Climate Action Week Marlborough - 2024

Monday 19th February 2024 - Friday 23rd February 2024

2024 - a year on since launch

Climate Action Week Marlborough has been designed to create awareness, develop our Marlborough business community's knowledge by embracing education, and take action towards creating a low carbon emissions, highly productive, and thriving community, no matter what stage of the journey you are at.

We know that it takes a village to create change, and we are committed to continuing to take action through Climate Action Week in February 2024.

This week long series of events brings together

• A collective of individuals who are passionate about living in a climate positive world
• Businesses who know that it will take a collaborative approach
• Farmers, growers and suppliers that are the heartbeat of our community
• Educators who are excited to share their knowledge  
• Community organisations that are passionate leaders
• And College students who are our next generation of change makers

The weeks activities will host a series of action oriented, hands on, creative learning experiences and immersive activities to engage our Marlborough, New Zealand, business community.

DAY 1

Monday 19th February 2024 -  Financing the Future for Post Growth and Impact
 Hosted at Lansdowne Pavilion, Lansdowne St, Blenheim (supported by Marlborough District Council)

8:15am - Doors Open

8:30am - Catherine van der Meulen, Founder Climate Action Week opening address and introduction to Steering Committee

8:45am - 10:00am - Collaboration Activation Session Sponsored by Kiwibank

Working collectively with other people and organisations in the region on Emerging Industries that can create bio-diversity, deep impact and drawdown our communities carbon emissions. These collaboration sessions will not only be fun and interactive but outcome driven to craft meaningful projects and organisations that can thrive in our community.

These Collaboration Activator Sessions will be taken through a Design Thinking process with a core team and focused on Seaweed farming, the education and behavioural change to shift our thinking on nature based solutions.

Story telling and sharing

10:00am - 10:20am - Dr. Nigel Bradly - EnviroStrat, EnviroStrat is a specialist blue economy firm with deep, applied expertise across a spectrum of disciplines including natural resource management, investment, ecosystem services and nature-based

10:20am - 10:40am - Daniel Hooft, Co- founder, Kelp Blue

10:40am - Presentation: Behavioural Change - the 5 key principles to taking action, Alex Drummond (Client Delivery Director) - Cogo 

11:10am - Morning Tea supplied by Karaka Kitchen

- Supported by EnviroHub Marlborough Zero Waste program

11:40am - 1:40pm

Round table discussions: Lead by various organisations that can support in funding the future

Jennifer Wilkins - Heliocene (Consultant, researcher, advocate for shifting to post growth business)  "Investing in Degrowth"

Ben Taylor - Westpac New Zealand - ESG Advisory - What are the sustainability drivers for banks and why do they provide sustainable finance?

Tom Williams and Pippa Caldwell - Kiwibank Sustainable Finance Team - Ethical Lending

Steve Dixon - ANZ (ESG Specialist) alongside Dansy Coppell, Repost - Building a sustainable business through innovation

Frances Jacobs - ASB (Senior ESG Manager – Commercial Businesses), Positive Investment in the Current Economic Environment 

Kylie Matthews - AWWA Period proof underwear brand - Financial performance and resilience of BCorps

Lachlan Nixon - Motion Capital Management  (Impact Investment Fund) - How venture capital can fund new technologies and start-up companies that help the world decarbonise?

Budyong Hill - Climate Karanga Marlborough, How can we maintain a liveable Planet and a workable economy? 

1:40pm : Lunch supplied by Karaka Kitchen

- Supported by EnviroHub Marlborough Zero Waste program

2:10pm - Presentation - Tom Williams, Head of Sustainable Finance at Kiwibank

2:40pm - Collaboration Activation Session part 2 - Sponsored by Kiwibank

3:40pm - Speed Dating: Partner match making for deeper community collaboration 

4:30pm - Wrap up of Day 1

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DAY 2

Tuesday 20th February 2024 - Transitioning to a low Carbon Emissions Economy

8:15am - Departure from Blenheim by Bus to Yealands Estate Winery Cellar Door, Seddon

9.15am - Stories of Dutch Ingenuity - Inspired by her travels to the Netherlands, Catherine will share her big audacious goals for Marlborough to create collective impact and how we can translate some of the Dutch ingenuity onto NZ shores for impact, Catherine van der Meulen

9:30am - Collaboration Activator Session: Sponsored by Kiwibank

10:30am - Presentation: Jennifer Wilkins, Helicone (Post Growth Consultancy) -  Degrowth by downsizing un environmental production and expanding into systemic change

11:00am - Morning Tea supported by Herb & Olive

11:30am - 5 Entrepreneurial Women take the lead on their Carbon Footprint: From carbon calculation to action. Partnering with Cogo (carbon management products that enable individuals and businesses to measure, understand and reduce their impact on the climate) and their integrated app with Xero has supported small businesses across the region to efficiently measure their carbon and begin to work on their reduction plans. We will hear from 5 female lead businesses from across the region who are proactively working to reduce their emissions. 

