25 years ago, a group of business leaders with bold ambitions got together and put a stake in the ground on sustainability.
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) was first conceived in 1999 as a coalition of leading businesses with a mandate that reflected the era and a shared commitment to sustainable development.
Current SBC Chair, Claire Walker, commented on the value of keeping an eye on the long game.
“Reaching 25 years is something to celebrate. Over that time SBC has provided a place for business to learn, to forge powerful partnerships and to be challenged and stretch – the role it has played has adapted to different environments,” said Walker.
Then known as the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD), the organisation was (and remains) the only NZ-based Global Network Partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, headquartered in Geneva.
The next significant era involved BusinessNZ, the peak body for New Zealand business, which in 2009 established a Sustainability Forum.
SBC Executive Director Mike Burrell noted, “The idea was to provide a platform for companies wanting to define and lead sustainable business matters rather than simply respond to government-led initiatives.”
Two years later, NZBCSD merged with the Sustainability Forum and became SBC.
“Many current SBC members have been part of the membership since very early days – and the fact that we have stood the test of time is a credit to them,” said Burrell. “This includes Deloitte, Fonterra, Meridian, The Warehouse Group, Toyota NZ, and more.
“Our focus now is on leadership, action on climate, nature, and thriving people. We support the fundamentals, advocate for change, and help broker large scale projects led by SBC member businesses who include some of the biggest organisations in New Zealand.”
Significant milestones include the establishment of the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) – a CEO-led community of around 80 organisations leading the response to climate change. The combined emissions reduction achieved by current CLC signatories between signing up to the Coalition and November 2023 is 3.6 million tCO2e, a cumulative reduction of 29%.
Another key achievement is the establishment of AgriZeroNZ, which began as an SBC-led collaboration and has gone on to become a world-first public-private partnership helping farmers reduce emissions, while maintaining profitability and productivity.
“SBC member businesses have made big strides over the years, in terms of how they operate,” said Burrell.
“The conversation has shifted a lot – from whether climate change is real, to the need to measure and report on an organisation’s operations, to levers for supporting sustainable decision making more broadly.”
Sir Stephen Tindall, founder of The Warehouse Group and founding member of SBC also noted the shift since its formation.
“When we set up the Sustainable Business Council we had no idea how much climate change would have advanced,” said Tindall.
“Business needs to play its part along with bipartisan government to attempt to slow down global warming. We can only do this by working collaboratively with everybody to create a real ‘nationwide ambition’.”
SBC will formally mark the milestone of 25 years with an Anniversary event at Parliament hosted by Minister of Climate Change, Simon Watts, on 22 October 2024.
“Not only can businesses lead – it’s in our interests, and will mean New Zealand continues to achieve its potential over the next 25 years and beyond,” said Burrell.
