Working towards sustainability initiatives is no longer limited to those with ‘sustainability’ in their job title – we have seen in recent years, both through research and our membership, a shift in sustainability being a role for one to being a role for many within an organisation. This means that technical specialists across organisations are now rapidly learning about sustainability best practice.
To support this shifting dynamic, the team at SBC wanted to ‘activate the allies’, making a space for professionals across the SBC membership to come together and discuss our sustainability challenges, opportunities and best practice so we can all go further and faster together.
We asked sustainability managers for a list of teams within their organisations who were working hard to embed sustainability, and several areas seemed to feature heavily, including communications, marketing, brand, finance and procurement, property and asset management. Since then, we’ve created two Activate the Allies groups, and we’re always looking for more practitioners from the SBC whānau to join in the kōrero!
Activate the Allies: Procurement Practitioners
- Who takes part in this group? This working group brings together procurement practitioners across both the SBC and SBN (Sustainable Business Network) memberships who are responsible for the purchase and management of an organisation’s assets.
- What do they discuss? The group shares information, resources and best practice, as well as connects on shared challenges and opportunities. For the first half of 2023, the subjects of conversation will be growing carbon maturity in suppliers, modern slavery, and embedding nature regeneration into procurement.
- How often do they meet? Every two months.
- How do I join? Get in touch with Megan Gallagher (Climate Leaders Coalition Manager) at mgallagher@businessnz.org.nz if you are from an SBC or SBN member organisation and are interested in joining this working group or have any questions.
Please note, this group is open to participants from SBC and SBN member organisations only.
Activate the Allies: Communications, Marketing and Brand Practitioners
- Who takes part in this group? This working group brings together practitioners within SBC who are involved in Marketing, Communications or Brand work, including telling their organisation’s sustainability stories.
- What do they discuss? Each session is typically centred around a presentation from and Q&A with one or more members about a specific topic relevant to Comms and Marketing, so participants can learn from one another and share best practice. Potential topics for 2023 include how to navigate greenwashing, authentic storytelling, supporting customers and employees on their climate journey, communicating decarbonisation transitions, how to engage with media, and how to weave together the different elements of ESG across an organisation.
- How often do they meet? Once per quarter.
- How do I join? Get in touch with Nicole Schlichting (Digital Comms Advisor) at nschlichting@businessnz.org.nz if you are from an SBC member organisation and are interested in joining this working group or have any questions.
Please note, this group is open to participants from SBC member organisations only.
“I think of the Community of Practitioners as my immediate family within the wider SBC whānau. Communicators play a significant and sometimes challenging role in supporting the sustainability ambitions of the private, public and NGO sectors. Collective action is critical so the more we get to know other communicators in Aotearoa, New Zealand grappling with the big issues, the faster we can build collaborations and affect change.”
— Nikki Wright (Managing Director of Wright Communications)
