MfE announced as a Leading Partner for The Aotearoa Circle
We are pleased to announce the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is a Leading Partner for The Aotearoa Circle.
Minister James Shaw officially launched The Aotearoa Circle’s Leading Partners at Parliament House yesterday. Secretary for the Environment James Palmer has been appointed to the Circle Board as Co-Chair, taking over from former Secretary for the Environment Vicky Robertson.
MfE's Deputy Secretary of Climate Policy and Partnerships and Public Affairs, Anne Haira, says being a Leading Partner will help restore and replenish our environment.
“The crises of climate change and biodiversity are accelerating. As a Leading Partner, the Ministry for the Environment’s ongoing investment into The Aotearoa Circle helps improve the state of our land, freshwater, oceans, biodiversity and seeks to reduce carbon emissions. Through our prioritised workstreams and actions, we work with the Circle and its partners to maximise impacts at critical ecosystem levels and help restore natural capital.”
Other Aotearoa Circle Leading Partners include Department of Conservation, Fonterra and Mercury Energy.
See all Leading Partners [The Aotearoa Circle website]
The Aotearoa Circle also has a Rangatahi Advisory Panel for Leading Partners, which is designed to bring intergenerational oversight and leadership through conversations with The Aotearoa Circle Board, its workstreams and the Leading Partners’ own work.
MfE’s Ginny Ellis-Kirifi was appointed to this panel, which she says is an honour.
“This opportunity allows me to provide intergenerational insights in settings that promote collaboration and conversation between public and private organisations. Importantly being a youth representative for MfE supports our purpose of a flourishing environment for all generations by providing the unique and creative perspective that comes with being young.”
The Aotearoa Circle was established in 2019 by Vicky Robertson, Sir Rob Fenwick, and Sir Jonathan Porritt. The goal was to bring leaders from both public and private sectors together to investigate the state of New Zealand’s natural resources, and to commit to priority actions that will restore natural capital and ensure sustainable prosperity in Aotearoa.
The Circle’s 2023 workplan is focused on the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which is developing a risk management and disclosure framework for corporates and financial institutions. The Circle is proposing a TNFD geographically focused deep dive for its members, providing an analysis that will enable members to take action on nature-related risks and opportunities, to move toward nature-positive outcomes.