Sustainability Insights

As the need to protect our planet grows more urgent, technology offers powerful tools to help drive real change – if we use them wisely. Deloitte New Zealand Sustainability and Climate partner, Louise Aitken, shares how technology is shaping a greener future for Deloitte and its clients.

Reporting regimes for sustainability draw on established foundations but cover new data and are complex and developing in scope.

The third edition of Deloitte's 2024 CxO Sustainability Report Survey over 2,100 executives across 27 countries on their views and strategies related to Sustainability and climate change, finding more organisations are increasing their Sustainability investments, as climate change continues to be one of the top three priorities for global C-suite level business leaders (CxOs).

Today, 43% of the Asia Pacific workforce is employed in industries that are vulnerable to climate extremes and the economic transition to net zero. But if countries seize the decarbonisation opportunity through an active, coordinated net-zero transition, they could add $47 trillion to the region’s economies by 2070 and create 180 million jobs by 2050.

This year’s Budget announcements – financial and carbon alike – will be made against a backdrop of on-going international conflict, climate change-related supply chain and fuel price shocks, financial sector instability, global inflation, and climate change recovery efforts.

New Zealand has an emissions profile unlike many other countries. The majority of emissions come from primary industries, with the bulk from biogenic methane in the agriculture sector. While New Zealand is one the most efficient dairy and meat producers in the world, with a carbon footprint nearly half that of other international producers, reducing on-farm emissions to achieve net-zero targets is not as simple as decarbonising our energy and transport systems, for which there are known solutions.

Climate change is having a significant impact on businesses, society, and individuals and it is increasingly understood a shift towards a low-carbon economy is needed. The construction sector will play a central role in this shift.

Over the last year, global executives have faced a number of challenges, including economic uncertainty, geopolitical conflict, supply chain disruptions, and talent shortages, among others. 

How companies are managing the transition to a low-carbon, resilient and valuable future.

Time is running out to act on climate change with its impacts being felt by us all daily. But with disruption comes the opportunity to be bold and shift our mindset to reap significant rewards for ourselves, the local economy, and future generations of Kiwis.

2023 is looking like it will be the year of margin pressure for many organisations. Normalising from the pandemic years, optimising costs will be a focus for enterprise as market conditions continue to prove challenging across the globe.

New Zealand’s recent labour shortage has brought into sharp focus the need to carefully look ahead and plan for future workforce needs. An appropriately skilled workforce will also be the heart of transitioning to a net zero carbon economy and unlocking the enormous economic opportunity. 

Climate change is a challenge that requires action now. To act we need data.

Supply chains are both critical to the climate change response and extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We identify four trends that will shape supply chains, impact New Zealand’s supply chain exposed industries, and influence New Zealand’s climate change response.

Decarbonisation is daunting, no matter how you look at it. However, two new Deloitte reports look at how we can transform our economies in our pathway to net zero

This report explores why some firms have CSOs and others do not, the typical mandate of the role, the skills needed to deliver that mandate, and various governance models.

New emissions tools help firms flex on the world stage.

With global economic output hinging on the health of environmental resources, a Deloitte report explains how  to make the trade-off clear for decision makers in the private sector and governments.

It’s critical to transition our economy to a model of capitalism that is based on stakeholder needs, not simply shareholder primacy. In 2020, there is no questioning the importance of putting capital into investments and ventures that intentionally drive environmental, social and cultural benefits alongside profit.