Eco Choice Aotearoa

2024 has been a tough year for many - for those of us working in the sustainability and/ or nonprofit sectors, we’ve had to dig deep and push forward. If you've continued to show up and drive change in a space that demands so much, we thank you. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve this year and want to acknowledge some of our wins, made possible with your support. 🥳 This year, more new businesses committed to meeting our standards and reducing their environmental impact. Discover their products and services here: https://lnkd.in/gNQAMtnh 🥳 Eco Choice became an accreditated CPD provider for the Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects 🥳 We welcomed three new talented staff - Andrea E. Alex Eddington and Prasanna Nara 🥳 We partnered with Edge Impact to provide a more comprehensive suite of sustainability services including Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAS). https://lnkd.in/guVArKV7 🥳We signed mutual recognition agreements with fellow Type I ecolabels GECA and CII GreenPro Type 1 EcoLabel. 🥳 We launched a Sustainable Procurement Toolkit with the New Zealand Procurement Excellence Forum to help businesses and government make more responsible purchasing decisions. https://lnkd.in/gk88py7R 🥳 We supported the roll-out of the NZGBC and Green Building Council of Australia’s Responsible Products Framework. 🥳 Our CEO Laura Gemmell made the Sustainable Business Network’s Next95 list! 🥳 We rolled out a new website and expanded our reach with workshops and webinars. We're looking towards 2025 with optimism, and lots more good stuff planned. From our team to yours, we wish you a safe and happy holiday break. Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Ho!

It’s always a little awkward when you've got to write your own introductory post (iykyk), but here goes… 🙌 Kia ora! I'm Prasanna Nara, Eco Choice Aotearoa's Engagement Manager. A few years ago, I left the advertising industry and moved to New Zealand to pursue my Master's in English and New Media. Wanting to use my skills as a force for good, I started Conscious Copy, an ethical copywriting service aiming to support, connect and inspire valuable causes and ethical businesses. I've had the privilege of helping some incredible purpose-led businesses and non-profits thrive through storytelling and communications, and I’m excited to bring that same energy to Eco Choice. When I'm not engaged in passionate discussions about climate equity or the value that ecolabels provide us (wink wink), you’ll find me dancing, crocheting, or enjoying long walks with my puppy, Peanut. Got a question about our ecolabel? Need help sharing your sustainability story without greenwashing? Keen to team up with us on some amazing initiatives? I've been told I'm a good listener. Let’s talk! 💚

📸 Snapshots from our Product Transparency Workshops We recently co-hosted two engaging workshops with Eco Choice Aotearoa, focusing on unpacking product transparency for manufacturers, architects, and specifiers. These photos capture some fantastic moments, from passionate discussions and “lightbulb moments” to the collaborative energy that made the day meaningful. A huge thank you to the incredible team who brought these workshops to life: David Maucor, Ray Mohan, and Stella Hye Chung Jeon. Another big thank you to our amazing panel of speakers: Laura Gemmell, Jonas Bengtsson, Dr. Andrea Edwards, Joe Quad, Rui Peng, Mark Fairbairn, and Jonathan Mountfort—thank you for sharing your insights and expertise. Swipe through to see the day in action! . . . #EdgeImpact #Transparency #Workshops #Greenwashing #SustainableDevelopment #GreenBuilding #CircularEconomy

Sustainability has evolved from a corporate responsibility to a pivotal determinant of market access and consumer trust. For NZ exporters aiming to penetrate and thrive in international markets, the ability to substantiate environmental claims through transparent and verified means is not just advantageous, it's essential ☑️ Eco Choice Aotearoa is the country’s official ecolabel and is a part of the Global Ecolabelling Network. In this member story, ECA delves into the importance for New Zealand exporters aiming to penetrate and thrive in international markets to be able to substantiate environmental claims through transparent and verified means. Read the member story here: https://lnkd.in/gYWKhqAD Also featured in yesterday's edition of Pānui, we welcome our newest Advisory Board members, we share an op ed from Mike Burrell and Catherine McGrath, the Financial Markets Authority - New Zealand has published its CRD insights report, the Climate Change Commission calls for evidence to inform the second national climate change risk assessment, we share reports from Tower Insurance, Westpac New Zealand and Toyota New Zealand Limited, we share insights on what COP means for business from WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and more. Check out the full edition here: https://zcu.nz/w7jH?m=0 #export #sustainableexports #buynzmade

🎅 Dear Santa, apart from the magical prowess to keep our office plants alive and a very cool cornhole set made out of soft plastics by our friends at saveBOARD, we’ve been thinking about what else we’d like this Christmas. Things that could make a real difference, not just for us, but for all of Aotearoa. So, if you’re taking a break from checking your naughty-and-nice list, here’s what we’re wishing for... This list is inspired by our Head of Strategic Partnerships Stella Hye Chung Jeon who wrote a similar one on her blog, Entangled Curiosities.

