Blog
Humans disturb Antarctica’s marine ecosystems
The introduction of alien species, pollution, overfishing and a mix of other human activities is degrading the marine ecosystems in Antarctica. There is an Antarctic Treaty system in place which sets out a framework for the continent’s management and protection....
China’s 12th Five-Year Plan
China is now prioritising strategies and measures to ensure long-term prosperity in the form of ‘higher quality’ and ‘inclusive’ growth. Specifically, China intends to concentrate on the following industries over the next five years: new energy, energy conservation...
Iceland’s Constitutional Review
The internet has become a recognised human right. Now Iceland is using social media as a platform to allow the public to comment on potential constitutional changes. The process which started earlier this year is estimated to take 3 or 4 months and so far has produced...
James Hansen asks Key to lead on climate change
Below is a press release following NASA climate scientist James Hansen's talks in New Zealand. Only minor variations have been made for the purposes of this blog. At the end of his tour of New Zealand, eminent climate scientist Dr James Hansen has written an open...
International Millennium Node Presentation
At the World Futures Conference 2011 in Vancouver I attended a presentation called ‘Futurists’ Views from Around the World’. The presentation involved members of Millennium Project Nodes from around the world discussing the future challenges facing their countries:...
Meeting with David Suzuki Foundation
While in Vancouver we were fortunate to meet with Jay Ritchlin, the Director of the Marine and Freshwater Program at the David Suzuki Foundation. Jay talked to us about the work they have been doing on Marine and Freshwater research and the lessons they have learnt...
Sustainable Future Institute in Vancouver
Over the weekend Wendy McGuinness presented the outputs from our StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future event at the World Future Society Conference in Vancouver. These outputs include the newly published Report 13: StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future Strategy Maps, in which all...
Video: Keeping the Best and Brightest in NZ
It has been predicted that 400,000 New Zealanders will migrate to Australia in the next 10 years. This has led people to question how can we keep businesses here? And how can we provide the conditions for thriving business? As businesses provide the higher wages that...
Video: People of the Coral Triangle
The coral triangle is allegedly the most bio-diverse marine eco-system in the world. Dependent on the regions natural resources are over 120 million people. The Bajau Laut are a seafaring nomadic tribe who are having their way of life threatened. This is due to recent...
SFI Presentations
On Wednesday 15 June 2011 Jess Prendergast presented at the Leadership NZ 2011 Conversation Series at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. Wendy McGuinness has also recently presented at Otago University as part of the Women and Leadership Course. Speaking on the topic of...
Constructing a House Fit for the Future
The current constitutional review gives New Zealanders an opportunity to develop a single, entrenched, written constitution; a comprehensive set of rights and responsibilities; an effective and simplified representation system; and clarity over the role of te Tiriti...
The Institute’s Response
The following entry is in response to the Editorial: Plan for today as well as tomorrow and the accompanying article Wellington’s 2040 strategy ‘time-consuming and distracting’ (16 June, Dominion Post). Forward thinking and strategic planning are key skills which...
Better Life Initiative
GDP and economic statistics are only two factors to consider when evaluating the quality of life in different countries. The OECD has developed an index that allows you to compare well-being across countries based on 11 topics they think are essential. You can choose...
Exploring the Future of Christchurch
As stated in the previous blog entry, it is now more important than ever to consider the future of Christchurch. Get involved with Magnetic South, an online idea-generating game designed to help people explore the future together, and ensure your opinions are heard....
Personal account – Surviving 2 disasters
Our hearts go out to all of those in Christchurch affected by the recent after shocks. In light of the circumstances, it seems all the more important to draw your attention to Roger Dennis' blog entry 'Lessons learnt from 2 disasters'. This is a personal account of...
Treaty website launch
The Institute of Policy Studies and Te Kawa a Māui are jointly launching an interactive website, which examines issues likely to arise in the Crown Māori relationship in the post-Treaty settlements era. The aim of the website is to assist the policy community and the...
