Impact In Action: The Impact Enterprises Embracing Regeneration
Panellists from left to right: Rui Peng, Co-Founder & CEO Critical, Kirsten Corson Co-founder & Exec. Director Zilch, Jimmi O’Toole Co-founder & Director ahha and Louise Nash Founder & CEO Circularity.
The transition to a regenerative Aotearoa requires us to think about business in a different way. More than ever, we are in need of businesses who are committed to, and acting on the betterment of our people and the environment.
Ākina, Impact Partners for Auckland Climate Festival (ACF) proudly hosted a panel at the Sustainable Coastlines Flagship space on Tuesday, 12 September, in the Waitemataa Harbour catchment of Tāmaki Makaurau. Gifted by Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, this year’s Festival theme is Ngaa hua o Wai, which encourages us to consider how our relationship with the natural world can strengthen our climate response. The Festival was scheduled in accordance with Maramataka (the Māori lunar calendar), with our event landing in the Omauri lunar phase. The Omauri lunar phase lends itself towards community-based activities, ki tai (by the sea), drawing on the mauri (essence) of the moana (ocean).
Despite Tāmaki Makaurau turning on the rain, the panel drew in a wide range of attendees from the Auckland impact community, who were keen to learn from the impact entrepreneurs integrating regenerative practises into their mahi. Regeneration is an approach that goes beyond sustainability and aims to restore, renew, and revitalise ecosystems and communities - this is what Ākina is most passionate about.
We’ve had feedback from attendees and fellow panelists about how insightful they found the kōrero. Hearing more businesses and people looking to embrace regeneration makes us feel more hopeful the future, and proud of the organisations we work alongside.
Some of our favourite takeaways from our panellists were:
“Bringing a Te Ao Māori lens to business offers us a new way to consider our impact based on thousands of years of tried and tested methods and learning from observing the natural world.
Our wellbeing and our future depend on the mauri (life force) of te taiao (natural world).
So we all must uplift that mauri by caring for our planet”
- Rui Peng, Co-Founder & CEO Critical
“Less than 10% of the world is circular so we have the opportunity to redesign almost everything”
- Louise Nash, Founder & CEO Circularity
“NZ has the highest rate of car ownership in the OECD and one third of the trips we make in our cars are less than 2km - could you walk, or scoot, or bike instead?”
- Kirsten Corson, Co-founder & Exec. Director Zilch
“Fighting the good fight can be hard - Surround yourself with people who will pump up your tyres”
- Jimmi O’Toole, Co-founder & Director ahha
Tēnā rawa atu koutou to our panellists, Rui Peng, Co-Founder & CEO of Ākina IIRP Recipients, Critical , Kirsten Corson Co-founder & Exec. Director Zilch, Jimmi O’Toole Co-founder & Director ahha and Louise Nash Founder & CEO Circularity, and Ākina Impact Enabler Larissa Lovell for facilitating the event, as well as all of our guests for braving the weather!
Ka nui te mihi to Ākina Impact Suppliers, Sustainable Food Co for the reka (yum) catering, Anew for keeping attendees and panellists hydrated with your circular water bottles, and Sustainable Coastlines for hosting us in your space.
Congratulations to the team at Auckland Climate Festival for organising this. It was so special to be a part of something that had been so thoughtfully and intentionally designed. Learn more about the festival, and check out whether there are any events near you here.