communicate progress, improve decision-making, and create long-term value. But with evolving frameworks, new standards, and growing stakeholder expectations, many organisations are asking: Where do we start, and how do we get it right? 
 
This webinar, hosted by Chapter Zero NZ and KPMG and supported by Anthem, is designed to demystify sustainability reporting for boards. Drawing on insights from the 2025 Sustainability Reporting Guide for Boards and Leadership, the session will provide practical advice, tools, and real-world reflections to support your reporting journey — whether you're just beginning or looking to take the next step. 
 
In a landscape of growing scrutiny, sustainability reporting is also a powerful communications tool. It enables organisations to tell a compelling, transparent story — one that aligns with purpose, resonates with stakeholders, and strengthens credibility.  
 
Attendees will explore the foundations of effective, board-led sustainability reporting and hear from governance and industry leaders on how to embed good practice. You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of what matters most, how to get started, and how to lead reporting that is not only compliant and credible, but also strategic, value-creating, and well-communicated. 

Sanel Tomlinson

Sanel has over 30 years’ experience advising clients across industries and geographies with a particular focus on matters affecting business from a finance and corporate reporting perspective. She leads the firm’s Impact Measurement initiative, and currently works with clients on their ESG reporting strategies and in particular implementing the Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards. 

Before re-joining KPMG in New Zealand, she was the Head of Strategy for the External Reporting Board (XRB) and led the initial set up of the Climate Standards project, including acting as the interim Project Director. 

Sanel was previously a partner at KPMG in New Zealand and in China. In these roles she led audit and assurance engagements, and advised clients on the implementation of international financial reporting standards and more recently sustainable/green finance and ESG regulations. 

Sanel is passionate about inclusion and financial literacy and regularly engages in voluntary and/or not-for-profit initiatives. Sanel was one of the founding members of KPMG China’s Inclusion and Diversity Council and in 2019 Sanel was awarded KPMG China’s Chairmen award for services to the community. 

Jane Sweeney

MInstD

One of the PR industry’s most experienced and respected professionals, Jane founded Anthem with Carolyn Kerr in 2014. Jane has run agencies in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including a top-ten marcomms agency in London, and served as trade commissioner for NZTE in Paris.

Named “the doyenne of the small cadre of PR women with serious clout” (NZ Listener Influentials issue), Jane started her career in consumer and marketing communications and is skilled at strategic reputation management, assisting directors and company senior executives plan their stakeholder engagement, integrated communications and corporate affairs management. Her passion is curating agile teams that achieve stellar outcomes for clients.

Jane has significant expertise assisting clients across a range of sectors, including technology, education, property and infrastructure, healthcare, professional services, transport and tourism, energy and utilities, not-for-profit, export, insurance, agribusiness, media and wine.  Jane has also worked with scale up businesses and public sector organisations such as central and local government agencies and universities.

An advocate for the business benefits of diversity in leadership, Jane has held several board positions and is a PRINZ Fellow. She is a breast cancer survivor who champions regular mammograms as a means of early detection.

Angela Dixon 

Angela is a full-time independent director with over 25 years of experience in executive, corporate, and finance leadership roles across New Zealand. She is currently on the boards of AIG NZ, Unimed Medical Insurance, Centrix, and Lotto NZ. Angela brings significant depth to governance in today’s dynamic environment. As a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Austalia and NZ and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors, she offers strategic insight into financial stewardship and board-level decision-making.

Through her roles, Angela has a wide range of experience in the mandatory climate-related disclosure regime and in helping boards start on the journey of sustainable reporting. As an experienced ARC chair, she navigates companies through assessing climate risks and opportunities, including early-stage climate reporting, scenario analysis, emissions metrics, and assurance oversight. 

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 a trustee of the Rātā Foundation and Network Tasman Trust, and Chair of the Nelson Historic Theatre 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. 
 
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

Gemma Fellowes
Project  & Events Executive

+64 9 365 2736
Gemma.Fellowes@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