Climate content

Global business leaders are focusing on competitiveness, energy, AI and resilience as climate and nature risks intensify.

The 2026 State of Stewardship report shows sharper scrutiny, clearer expectations and more public accountability.

The 10 areas of material risk help boards focus decisions when not everything can be done at once.

Energy pressures are bringing long-term risks forward. Boards need to understand exposure, test scenarios and be ready to act.

As storms, floods and emergencies become more frequent, directors need to look beyond recovery and focus on reducing long-term risk.

At The Co-operative Bank, stronger insights are enabling more effective governance, clearer direction and measurable emissions progress.

Board expectations are shifting as environmental and societal pressures intensify. Reframing supports clearer, more resilient decisions.

Tariff shocks, supply chain disruption and tightening sustainability rules are reshaping global trade and the risks boards must govern.

Many businesses pay for the same inputs multiple times. Circular thinking reframes this as a cost, risk and strategy issue.

Better Futures 2026 shows rising cost pressures, yet expectations remain high. Sustainability hasn’t disappeared – it is maturing.

New analysis highlights how investment, electrification and innovation are already improving performance and reducing emissions. 

As fuel costs rise, confidence falls. Boards play a key role in maintaining trust through clear, timely communication.

In turbulent times, boards must prioritise consistency, resilience and long-term thinking over reactive change.

Boards are weighing cost against resilience. Nature is shifting how capital is allocated, often without being named.

Lessons from Auckland’s 2023 storms highlight the need to shift from recovery to proactive climate adaptation in infrastructure planning.

As insurance risks rise, natural infrastructure may offer a practical way to reduce exposure and build resilience.

Directors who delay action risk locking in costs, exposure and decisions that erode long-term value.

Boards make better capital decisions when climate risks are priced.

Markets are already pricing climate risk and boards need to govern accordingly.

Stormwater is not just pipes and pumps. It is risk oversight, resilience investment and long-term value protection.

The economics of gas is changing. Boards need clarity on timing, risk and options.

Voices in Kiwis in Climate underline a clear message: climate is now inseparable from strategy and long-term resilience.

Values don’t survive pressure unless they’re built into governance structures and board decision-making.

In a tight, high-risk economy, boards must weigh sustainability claims with care.

Boards sleepwalking through nature risk won’t survive the wake-up.

Strategic sustainability needs structure. Double materiality gives boards the edge.

As geoeconomic confrontation escalates, climate risk is slipping down agendas. Boards face hard trade-offs with long-term consequences.

Boards face rising ESG expectations. A double materiality lens can help direct action where it matters most.

Decarbonisation is no layover – Wellington Airport’s board is charting a long-haul path to net zero

Treating nature like any other critical risk means directors can plan for and avoid impacts now – before the bill comes due.

At Chapter Zero NZ’s final 2025 event, global corporate sustainability leader Michael Kobori shared lessons from Levi’s and Starbucks.

A pulse survey at the 2025 IoD and Chapter Zero NZ Climate Forum revealed how directors are building confidence, competence and capacity.

As boards and media go quiet on climate, directors must find new ways to communicate sustainability with clarity and credibility.

In 2025, directors and boards have an opportunity to leverage climate-focused regulations and international frameworks, turning compliance…

A devastating quake forced CLS to rethink its future, creating one of Aotearoa’s most efficient industrial laundries.

Fewer firms must report, but directors should assess if stopping is the right call, given stakeholder expectations and future regulation.

Was this discussion of climate change too hot, too cold – or just right? 

Four leaders share how they’ve navigated early steps, built engagement and kept reporting grounded in strategy.

The globally renowned Michael Kobori is coming down under to talk up sustainability.

You don’t need to predict every detail – but as a director, you must be prepared for the transition ahead.

Boards are under growing pressure to deliver credible climate strategies. Transition planning is where governance meets execution.

Boards that embed nature into decisions will be better placed to manage regulatory change – but what does this look like in practice?

Boards must connect the paddock and the plan – climate change demands long-term thinking.

A new investor survey reveals growing board-level engagement with climate issues, but action and capital flow into solutions remain limited.

Australia’s climate-reporting curve shows why oversight matters most – and how we should respond.

Washington decries ESG, then buys 10% of Intel to lock in jobs, security and chip factories. Industrial policy now comes with equity.

Directors must lead climate disclosure from duty, not just regulation, to build trust and long-term value.

Boards that lead on nature are building resilience, anticipating change and unlocking new value.

Solar, AI and low-carbon design – Summerset’s board is backing innovation to lead aged care into a climate-resilient future.

