An (In)Equitable Transition: Where To From Here?

An (In)Equitable Transition: Where To From Here?

Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan talks of the need to consider equity within our climate response. The plan highlights that “climate change is not only an environmental issue. It is also a deeply social issue, with significant implications for those that are most vulnerable…” and that “…climate change also creates intergenerational inequity. If we do not act, we risk leaving a significantly different and less habitable world to our children and our children's children”.

This is nothing new or unique to Tāmaki Makaurau. An equitable, or ‘just’, transition has been at the forefront of discussions around climate action since the drive for change started to gather momentum.

But what in practice have we achieved?

How well are our decisions considering those who will be most impacted by climate change and with the least resources to make the transition to a low carbon future?

Join us as we explore the equity challenges that many at the leading edge of climate action are seeing, and the lessons we have learnt (or need to learn) from our recent experiences of society-shaping disruption.

Tuesday 12 September 2023
5.30pm - 7.30pm 
(doors open 5pm for networking)
MIT Manukau Theatre
Corner of Manukau Station Road and Davies Avenue, Manukau, Auckland
 

This event is in collaboration with: 

More details of additional speakers coming soon!

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Josephine Bartley

Councillor, Auckland Council

Josephine Bartley is an Auckland Councillor representing the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki ward and serving her third term. She was first elected in 2018 and became the first Pacific woman to join the governing body of Auckland since the supercity was formed.  This term she is the chair of Regulatory and Safety committee. She is a qualified lawyer and worked for Ministry of Consumer Affairs for 14 years as a consumer law expert. She is proud of her South Auckland upbringing attending McAuley High School then Auckland University. She has come through the ranks of local government serving seven years on the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local board including as its chair. She serves on various community organisations, as a board member of the Glen Innes Family Centre, set up the local community patrols in her area, a change agent for HEART which is a movement promoting healthy relationships in Tāmaki to prevent domestic violence, served on her local business associations and environmental forums.

 

David Hall

Climate Policy Director, Toha

Dr David Hall is Climate Policy Director at Toha, Adjunct Lecturer in Climate Action at AUT University, and Principal Investigator for AUT’s Living Laboratories Programme. He has a DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford and his previous roles include the Forestry Ministerial Advisory Group, Contributing Author to IPCC AR6 WG2, and Founding Director of the Climate Innovation Lab for climate finance. He has published widely on climate action, sustainable finance and just transitions, and edited the 2019 essay collection A Careful Revolution: Towards a Low-emissions Future. 

Jill Kwan

Rangatahi Advisory Panel Member, Aotearoa Circle

Jill is on the Rangatahi Advisory Panel at the Aotearoa Circle, and is passionate about sustainable systems and the long-term welfare of diverse peoples. Building a portfolio career across business and the arts, her mission is to create lasting improvements and impressions across disciplines.

Graduating with a BCom from the University of Melbourne, Jill brings 7 years’ experience across banking and consulting, receiving the 2022 Risk NZ Emerging Risk Professional award. She is also a theatre-maker, deeply interested in diverse and urgent stories. Her latest play ‘How To Throw A Chinese Funeral’ investigates diaspora and intergenerationality, and was a finalist for the 2022 Adam NZ Play Award.

Johnnie Freeland

Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngai Tuhoe

Johnnie is a wayfinder, systems navigator and whakapapa centred designer.  He brings together more than 30 years’ knowledge and lived experience of serving community and in guiding and navigating a range of Iwi, Māori community and public sector organisations in working to achieve better outcomes with Māori.    

He utilises mātauranga Māori – Māori knowledge systems thinking, knowledge and practice in navigating systems.  He draws on specific knowledge and practice of maramataka – lunar celestial cycles and whakatere waka – waka navigation in designing Oranga Motuhake/well-being pathways, with whānau, hapū, iwi and organisations.

Johnnie has helped navigate a whakapapa centred response to climate change within Tāmaki Makaurau, through the Tāmaki Makaurau Mana Whenua Forum.  In partnering with the Auckland Council, together they worked to harness the benefits of drawing on mātauranga Māori knowledge and western science to navigate a way forward for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland through Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri Auckland’s Climate Plan.

He has also worked with the Te Waiohua Iwi of Te Ākitai, Ngāti Tāmaoho and Ngāti Te Ata, in leading and underpinning Te Whakaoranga o te Puhinui – Puhinui Regeneration programme alongside Auckland Council, Manurewa and Ōtara Papatoetoe Local Boards, Eke Pānuku and Kainga Ora, focused on regenerating the ecological, social, cultural and economic well-being of the Puhinui stream and its communities.

Corbin Whanga

Executive Board Member, Ora Taiao New Zealand Health and Climate Council

Corbin is a public health practitioner with a background in mental health and wellbeing, engagement, and community voice. He holds a deep commitment to equity, sustainability, and the health and wellbeing of Aotearoa communities. This is the driving force behind his work in the community, health sector, and public service.

A keen interest in the interface of our natural environments, multicultural perspectives, and hauora has led Corbin to the space of climate health. This includes exploring communion with our natural environments and prioritizing informed community perspective and ecosystem thinking in policy and decision making.

Corbin is an executive board member of Ora Taiao New Zealand Health and Climate Council, and a community board member for Multicultural New Zealand. Through this work he embraces an indigenous multicultural perspective advocating for sustainable health and social progress as the leading motivation shaping the future of Aotearoa. 

Faiesea Ah Chee

Pacific Climate Warrior

Faiesea is originally from Samoa, a frontline nation fighting and experiencing climate change. She is a Pacific Climate Warrior, who believes we need to be heard internationally as “we are not drowning we are fighting". Faiesea works in every way to support her communities. She is on the board of the Auckland Climate festival, is a Pacific Community Climate Catalyst for Auckland Council, and works for Pacific Vision Aotearoa. As a daughter of Savaii and Samoa, climate change and the protection of our Indigenous languages and oceans is our reality, it is what we fight for every day. She has always dreamt of a future as an environmentalist fighting against climate change and protecting Savaii. She grew up selling fish for a living, and was surrounded by fishermen. She moved here and realised that climate change is affecting our islands. 

Alec Tang

Partner, KPMG

Alec is a Partner at KPMG New Zealand, co-leading the firm’s Climate Change, Decarbonisation, ESG and Sustainability practice, and is also a lecturer in Sustainable Business at AUT University. As a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Alec has focused his career on addressing the breadth of sustainability challenges and opportunities that are increasingly shaping our communities, society and economy. This has included a range of leaderships positions in academia, business and the public sector, most recently as Director of Sustainability at Kāinga Ora and leading the Chief Sustainability Office at Auckland Council through the development of Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan.

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