We had a fantastic time delivering two workshops on Monday with Edge Impact, focusing on unpacking product transparency for manufacturers, architects, and specifiers. Here are some key highlights from our team: 🌿 Helping companies understand the value that can be gained from conducting a full cradle to grave lifecycle assessment (#LCA) to identify sustainability hotspots and creating Environmental Product Declarations (#EPDs) through a third-party certifier to add another layer of credibility. 🌿 Helping architects/specifiers understand how credible ecolabels like Eco Choice Aotearoa allows companies to communicate their products’ environmental performance more accurately and how to weed out genuine claims. 🌿 Empowering businesses to start somewhere, even with a generic LCA, and how to share their progress in a meaningful way with stakeholders and customers. 🌿 The power of collaboration. By gathering a diverse group of experts in one room, we brought out conversations that weren’t just about technicalities, but real-world applications and solutions. 🌿 Equipping sustainability champions with the right tools and messaging to support their efforts so they can navigate this space effectively without fear or greenwashing. 🌿 The location! What better place to host these workshops than Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai, which has its own beautiful sustainability story! Designed with trauma-informed principles and Te Aranga, Māori design principles, the building is not just a safe haven for Aucklanders, but was built with sustainability in mind. A special shout out to our partners at Edge Impact (especially David Maucor and Ray Mohan) and Stella Hye Chung Jeon for making this possible. A round of applause to our incredible panel of speakers (Jonas Bengtsson, Joe Quad Rui Peng Andrea E. Mark Fairbairn Jonathan Mountfort Laura Gemmell) for their brilliant insights. Plus, a warm thank you to Chia Sisters for keeping us energised with an array of yummy beverages! And thank you to our amazing attendees - if you enjoyed this session or would like to be informed of future workshops, be sure to sign up to our newsletter! #Transparency #Workshops #Greenwashing #SustainableDevelopment #GreenBuilding #CircularEconomy

Guess who’s next? We are! 🎉  Eco Choice Aotearoa is honoured that our CEO, Laura Gemmell is included in the Next 95, a list of individuals and organisations paving the way for sustainable change in New Zealand. Over the last 2 years, Laura has completely transformed the Eco Choice organisation through redefining our vision, mission and strategy, introducing modern slavery criteria to a number of standards, building a network of domestic and international partners, urging government action and more. er inclusion in this list reflects the passion and purpose she brings not just to Eco Choice but to the broader conversation around environmental stewardship in Aotearoa. A huge thank you to Sustainable Business Network for highlighting the mahi of changemakers who are transforming the way we do business and creating a brighter, more sustainable future. We would also like to congratulate our incredible licensees including Critical., saveBOARD and TROW Group for making the list under the "Built Environment" category. Ka pai! #Next95

Imagine a community that, due to discriminatory housing policies and a lack of investment, lacks green space and instead is surrounded by concrete structures. This community’s demographic is primarily lower-income communities and communities of colour due to past and present-day social injustices. As a result of the lack of green spaces and trees, the urban neighbourhood is known as an urban heat island. The members of this community (who may already have pre-existing health risks due to other social injustices in healthcare access) experience higher risks of heat-related health issues like heat exhaustion and respiratory problems, especially among children and adults over the age of 65. Many of them are lower income and have neither the money to move out of the neighbourhood nor the ability to afford the cost of air conditioning, making it harder to cope with extreme heat. This is the reality of many historical and presently marginalised communities today. It is even apparent here in Aotearoa, where some communities receive unequal tree coverage, live in flood-prone areas and live closer to industrial hazards. In part two of this two-part series, our Head of Standards Dr Andrea E. dives into the severe consequences of environmental racism and injustice, from a health and economic perspective. It's not all doom and gloom, though! Andrea presents us with a number of steps on how we can learn about, discuss and (hopefully) act on environmental racism and injustice. https://lnkd.in/gEMY_-34 #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalRacism #ClimateInequality #HealthRisks

When conversations about climate change, the environment, and social justice spiral into a firestorm of insults, misinformation, and hurt feelings, we must ask ourselves: 🌱 How can we have a productive conversation about environmental racism and injustice? 🌱 How do we ultimately bring about decisive action? In part one of this two-part series, our Head of Standards Dr Andrea E., helps us understand exactly what environmental justice is and how it ties into environmental racism, drawing on examples from the United States. "Environmental racism is a form of systemic racism caused by practices and policies (past and present) that benefited wealthy white communities at the expense of lower-income and non-white communities," writes Andrea. "These communities are disproportionately burdened by exposure to environmental risks (polluting waste management facilities, garbage dumps, etc.) and are excluded from environmental benefits (clean green spaces, fresh air, etc.) due to instances of historical (and present day) discrimination." Read part 1 of "How to talk about environmental justice/racism" here: https://lnkd.in/dhmSig9N #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #ClimateJustice #HumanRights

One of the standout features of ACCTS is its focus on ecolabelling; a topic that might not grab headlines but is crucial for shaping a sustainable trade future. Ecolabelling is already a staple in regions like Europe and East Asia, where mature sustainability initiatives mean that ecolabels are often a prerequisite for public and private procurement. By including ecolabelling guidelines, ACCTS does three critical things: 🔎 Sets out best practices for voluntary certification programs. 💡 Encourages alignment of standards to avoid unnecessary trade barriers. 🌏 Builds trust among consumers and businesses by ensuring transparency. This is a golden opportunity for New Zealand to catch up with global leaders. As the country’s only Type 1 ecolabel, Eco Choice Aotearoa can help Kiwi products stand out in international markets, meeting the high expectations of conscious citizens and consumers.