Climate Change Business Conference 2023: Our CCBC Conference Highlights

Over 19^th-20^th September, the ESP team travelled to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, to attend the 15^th Climate Change Business & Conference (CCBC.) The CCBC gives businesses, government, and citizens the opportunity to tackle hard questions and collaborate on New Zealand’s progress to achieving Net Zero. Alongside the Sustainable Business Council, Environmental Defence Society, and Climate Leaders Coalition, we were thrilled to attend and sponsor this innovative annual event. With over 50 speakers, we heard about topics ranging from bravery in leadership, to combating greenwashing. Here are our event highlights:

1.    It’s humanity’s best interest to act

The CCBC began on a pragmatic note, that despite the many challenges we face with climate change, such as the need to transition our economy, it’s still in everyone’s best interest to act. We are well on our way to a 1.5°C temperature increase, the effects of which are already manifesting as storms and greater regional temperature fluctuations. This is a one-way door we can’t easily come back from and to that end, we need to make change now. Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy explained it’s not that we and our planet won’t survive climate change’s impacts, it’s our way of life. Luckily, we still have time to create greener cities, reduce our emissions and drive positive action.

2.    Leadership requires bravery

The event highlighted the need for a braver kind of leadership, encouraging leaders to use their power to hasten change, rather than let external pressures force their hands. We heard news of Nestle pressuring Fonterra to reduce their footprint, an interesting display of capitalism driving positive change. However, we can’t sit passively waiting for international corporations to drive our businesses into reducing emissions. Leaders must be braver, ready to make bold decisions or take decisive action. During day two’s final plenary, speakers Rob Carr and Izzy Fenwick added that if older leaders can’t make the big decisions, Millennials are prepared to take up the task. Raised in a world where climate change was no longer a debate, they’re impatient to see changes, and are ready to lead.

3.    Small changes aren’t fast enough

As deadlines for achieving Net Zero come closer, businesses need to reduce emissions faster, but they need support to get there. Following legislation, banks are committing to tracking Scope 3 emissions – those produced from the value chain – and other businesses need to follow suit. Particularly, since failing to account for Scope 3 emissions make carbon zero claims previously based only on Scope 1 & 2 less credible. While some businesses will be driven by market forces, such as with Nestle pushing Fonterra, the sentiment among the event’s attendees was that this would not be sufficient to achieve the desired pace of change. The government needs to send clear and consistent signals, both incentives and regulatory pressure, to inspire business to take collective action. Political messages came to the forefront here, with Climate Change Minister James Shaw advocating for direct action as the right path forward. National were instead expecting market conditions to drive action. However, if we aren’t moving fast enough now, then how would market forces alone make a credible difference?

4.    Getting real about the future

The CCBC gave the message that we need to rethink our approach to risks, get serious about adaptation and utilise Māori perspectives to create more nuanced plans for managing our response to climate change’s effects. New environmental risks like flooding, slips, storms, and drought are increasing. Without organised managed retreat, high-risk areas may end up with uninsurable, unbankable assets, and risk to citizens’ properties and lives. We now find ourselves needing to adapt to our new situation, a transition that will be easier with decisive leadership, business support, and richer perspectives. In day one’s first plenary, Marama Royal, Chair of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, spoke on Te Ao Māori principles for guiding the future transition. This indigenous knowledge alongside Māori guardianship (Kaitiakitanga,) and business, will be crucial in creating a more holistic approach to achieving a better future.

2023 CCBC in summary

We returned from the Climate Change Business Conference excited and determined. The discussions on human-interest, bravery in leadership, how to reduce emissions quicker, and how we can adapt to our new future were riveting. We’re excited to see how businesses will adjust their practices to deliver Net Zero and hit our respective 2030/2050 targets.

After the insights shared at the CCBC, our commitment to help businesses integrate sustainability into their performance has become even stronger. We know that by providing businesses with the tools they need to measure, report, and reduce their carbon emissions and energy, we can make change happen faster. If you’re interested in improving your sustainability, try calculating your carbon footprint and creating a climate action plan with our free resource here.