Influencing Policy In The Environmental Space
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Conference Details
Date: 10-12 June 2024
Venue: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Delegates: 430
The Environmental Defence Society’s (EDS) annual conference ‘The Future is Now: Biodiversity, Climate and Us’ was held in Ōtautahi Christchurch in June 2024. With 430 delegates in-person and another 60 online, it was the biggest yet, reflecting serious and widespread interest in the New Zealand Government’s evolving environmental policies.
The conference focused on the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, what is at stake for the nation, and where the solutions lie.
Delegates from around Aotearoa took a deep dive into issues of climate, oceans, resource management, freshwater, conservation, energy and biodiversity. The conference included presentations and workshops led by international and national experts and politicians, and built on te ao Māori knowledge and perspectives.
Addressing Twin Crises
EDS CEO Gary Taylor said, “As a thought-leader in the environmental space, EDS seeks to protect and restore Aotearoa New Zealand’s outstanding landscapes, freshwater systems, oceans and indigenous biodiversity.
"We are living in the midst of two crises: climate change and biodiversity loss. Much of our flora and fauna is unique, having evolved on these islands over millennia. Regular environmental reporting shows that it is declining, and we now have 4,000 or so species threatened or at risk of extinction.”
EDS CEO - Gary TaylorAs a thought-leader in the environmental space, EDS seeks to protect and restore Aotearoa New Zealand’s outstanding landscapes, freshwater systems, oceans and indigenous biodiversity."
Pooling Collective Wisdom
The EDS 2024 conference built on te ao Māori perspectives and knowledge. It drew diverse participants together to galvanise progress towards solving Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest environmental problems.
It was a timely opportunity to pool collective wisdom on key environmental challenges: climate, oceans, resource management, freshwater, conservation, energy and biodiversity.
International and national experts, and politicians ran informative and interactive workshops on emerging issues. Presenters came from many sectors and perspectives and engaged in often frank and sometimes challenging dialogue.
Key Outcomes
“A key theme that emerged from the discourse was that we shouldn’t silo our climate and biodiversity responses: we need to address them together and transition our energy systems without causing environmental harm. To smooth that pathway there is an increasing need for everyone on all sides of the debate to engage more deeply, to foster durable solutions.”
A communique was issued after the conference: “Government policies failing our environment”. It included recordings of interviews with the Government Minister Hon Shane Jones (Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Regional Development and Resources, and Associate Minister for Energy), and the Labour Opposition spokesperson for the Environment, Hon Rachel Brooking.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton presented a keynote speech. Entitled “Environment and economics: A marriage of (in)convenience?”, his speech outlined “five truths that involve some hard thinking about the sort of economy we want to have and the trade-offs that cannot be wished away”.
The conference also garnered significant interest from mainstream media and the wider public through engagement with social media channels. Newsroom, Newshub, RNZ, Farmers Weekly, the Otago Daily Times, and the NZ Herald all included coverage of the conference. EDS posted session updates on its LinkedIn and social media outlets which received widespread attention.
EDS Events Director - Fiona DriverThe city is an ideal size for a conference like this, easy to get around on foot and with a good number of accommodation options in close vicinity to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and the Christchurch Town Hall,”
Christchurch: Ideal Destination To Meet
EDS Events Director, Fiona Driver said Christchurch ticked all the boxes as the destination for this conference.
“The city is an ideal size for a conference like this, easy to get around on foot and with a good number of accommodation options in close vicinity to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and the Christchurch Town Hall,” she said.
We received strong support from Christchurch-based delegates (30%) and those attending from outside the city (70%) saw Christchurch as a desirable conference destination.
“One of EDS’s primary focus areas is on landscape issues. The Canterbury region is a great place to showcase the beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand and look at answers to many environmental and landscape challenges.”
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