The Funders Commitment on Climate Action includes seven-parts, encompassing a unique Aotearoa perspective reflecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori aspirations, and reporting back to our communities and stakeholders the actions that signatories undertake.
Climate Action Co-Leads, Esther Whitehead and Arohanui West, met with individually signatories in April and May 2023 to have an organic conversation and collect qualitative data. A self-audit survey was then sent out to collect quantitative data, focusing on measures of climate action progression, which were drawn from a 2022 baseline survey.
This inaugural report encapsulates these findings and shares signatories’ progress on climate thinking and action from May 2022 to May 2023, and their challenges and opportunities. It provides comprehensive recommendations to signatories for short and longer-term action.
Reporting annually allows us to monitor our progress on the commitments, continue to develop our practice, learn from others and share our learnings. This Funders Commitment inaugural report provides us with clear indicators of what’s working well and what areas require further development.
Nā to rourou, nā toku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi - with your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.
As extreme weather events become more prevalent in Aotearoa, eagerness to mobilise our collective response to the climate emergency accelerates. The report reaffirms that there is a keen willingness amongst all signatories to commit and share resources. Significantly, there was also a huge willingness to enable tangata whenua leadership and aspirations on climate change, with 96% rating it as high compared to only 18% rating in 2022.
Click here to download the Inaugural 2023 Report
About Climate Action Aotearoa:
In October 2021, a collective of Community Trusts launched Climate Action Aotearoa: the Funders Commitment on Climate Action. Climate Action Aotearoa signals the beginning of a collective willing to take considered action on climate change in Aotearoa. The aim is for all funders in Aotearoa to join and for philanthropy to enable the big shifts we all need to make.
The commitment is designed to be a high-level document that other New Zealand philanthropic funders are encouraged to sign up to. To read the full commitment and join the efforts, please visit www.climateactionaotearoa.co.nz.
The signatories who have undersigned this commitment include Foundation North, Trust Waikato, BayTrust, Toi Foundation, Eastern and Central Community Trust, Wellington Community Fund, Rātā Foundation, The Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury, Otago Community Trust, Community Trust South, Biome Trust Aotearoa, The Gift Trust, Seed The Change | He Kakano Hapai, and The Values Trust.