Case Studies including

- THINK Business Ltd - Catherine van der Meulen - Transport transition

- Herb & Olive - Alexandra Barton - Diverse food systems

- Export Logistics - Heather Donachie

- AWWA Period care - Kylie Matthews - Scope 3 emissions in supply chain

- Tupari Wines - Olivia Doonan

12:00pm - Presentation - Yealands Estate Winery, Seddon and their journey to Climate Positive presented by Andree Piddington 

12:45pm - Presentation - The Green Circle - Steve Brennan, Bio char pilot at Yealands

1:30pm - Lunch provided by Herb & Olive 

2:00pm - Immersion Experience at Yealands featuring a showcase of the The Green Circle's bio-char pilot.

3:45pm - Partnering for Impact - Speed Dating (fuelled by Yealands Estate Wines)

4:45pm - Depart Yealands to return to Blenheim by bus

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DAY 3

Wednesday 21st February 2024 - Energising Marlborough's Future

Hosted at Lansdowne Pavilion, Lansdowne St, Blenheim (supported by Marlborough District Council)

8:45am - Doors Open

9.15am - Welcome, Catherine van der Meulen and Tom Powell - Climate Karanga Marlborough

9:30am - Collaboration Activator Sessions: Sponsored by Kiwibank

10:30am - Presentation: National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report and a local lense on Marlborough - Edwin Massey, NZ Wine and SWINZ

11:00am - Morning tea provided by Karaka Kitchen - sponsored by Hortus

- Supported by EnviroHub Marlborough Zero Waste program

11:30am - Presentation - Celebrating local action: Hortus is walking the talk and taking action - Alistair Thomsen including Ailie Suzuki, General Manager at EnviroHub

12pm - 1:30pm - Round table discussions: Lead by various organisations that can support the transition to renewable and restorative energy and the conversion of waste to energy.

- Ailie Suzuki, General Manager - EnviroHub Marlborough, Zero waste and how to tackle waste minimisation toward a productive future

- Ray Brown, Marlborough Lines - Electrification of energy consumption

- Nikolasi Fonua, Marlborough Lines - Remote Community Electrification using Renewable Energy

- Tom Powell, Climate Karanga Marlborough (and Climate Action Marlborough Steering Committee member) - Pro's and Con's of Hydrogen

- Campbell McMath, Kea Energy - Embedded Generation, Self-consumption power for businesses, businesses powering themselves. Power resilience and a more stable network. Decarbonisation and process heat for industry.

- Paul Coster, EVA Marketplace - How businesses can support local solar

- Nicoletta Moss, Mitsui - Hydrogen

- Ryan McDonald, Hiranga Energy - Hydrogen

- John Campbell, Our Energy - Community Energy

1:30pm - Lunch provided by Karaka, supported by Hortus

- Supported by EnviroHub Marlborough Zero Waste program

2:15pm - Immersion Experience: ThymeBank (Hammerich's Road, Blenheim) 

Thymebank is decarbonising its covered cropping operations as part of a wider commitment to reducing the organisation’s carbon footprint. Thymebank's operating costs fell after switching to from coal to biomass. They no longer had to pay for coal and eliminated their obligation to pay for carbon emissions, with ongoing production costs lower.

3:45pm - Collaboration Activation Session, supported by Kiwibank

4:45pm - Partnering for Impact - Speed Dating (fuelled by Yealands Estate Wines)

5:30pm - Event Wrap Up and Day 3 closes

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DAY 4

Thursday 22nd February 2024 - A bio-diverse Marlborough

Hosted at Lansdowne Pavilion, Lansdowne St, Blenheim (supported by Marlborough District Council)

8.15am - Sparking your Imagination: Using AI, we have transformed some of our favourite streets to support you in visualising a different future and how we show up to nature in Marlborough.

8:30am - Collaboration Activator Sessions: Sponsored by Kiwibank

9:30am - Presentation: Southern Valleys Viticulture - Richard Hunter "Vineyard design and development to work with the land, benefit the soil, vines and farm"

10:00am - Morning Tea supplied by Karaka Kitchen

- Supported by EnviroHub Marlborough Zero Waste program

10:30am - 12pm - Round table discussions: Hosted by various organisations from across the region to share knowledge, engage in meaningful discussions to take action across diverse topics

Discussions lead by

Tiffany Tompkins, Organics Aotearoa NZ - organic agriculture

Angela Mackenzie - Top of the South Wood Council, More Than Trees, Soil and the Understory in Marlborough's Commerical Forests

Kate Bromfield, Chemhazel - Less is more with regenerative farming practices

Michelle Barry, Emerald Wines - Regeneration, Diversification, Adaptation - Ideas for building a local biodiverse bioeconomy in Marlborough

Kathryn Cannon, Climate Activist and Climate Karanga Marlborough Member - Ocean Bio - Diversity