Directors have been found personally liable, alongside their companies, for breaching Resource Management Act enforcement orders.

Kennie Tsui CMInstD and Kiri Hannifin help lead Aotearoa’s energy shift—from skies to steam—to shape our smarter future.

Daniel Street urges directors to prioritise climate governance – and not be paralysed by fear of litigation.

Directors should act now to mitigate harsher regulation and reputational risk later.

Directors in New Zealand and Australia must now govern financially material nature risks – and ensure boards respond appropriately.

Most global firms are doubling down on climate action. New Zealand boards must keep pace or risk falling behind.

Clean-up costs are mounting. Prevention is clear. Boards must act now to protect value, credibility and long-term resilience.

Tourism’s climate reckoning shows how adaptation builds trust – or loses it.

Christchurch Airport shows climate leadership is possible – even in hard-to-abate sectors – with strong governance and partnerships.

The lower unit costs of self-generated electricity will save your business money, if you do it right.

Directors who ignore climate, nature or human rights risks may overlook serious threats to capital, continuity and competitiveness.

Freight, ethics, cyber, reputation – directors must lead with foresight, not just react when critical links start to fail.

NZ is ‘sweating’ its infrastructure beyond design life. A new report says the fix lies not just in engineering, but in governance.

Directors should prioritise transition planning as a strategic asset – not just a disclosure task.

Directors must align leadership, systems and incentives to shape behaviour and enable climate action through effective governance.

Real change in construction starts early. Boards must govern emissions and circularity from the design stage – not just set targets.

Regulation or market pressure? Both can impact how reporting is delivered.

The latest environmental report urges boards to use climate data for practical oversight, adaptation planning and governance action.

In a polarised world, language can drive or derail your climate agenda. Directors need to speak the language of value, not just virtue.

We talk about building for the future – but how often do we engage with the people who will actually live in it?

Cost of living, climate action, trust and leadership—this year’s Better Futures report is a wake-up call for boards in a polycrisis.

Boards have a golden opportunity – to reimagine governance, rewire value and shape the next economic chapter.

New research shows how the effects of climate-related risks are being reflected in financial statements.

Climate change and extreme weather events are ushering in a new era of risk uncertainty.

Not long ago a sustainable future felt like a shared destination. Climate action was trending, and the business case for purpose-led brands…

Climate Minister Simon Watts expects investment in climate action to generate economic benefits.

The devastating wildfires in California have once again placed climate-related risks at the forefront of discussions in boardrooms…

In a world shaped by climate risks, nature-based solutions are not only environmentally beneficial but financially sound investments.

Considering sustainability builds long-term value and is a legal duty of directors, yet many boards still struggle to be proactive.

Recently, particularly in the US, there has been a rising legal and policy backlash against investors using environmental, social and…

The regulatory and litigation landscape for climate governance is shifting at an unprecedented pace. For directors, understanding the risks…

A strategic approach with a focus on one factor at a time has begun paying off in terms of carbon emissions reductions.

Chapter Zero New Zealand made a submission on proposed changes to the climate-related disclosures regime.

Understanding greenhouse gas accounting can help boards find a competitive edge.

As organisations face growing pressure to integrate climate-related objectives into their core strategies and deliver on climate…

As I pen this article, my partner is at our local Vehicle Testing New Zealand facility, diligently overseeing the process of obtaining a…

Cutting our climate impact—and helping others do so—guides all we do, says Channel Infrastructure chair James Miller.

The debate on plastics focuses on cutting use, but this narrow view ignores the urgent need to curb fossil-fuel-based plastic production.

Top three 2025 climate agenda items for the boardroom.

Compounding effects of climate change and pollution highlight the need for a broad-based approach to risk governance. 

Unlocking opportunities requires climate governance that is proactive, informed and courageous.

Effective climate governance could give you a competitive edge.

Scheduling regular reviews and rehearsals that stress-test a climate crisis communications plan can help organisations reduce the risk of…

New Zealand’s climate disclosure standards appear to be hindering the very transparency they are meant to promote.

  Rod Carr New Zealand businesses are taking climate change far more seriously than many elected leaders, says outgoing Climate Change…

NEW YORK, Project Syndicate – Elections are supposed to clarify policy uncertainties, and on the economic front, Donald Trump’s victory…

Global moves to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping could make New Zealand “an expensive place to send ships” and add to…

Directors are urged to move more quickly than the Government on climate governance.

New Zealand businesses need to face up to a range of “unpalatable environmental realities”,  Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment…

In response to feedback, the External Reporting Board Te Kāwai Ārahi Pūrongo Mōwaho (XRB) released a consultation document and exposure…