• where we share some of what we have been up to, and
• we hope to hear back from you.

• Following the New Zealand Jobs Summit we blog about the job benefits of taking the plunge into climate action.

• We were excited to read that one of the Job Summit ideas (the unofficial number 21) is a cycle way. We are already working on kick-starting just such a project; we call it the Freeway Zero Spingboard project.

• And if the economic climate has got you thinking about thrift, here are two of our projects with saving money in mind

Choices can help householders save money and increase their wellbeing

M.I.Y (Making it yourself) with the help of World Sweet World can too.

• There is of course lots more on our new website at including a place for you to add your support and give us feedback

A first time for everyone

The first blog.  It reminds me that there is a first time for everyone.  And it isn’t always easy.

Even when you are pretty sure that the jump before you is the right one – there is often the moment of hesitation before the plunge.  Will the water be too cold?  Will I do a belly flop?

When The Hikurangi Foundation was being formed it was the stories of how hard it could be to get started on taking smart actions that focussed our thinking.

• The homeowner who wanted a warmer, more modern and energy efficient home but got frustrated by the maze of green re-fit options
• The professional struggling to scrape together the time to update her skills for a new market she knows is on its way
• The local authority councillor with the obligation to help his community to be more resilient in the future but not enough tried and tested solutions to support

Actually it was bigger than that.  We saw a whole country, faced with the enormous challenge of climate change, mostly willing, but not always able to take the leap to a new, smarter way of doing things.

We’ve seen sufficient evidence that climate change poses a serious threat, but we don’t think Hikurangi is needed to preach doom.

And we’ve heard enough to be convinced that shifting to a climate proofed economy is worth doing.  On jobs for example, United Nations research (1) has found that tackling climate change could potentially generate millions of new employment opportunities in a green economy:

“with the right incentives, the right research and development support programmes, there is massive potential here for new economic sectors to emerge,”
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

So Hikurangi probably doesn’t need to re-invent a sound case for action.
As Achim Steiner point out, we have before us a huge window of opportunity to choose our direction:
“Imagine for a moment if some of the [financial crisis] stimulus packages that are now being developed could be targeted towards not maintaining and sustaining the old economy of the 20th century but investing in the new economy of the 21st century”
But what will enable Kiwis to take that leap?  Help for Kiwis getting to 21st century action is what Hikurangi would like to add.
Our new website sets out some of the stuff we are already trying

• Piloting hundreds of kitchen table conversations helping kiwis to choose sustainable improvements in their wellbeing
• Convening those who can support professionals (like estate agents) develop new skills for emerging markets (like for energy efficient houses)
• Trailing car free holiday options to help stimulate local tourism enterprises
• Encouraging more strategic funding for climate action
• Stimulating low carbon infrastructure investment like cycleways

We want to learn through doing and we want to help others do that too.  That doesn’t mean no mistakes.  But because it is based on sound science, smart strategies and a collaborative approach we hope it means no regrets.
Climate action is the smart thing to do.  Join us in taking the leap.
(1) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28210&Cr=Climate

Leisure cycling (and walking) – particularly on easy, well designed and scenic paths seems to becoming more popular.  The Otago rail trail is one example of a thriving business that is finding new customers amongst Kiwis – many who are cycling for the first time.  There is enormous potential for growth in this kind of tourism.  Not only are there carbon cuts from a holiday that is less dependent on petrol, but from the value of the spread of a positive experience of cycling or walking.  There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of people who have a good time on their holiday taking up cycling again or becoming an advocate of it.

In New Zealand there is a lack of  impetus and coordination to support this to happen on a national/regional scale (as it has in the the Netherlands or the UK – where non government efforts were the real catalyst)> There is real potential to link up the varied, but often discontinuous, cycle (or walking) trail efforts for commuting and leisure at local and regional level.

This project is to kick start an ambitious programme to actually deliver a national network of cycle and walking routes). The first year would involve establishing a springboard group and getting widespread buy-in. The Group would be formed from a fresh and “beyond greenie” range of interests.  We are already collaborating with the Cycle Advocates’ Network and Living Streets Aotearoa.

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This project was trying to create new tools to catalyse of ‘kitchen table’ conversations with householders starting with their wellbeing and end in concrete change for sustainability. It planned to develop training of networkers, a web tool to frame choices, provide resources and log results, and a membership tool to maximise reach and provide an income.

The project went through several stages, as ideas were tired and refined but in the end the development of a web tool combined with the need to find a business model that could sustain the service proved too challenging to do in with the time and resources available.

The team working on this project went through and tried to learn from this experience. Some of the lessons are: Need to understand the resources needed to develop software, need to project plan complex projects from the beginning breaking down into chunks and more formally reviewing at each stage, the importance of governance/management in providing support and setting benchmarks and constraints for projects, the need for skills in business planning and business model development. Some of the thinking that led to the several changes in the project concept is important – for example, a shift from a focus on getting individual action to the need for a platform for those who enable action to collaborate and pool resources

Project Date- 2008

Project Grant- $40,000

This idea is still in play and some of the individuals involved are still pursuing it.

This project was a collaboration between The Hikurangi Foundation and World Sweet World magazine. World Sweet World is for those who like to make things themselves, but to do so in a fun and fresh way. The relatively new magazine had just gone on nationwide distribution. Together we wanted to use our different skills and resources to pilot an idea to get people taking effective and positive climate actions. We involved the growing network of World Sweet World readers in identifying climate actions, doing the actions and rewarding each other for the actions in the form of lovely hand made badges.

The most popular actions were voted on and made into badges. Here are just some of the handmade badges in circulation:

Project Date- 2009

Project Grant- $400

“Love your mag… so do my friends… the badges are too cool…. makes me want to whip one up this morning… thanks for all the inspiration.” World Sweet World reader

Not many estate agents can speak green, but as a market for energy efficient houses develops, those that can will be in demand. This project is a pilot of professional development for estate agents on sustainable houses. The overall aim of this project is to help create a market that values energy efficient homes, giving incentives to homeowners and landlords to invest in energy efficiency improvements, resulting in lower carbon emissions and healthier lives and prosperous green jobs. The specific goal of this project is to provide a new eco-savvy qualification element for estate agents that both helps differentiate them in the market, and helps buyers and sellers realise the value of more sustainable houses. Hikurangi is working with professionals from real estate, eco assessment, and distance learning.

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OUR LATEST NEWS:

What to do with your tea cosy…

What happens when you take community leaders who already do extraordinary things – and simply help them get what they want?

One year ago, Hikurangi asked people who had led remarkable climate change action what they needed so they could do more.  They said:

“freedom from the tyranny of project led funding”
“support for the essential but non-glamourous back room stuff”
“a salary”
“someone to learn from and share the burden with”
“chocolate” (OK, that last one was me) …

read more…

New Zealand’s community environment groups do a great job with very limited resources and little peer support. This Project is about helping them aim even higher and find and use state of the art methods to enable action in their communities. Hikurangi is working with environment centres and environment groups to develop and deliver a Hui and follow-up action that will facilitate better common strategy, more learning about what works and what doesn’t, more access to expertise on communications and monitoring and fun and inspiration.

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Home Holiday Carbon Count
The potential to reduce the carbon footprint of domestic tourism

This project calculated for the first time the carbon footprint of domestic tourism in New Zealand. It will help assess the potential to gain from a greater emphasis on cutting the carbon in domestic tourism. The research will put well referenced information out amongst the industry and in policy and climate circles, providing a basis for sound analysis and collaborative action. This project worked with Lincoln University LEAP.

The final carbon footprint of domestic tourism report is now available.

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Share your plan for action
Add your vital support for this project to be bigger