SBC connects member businesses, partners, and sectors to create impact that no single business could achieve alone. We work with executives and sustainability professionals to maximise their positive impact for shareholders, communities and the environment. We hold our members to account by asking them to fulfil member commitments. We deliver impact by championing our members to be at the leading-edge of sustainability and in doing so inspire other businesses to take action.

How we do it

We support members to be at the forefront of sustainability by:

- Creating a community of like-minded businesses;

- Providing a platform for members to express their leadership;

- Celebrating sustainable business success;

- Convening impactful projects and collaborations;

- Brokering relationships between members;

- Providing support, tools and capability building; and

- Thought leadership on local and global best practice and emerging trends, including consumer insights.

We act on behalf of our members on climate action and ensuring New Zealanders thrive in a renewed economy. We do this through:

- Providing a clear, consistent and reputable voice for sustainable business;

- Partnering with other organisations on issues that help achieve our vision;

And leveraging our relationship with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Member Commitments

When joining SBC, members make a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and build sustainability into their purchasing decisions.

They are required to introduce annual reporting practices, which outline their progress on environmental, social, governance and economic issues.

Every two years SBC reviews each member and tells them where they could go further to meet their commitments.

We reserve the right to ask members who don't meet their commitments to leave SBC.

A unique positioning

SBC is the only New Zealand-based Global Network Partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Geneva.

We have aligned our work to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Who we work with

We actively look to collaborate and partner with organisations that can enable us to achieve our vision. This includes BusinessNZ (SBC is part of the Business NZ network), the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC), the Climate Change Commission and other relevant government agencies. We also work with other like-minded organisations such as the Sustainable Business Network and the Aotearoa Circle.

Our key principles

We recognise that sustainability challenges must be tackled systematically. We operate in an agile way that allows us to respond to emerging issues and member need, co-designing solutions to drive change. We are guided by the principles that businesses that have sustainability at their core are more successful over the long term; the principle of kaitiakitanga; and that our actions should be practical and impactful.

Our three pillars

All of our work is linked to the three pillars of our strategy:

Leadership

We inspire businesses to lead by creating a community of positive change, supporting members to go further, and celebrating their leadership and success.

Climate Action

We work with our members to act on climate change, aligning with the Climate Leaders Coalition to do so. This includes enabling members to measure, report on, and reduce their emissions.

Thriving People

Our ambition is for a thriving world of work that is inclusive and sustainable. We want people to thrive – personally, professionally, and as active members of society.