12pm: Lunch box supplied by Karaka

1:00pm: Immersion Experience: Pinoli Pinenuts, Wairau Valley

3:15pm: Presentation - Ben Leggatt, Roots Gin, Marlborough 

3:45pm: Speed Dating: Partnering for impact and meaningful collaboration

4:15pm - Mike Casey, Forest Lodge Orchard & NZ0 - Fossil Fuel free farming and horticulture

4:45pm - Event Wrap Up in Rapaura, Day 4 closes

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DAY 5

Friday 23rd February 2024 - Regenerative and Emerging economies 

Hosted on The Marlborough Sounds

8:00am - Port Marlborough Immersion Experience - Environmental and Sustainability initiatives at their operational facilities starting at Picton Wharf

9:15am - Arrive at Kaipūpū Sanctuary by boat with Picton Dawn Chorus to learn about their Regeneration and importance of a Healthy understory and how to apply this to all land across the region

10:15am - Morning Tea in Picton supported by Port Marlborough

11:00am - Boat trip out to Lochmara to learn about their Circular Waste program and Environmentally focused Tourism business

11:30am - Immersion Experience at Lochmara Lodge

12:30pm - Lunch at Lochmara

1:30pm - Presentation - Marine Farming and Seaweed cultivation in the Marlborough Sounds - the changing landscape

2:15pm - Presentation - Mick Norton, Tory Channel Kelp Farm

3:00pm- Collaboration Activator Session: Sponsored by Kiwibank

3:45pm- Speed Dating: Partnering for impact (fuelled by Yealands Estate Wines)

4:30pm - Return to Picton by boat

5:00pm - Day 4 closes

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Friday 23rd February 2024 - Green Drinks

• Green Drinks Gathering hosted at a local Marlborough venue to celebrate the commitment of our region in driving climate positive actions
• Evening event 6:30pm - 8:30pm

We look forward to seeing you in February 2024

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A few things to note 

- The Humanitix booking fee will be donated to children's charities such as Manaia Kalani https://www.manaiakalani.org to support closing the education gap in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

You can make an additional donation, to go towards the purchase and community planting of Native Trees in Marlborough. We are working to have this matched by a local organisation, with every tree donated, they will match the commitment.

What to expect at each Immersion Experience

Each of our partner organisations will host an immersion experience in Marlborough. Through a tour of their facilities, you will see, feel, taste, smell and hear about the work they are doing and have done on their journey to create an environmentally and financially viable business that reflects the needs of their consumers, while paying close attention to the footprint they leave on this world and in our communities.

Hosted by the founders and leadership teams, you will get the opportunity to learn and be inspired directly by the leaders in Aotearoa, New Zealand in activating this meaningful work. 

What to expect from the activities each day?

Our Climate Action workshops, collaboration sessions, round table discussions and presentations have been designed to create interactive and meaningful educational experiences to further enable your learning and action oriented journey.

What to expect from our meaningful meals?

Each food experience will be a celebration, showcasing the amazing produce found right here in Marlborough. Each meal will delight & surprise, using locally sourced and produced ingredients. 

Our meals will be a combination of on site experiences or packaged and delivered in lunch boxes.

Who’s behind Climate Action Week?

Founded by Catherine van der Meulen from THINK Business & Entrepreneurial Women with Purpose, Catherine connected with the community of Marlborough to support the initiatives and has quickly developed a tribe of locals who are keen to support and drive the activities, initiatives and awareness in our community.

Steering Committee

Michael Wentworth - Yealands Estate Winery, Heather Donachie - Export Logistics, Edwin Massey - New Zealand Wine Growers,  Tom Powell - Climate Karanga Marlborough, Kylie Matthews - AWWA Period underwear and Tayla Hayes - Graeme Dingle Foundation

As we know, it takes a village! And this is no different. As individuals it can often feel overwhelming on where to start, but as a community we can approach it differently to have a greater impact.

Founding Sponsor

Yealands Estate Winery. 

“We are not going to make the collective changes required to address climate change by making people feel guilty.  The way to success is to positively engage people, share and promote positive examples and to work together to tackle key issues.  I am looking forward to working with Catherine and the team to deliver a focussed event to highlight our environmental champions, educate and encourage action across the region.” Michael Wentworth, GM Sustainability and Strategic Projects at Yealands.

Collaboration Activator Sponsor

KiwiBank are proud to be a B Corp certified company, playing their part in creating an inclusive and sustainable economy where purpose-driven companies create benefits for everyone. 

Supporting Partners

Hortus, Herb & Olive, Port Marlborough and Marlborough District Council

Community Partners 

EnviroHub Marlborough, Climate Karanga Marlborough, NZ Wine Growers, New Zealand Sustainable Wine Growing, NZ Landcare Trust, Marine Farming Association, Top of the South Wood Council, NZ Institute of Company Directors, Mission Zero and Marlborough Chamber of Commerce.