Exploring Christchurch’s Future
POSTPONED - Magnetic South is an online idea-generating game designed to help people explore the future together. Whether you have five minutes or five hours you can help explore what the future will be like, and what this will mean with regard to decisions made about...
Leaders Inspiring Action Through Storytelling
Leadership New Zealand is hosting a Conversation Series – ‘Connecting with people through storytelling’ – on Wednesday 15 June. Guest speakers, including Jess, the Institute’s Project 2058 Director, will present on how they have used the power of storytelling to...
Thought Leaders Global
On June 2 the Institute is hosting a Thought Leaders Global event with Jennie Vickers. Find our more about them here.
2 government initiatives
On Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 June the GOVIS conference is being held. This event will bring together over 200 Government leaders and IT staff to discuss disaster response and recovery lessons, technology developments and managing, protecting government information...
New Zealand: The place where talent wants to live
We wish to thank Sir Paul Callaghan for his thought provoking and inspiring speech at Te Papa, on 19 May. Many of the ideas raised extended on those discussed at StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future; so, if you didn't get to get the chance to see him talk, have a look at...
3 opportunities in May
Thursday 19 May, Wellington: The 2011 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year, Sir Paul Callaghan, will be speaking on "New Zealand: the place where talent wants to live". This continues discussions from StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future and therefore will be of particular...
First Light NZ to compete internationally
Congratulations to Anna Farrow, Nick Officer and the rest of the team at First Light NZ. First Light NZ is one of 20 teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 for their Meridian First Light house. This award winning house is...
StrategyNZ Workshop
AboutThe StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future course and workshop brought together participants from around New Zealand and challenged them to work in groups to develop strategy maps that showed their vision for New Zealand and how we get there. Thank you to the New Zealand...
Dr Peter Bishop Interviewed on National Radio
This morning Dr Peter Bishop was interviewed by Chris Laidlaw on National Radio. He discussed the overarching landscape of Future Studies globally and the role of professional futurists. He also describes some of the techniques and tools used by futurists to develop...
Three Questions
We are fast approaching our workshop StrategyNZ: Mapping our Future on 30 and 31 March. Your responses to these three questions will help us to understand the current concerns of New Zealanders, which in turn will inform the development of a long term strategy for New...
Top 200 Companies Integrated Reporting Survey Released
The Institute is happy to announce the publication of Integrated Annual Report Survey of New Zealand's Top 200 Companies: Exploring Responses from Chief Financial Officers on Emerging reporting Issues. This finalises the first stage of Project One Integrated Report....
Merry Christmas from the team at Sustainable Future
Designed by Gillian McCarthy
Constitutional Review Announced
We are happy to hear the announcement today of a constitutional review. The review's terms of reference are: The size of Parliament. The length of terms of Parliament and whether or not the term should be fixed. The size and number of electorates, including the method...
Air New Zealand Environment Trust Animation
Really cool animation we found at the Air New Zealand Environment Trust website. It chronicles New Zealand’s ecological history and is well worth a look. To view the animation click on the image below.
Harvard Business School eBook
We are pleased to announce that the findings from the 'Top 200 Companies Integrated Annual Report Survey' have been published in the Harvard Business School free e-book, titled 'The Landscape of Integrated Reporting: Reflections and Next Steps'. The e-book captures...
Boston Conference on Integrated Reporting
I have just returned home from a “Workshop on Integrated Reporting: Frameworks and Action Plan” sponsored by the Business and Environment Initiative of the Harvard Business School. Robert G. Eccles, co-author of One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable...
NZICA – Fit for the Future?
In a recent article in the Sunday Star Times, ‘Accounting attitude doesn’t add up’, Rod Oram noted with disbelief that the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) was supposedly redesigning itself as Fit for the Future, yet had decided to disband the...
Invasion of New Zealand by Australia
If you haven't seen these they are definitely worth a watch: Two Australian advertising agencies prepared mock ads for a TV programme called The Gruen Transfer (which screens on ABC in Australia on Monday nights) promoting an invasion of New Zealand. One agency's...
