The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is a membership-based

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ca ...

located in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, New Zealand. The network was created in October 2002 by founder and CEO Rachel Brown.

History

The network was founded by Rachel Brown in 2002, who continues to serve as the CEO. It is a forum for businesses, government groups, and organizations throughout New Zealand interested in sustainable business practices, and sustainable development. The ultimate goal of the SBN is to make New Zealand a model

sustainable Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...

nation, and maintains 500 member companies. Members are offered networking, educational, and organizational opportunities in order for them to reach their sustainability goals. SBN helps its members collaborate and learn, profile stories, connect, and access practical support.

Campaign for sustainable KiwiSaver options

In January 2015, Chief Executive Rachel Brown asserted there was strong demand for an ethical and sustainable

KiwiSaver The KiwiSaver scheme, a New Zealand savings scheme, came into operation from Monday, 2 July 2007. Participants can normally access their KiwiSaver funds only after the age of 65, but can withdraw them in certain limited circumstances, for examp ...

provider which was not being met by the current market, claiming a mismatch between their criteria and the options being presented through ethical funds at the time. A survey the SBN had conducted of 1,400 people in June 2014 indicated that 90 percent of people wanted a sustainable Kiwisaver option, while 97 percent would actually move to one if the rate of return were the same as conventional schemes. Brown had stated that she was in talks with a number of banks interested in setting up green KiwiSaver funds, which she hoped would launch in 2016.

Online green business course

In January 2015, it was announced that the New Zealand Marketing Association in conjunction with the SBN, and GoodSense Learning, were planning to launch an online professional course in

green marketing Green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. It incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, sustainable packaging, as well as modifying a ...

called "Sustainable Marketing Online".

Organisation

Transformation areas

SBN focuses its activity around four transformation areas it sees as especially critical for New Zealand: *Renewables: enabling the use of renewable energy *Community: building thriving communities *Mega efficiency: maximising the use of all resources *Restorative: enhancing New Zealand's

natural capital Natural capital is the world's stock of natural resources, which includes geology, soils, air, water and all living organisms. Some natural capital assets provide people with free goods and services, often called ecosystem services. All of t ...

All of the SBN's projects and activities are aligned with one or more of these transformation areas.

Membership

Members are given access to resources and knowledge that facilitate them to become a more sustainable business. A membership fee is paid to the SBN based on the organization's turnover. Once a member, the company is introduced into the network of other SBN members where they can share each other's knowledge and come to events to hear other members speak. Members are profiled on the SBN membership directory, receive discounts on national events, and are invited to participate in the NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards as

business transformation In management it has been said that business transformation involves making fundamental changes in how business is conducted in order to help cope with shifts in market environment. However this is a relatively narrow definition that overlooks o ...

projects. Members also have access to SBN tools such as the Get Sust Online assessment tool which allows companies to track progress, see where they could improve, how they stack against other companies and gives them access to resources. Other member benefits include participation in business transformation projects and access to the Carbon4Good Calculator, which allows companies to view their emissions and shows them how to offset these emissions.

NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards

Every year the SBN holds the NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards. They are the longest standing sustainability awards in New Zealand and they showcase businesses, groups and individuals for their sustainable business practices. Members and non-members throughout New Zealand are welcome to enter and in 2013 there were more than 230 entries for the awards. The awards are based on the transformation areas and include: *NZI Greatest Contribution to a Sustainable New Zealand *Renewables - Innovation *Renewables - Impact *Community - Impact *Community Innovation *Mega-efficiency - Innovation *Mega-efficiency - Impact *Restorative - Innovation *Restorative - Impact *Communicating Sustainability *Sustainability Champion *Energy Management

References

{{Authority control Sustainability organizations Organisations based in Auckland