Last updated:
May 2007
Twenty-three background papers from a range of contributors have been written for the PCE's sustainability review. The topics range from housing, corporate reporting, fisheries, biodiversity, climate change, nature-based tourism, and measuring real wealth to studies from Lyttelton, Kaikoura, North Shore, and Christchurch.
Perusing these papers may help you to contribute to the PCE's Sustainability forum. Please note that the papers are contributions to a discussion, and the PCE does not necessarily endorse their views - see our Disclaimer and Integrity Statement.
(All the papers below are PDFs. If needed, the software to download them can be found opposite).
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by Anew NZ
Significant work on progress indicators is taking place in New Zealand but the challenge is to achieve integration and comparability of the diverse indicator sets. Gross Domestic Product should no longer be used as a key indicator of society's well-being. Six action steps are recommended. |
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by Paul Blaschke et al
The contribution of nature-based tourism to sustainable development in New Zealand is assessed. Some conclusions are drawn from five case studies. |
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by Ian Boothroyd and M.Drury
The forces contributing to the sustainability of natural resources in urban (including peri-urban) environments are discussed, along with the human, social and economic contexts that will advance sustainability. The authors conclude that sustainable development requires a greater integration of policy within a dynamic and integrative framework.
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by Klaus Bosselmann
Over 80% of OECD countries either have in place or are working on national sustainable development strategies (NSDS). In scoping the history, international developments and key features of NSDS, this paper shows why New Zealand needs one too. |
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by Roger Buck
The challenges around creating Kakariki Lane, a low-density housing development on a 2.83 hectare site owned collectively by five families. |
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by Dr Claire Freeman et al
Habitat loss and fragmentation, the primary causes of biodiversity loss, are due largely to urban and agricultural development. But urban areas can also contribute to biodiversity, as a Dunedin research programme illustrates. (This paper was revised on 2 February 2007). |
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by Mark Gibbs
In 100 years of growth the New Zealand fishing and aquaculture industries have not undergone a full and formal sustainability assessment. That cannot be performed until a suitable framework is agreed upon. |
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by Annabelle Giorgetti
The link between economic growth and energy consumption is explored and, consequently, the production of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide. The paper aims to highlight the key sustainability issues in decoupling this link, and to encourage further discussion. |
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by Dr Wren Green
The 2000 launch of the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy was an important milestone in protecting the nation's valued species, places and ecosystems. This paper summarises the independent 2005 review of progress. |
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by Dr Wren Green
Policy and research on climate change in New Zealand has paid little attention to the impact on indigenous biodiversity. This paper explores the effects of climate change not only on the future of natural systems, but also on an economy that relies heavily on biological systems. |
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by Kerry Griffiths and Julia Lindesay
The emergence of triple bottom line (TBL) reporting in New Zealand, where stakeholder demands for information and transparency are not as strong as they are internationally. |
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by Jan Heijs et al
Long Bay on the northern fringe of North Shore City is a rural-residential 'greenfields' catchment. A discussion of a structure plan for the area which aims to provide for sustainable urban development. |
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by Viv Heslop
Little analysis exists of attempts to structure institutions to better support sustainable development. Institutional arrangements will need to adapt over time. This paper discusses one example - the Auckland Sustainable Cities programme. |
Lyttelton working towards sustainability: A case study of Project Port Lyttelton, a community group acting as catalyst
(4.1 MB pdf - the full version with photos and diagrams, or a smaller version - 0.15 MB pdf - without photos)
by Margaret Jefferies and Wendy Everingham
Project Port Lyttelton is a grass roots community group that works to bring about a sustainable world locally. An exploration of aspects including communication, values, networking, and taking risks, and a review of several Lyttelton projects. |
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by the Kaikoura District Council
A community vision of a sustainable future for Kaikoura, a district increasingly well known for its initiatives to reduce environmental impacts. |
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by Gavin Kenny
Despite science-policy dialogue, an apparent gridlock on climate change policy remains. We need to work more imaginatively with the vast amount of information, experience, wisdom and knowledge available to us. |
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by Gael Ogilvie
The public and private sector relationship in terms of environmental management has fundamentally changed. A New Zealand Sustainable Development Commission would be one way to ensure effective public and private sector interaction for a sustainable future. |
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by Aisling O'Sullivan and David Painter
Education of future generations is essential for environmental sustainability to occur. Some methods to integrate ecological sustainability and professional engineering are proposed. |
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by John Peet
Our economy's relationships with the natural environment, society and our institutional framework are not sustainable. To move forward we need a national strategy for sustainable development and policy tools including ecotaxes and tradeable permits. |
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by Lin Roberts
An overview of sustainability in New Zealand using the science-based systems framework developed by The Natural Step. Global society is at a crossroads and New Zealanders need to act in a much more integrated way to adopt more sustainable practices. |
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by Lesley Stone and Maria-Jose Baldoni
A review of tertiary education for sustainability concludes that institutional support for interdisciplinary programmes in general, and sustainability-related programmes in particular, tends to be low. |
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by Prue Taylor
Sustainable development risks a legal interpretation in the same way as the narrower concept of 'sustainable management'. That will result in a 'business as usual' approach and no attempt to address the broader causes of unsustainable behaviour. |
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by Robert Vale and Charles Eason
Sustainability seen in terms of self-reliant, resilient, and resource efficient housing, of which few New Zealand examples exist. Sustainable housing means new buildings and neighbourhoods with zero non-renewable energy consumption to suit a range of tastes and incomes. |