Global Foresight Books Launched
We would like to congratulate Michael Marien on sucessfully launching the Global Foresight Books (GFB) website. The GFB project was initiated in 2009 by Marien to provide a reasonably complete inventory of current affairs books. The site also features short abstracts...
General Meeting of Futures Thinking Aotearoa (NZ Futures Trust)
A general meeting for Futures Thinking Aotearoa (New Zealand Futures Trust) took place at the Sustainable Future Institute today, the 16th of August 2010. Three new board members were announced; Bob Frame, Ian Yeoman and Amy Fletcher. Three members of the board stood...
Stephen Hay Presentation – Building Tomorrow’s Service Organisations out of Today’s
27 September 2010 Forum Stephen Hay of People and Process will lead this engaging discussion on how an unrelenting focus on efficiency has distorted the value creation logic of service organisations, with long-lasting and unintended consequences. Starting with a...
Formation of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC)
The Sustainable Future Institute congratulates the Prince's Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) on announcing the formation of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC). The IIRC's aim is to create a...
Sustainable Future links with International Futurist Organisations
Earlier this month in Boston, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Millennium Project and the Sustainable Future Institute which establishes the Institute as the New Zealand Node of the Millennium Project. The Millennium Project is an independent,...
Report on the State of New Zealand’s Future
While Wendy was in Boston she presented this report at the World Futures Conference. https://www.slideshare.net/sustainablefuture/sustainable-future-institute14july2010 To download this report or see more presentations please visit the presentations page on our...
Baker Library at Harvard Business School
The Baker Library is the Harvard Business School Library. It has over 3/4 million text books and over 40,000 journals, which all form part of a non-circulating collection. I was fortunate to be shown where all 3.4 million are stored underground. HBS is the only...
Wendy at the Harvard Business School
Wendy is currently attending a short course at the Harvard Business School. The course, 'Driving Corporate Performance', is for senior financial executives. Wendy has been keeping us up-to-date with what's happening: There is an exact replica of the lecture theatre...
Wendy at the World Futures Conference
Wendy is off to the States for the 2010 World Futures Conference in Boston where she will be presenting on our Project 2058 progress and getting in touch with some of the foremost futures thinkers in the world. Today she got a look at the 2010 State of the Future...
An Anatomy of Youth
A recent publication from DEMOS institute, ‘An Anatomy of Youth’, examines how politicians in Britain must address policy relevant to young people: “politicians will have to do more than associate themselves with the trappings of youth culture to prove...
Leadership New Zealand Presentation
Leadership New Zealand put on a great event last night to discuss 'New Zealand's Strategic Direction - Building a Blueprint'. Speakers included Joris de Bres (Race Relations Commissioner), Dr Selwyn Katene (Director MANU AO Academy) and Adrian Wimmers (Director...
Sustainable Future Team
We are always excited to see new thinkers join the team, and saddened to see experienced ones go. We have had a few changes to the team over the past year. We lost a much loved and respected member of our team when Richard Shonakan passed away after a long illness in...
Participatory Policy Analysis Seminar
Presented by Dr. Valentina Dinica Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington 16/04/10 Participatory Policy Analysis (PPA). A seminar on the potential usefulness of PPA models in helping develop optimal solutions to ‘wicked’ policy...
Book Review: Futuretainment: Yesterday the world changed now it’s your turn
By Mike Walsh “Massed produced media must give way for media produced by the masses.” page 34. In his insightful new book, digital futurist Mike Walsh observes that until recently media content originated from professionals, was marketed by experts and distributed...
Reform in Paradise II
A reminder for those of you interested in environmental reform – EDS is holding a second Reform in Paradise conference in June. Speakers so far include: Hon John Key, Prime Minister Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister for the Environment Hon Christopher Finlayson, Minister...
Farm gate to plate
Adding to the heated food miles debate of recent years, AgResearch have completed a major study detailing the carbon equivalents released by New Zealand lamb exported to Europe. The report builds on work done by Landcare Research and Lincoln University’s Agribusiness...