Climate Action Week 2026 - Agenda

Dates: February 2026 - 23rd - 27th February

Theme: Leading by Doing: Local Businesses, Local Solutions, Collective Action

Each day features:

Morning: Local Business Story Sessions (Curated stories for our business community to get inspired with raw, honest and authentic stories)
Midday: Action Design Workshops (Crafting Plans & Solutions)
Afternoon: Immersion Experiences and Hands-On Field Visits (Applied Learning & Practical Support)

Day 1 - Water, Risk and Resilience

Morning: Marlborough businesses facing water risks (horticulture, viticulture, manufacturing, nature, tourism) share adaptation stories: irrigation shifts, stormwater projects, water reuse innovations.
Midday: Business-specific water risks and trials of resilience-building solutions.
Afternoon: Immersion experiences to diverse water initiatives across the region

Day 2 - Circular economy & waste

Morning: Circular leaders (including wine, food and beverages, building, construction, fisheries, nature) show how they have reduced waste, repurposed byproducts, or created new revenue streams from "waste."
Midday: Waste Challenge Mapping: Identify business-specific waste streams + select 1 trial action for next 6 months.
Afternoon: Immersion experiences to waste initiatives and innovative approaches across the region

Day 3 - Nature and Biodiversity

Morning: Farmers, viticulturists & landscapers share regenerative planting, biodiversity corridors, and ecosystem services initiatives.
Midday: Biodiversity on Your Site Toolkit Workshop — Co-design biodiversity plans for business properties (guided by local ecologists & farming leaders)
Afternoon: Immersion experiences to nature, land and biodiversity initiatives across the region.

Day 4 - Energy & Carbon

Morning: Businesses share their real decarbonisation journeys: EV transitions, renewable installations, process efficiencies — including the unexpected savings, costs and impacts.
Midday: Carbon Reduction Sprints — Design quick-win carbon actions + long-term projects with support from energy consultants and local peers.
Afternoon: Site visits to Carbon and Energy initiatives across the region

Day 5 - Taking the courage to act

Morning: Businesses share how they initiated climate actions, including failures, lessons, and unexpected wins.
Midday: Climate Action Map Workshop — Business leaders build their tailored action roadmaps (guided by peers + facilitators).
Afternoon: Immersion to unique businesses focussed on climate resilience

Immersion Experience Hosts Confirmed

Yealands Estate Winery
Carbonscape
Wineworks

Climate Action Marlborough has had the support of Yealands Estate Wines from its inception and we are super grateful to have their support for Climate Action Week Marlborough 2026. They are committed to influencing the Marlborough business community, driving collaboration that impacts climate resilience, education, health and wellbeing of a thriving region and growing our regions expertise.