Thriving People
There is an increasingly urgent need to embed social sustainability within Aotearoa New Zealand’s workplaces, communities and wider society – and business has an important role to play.
Our vision
The best businesses are good for people, the planet, and prosperity. This requires businesses to support the well-being of their employees and to positively impact society.
In October 2023, we launched our flagship report ‘Thriving People – Strengthening the ‘S’ in ESG’, which showed the New Zealand business community has an exciting role to play in progressing social impact and equity. From this report, our current priorities are:
- Human Rights in the Supply Chain – empowering businesses to take a leadership position on human rights.
- The Inner Development Goals (IDGs) – a global movement helping businesses build the skills and mindset needed to drive sustainable transformation.
Work programme
Setting ambition
Transforming mindsets through the introduction of the Inner Development Goals to Aotearoa New Zealand
Evidence and research
Working with Kantar on Better Futures Thrive, Aotearoa New Zealand’s only consumer insights report on social sustainability issues
Collective action
Partnering with Deloitte and Walk Free to co-host peer-to-peer network Collaborative Advantage
Completed areas of work
- Lifting the living standards of Aotearoa (3 part series).
- Moving Beyond Diversity – Creating Workplaces of Belonging. SBC members are integrating ways of working that support greater diversity and inclusion within their businesses and reporting progress transparently.
- Social Impact – SBC members are collectively increasing and measuring their positive impact on the communities in which they work.
Pages and resources
Inner Development Goals (IDGs)
The Collaborative Advantage
Private sector joins up to unlock new, large scale clean energy generation
2025 Insights on New Zealand Sustainability Professionals survey launches
Redefining employee health by moving to holistic wellbeing
Better Futures Thrive Report 2024
Kiwi businesses not taking enough action on social issues, say consumers
Results from the THRIVE Future of Work pilot
What does Better Futures reveal about the ‘S’ in ESG?
What FY2025 has in store for Thriving People
Chorus: Putting inclusion and diversity at the heart of good business
