Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Mindful Money

Aotearoa New Zealand’s institutional investors are making significant strides in climate governance and emissions reporting, but remain cautious in translating climate ambition into investment action, according to the 2025 Survey of Investor Climate Policies and Actions released today.

The survey, conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Finance, Mindful Money, and Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC), captures the views and practices of 27 major New Zealand investors, representing over $263 billion in assets under management—more than half of the country’s total.

The findings show a marked improvement in climate governance: 

• 91% of investors reported board-level awareness of climate risks and strategies;
• Nearly half (48%) have now set net zero targets, up from 30% in 2023; and
• 93% are measuring at least some of the emissions associated with their portfolios.

However, the report highlights a persistent gap between climate risk awareness and capital allocation:

• 17% of investors currently invest in climate solutions such as renewable energy or low-carbon infrastructure; and
• 13% have set public targets to increase these investments.

“New Zealand investors clearly understand the financial imperative of managing climate risk,” said Barry Coates, CEO of Mindful Money. “But despite falling costs and rising opportunities in clean technologies, investment in climate solutions remains low. This is potentially a missed opportunity for both returns and impact.”

The survey identifies key barriers to climate-aligned investing, including regulatory uncertainty, lack of clear definitions, and limited data—particularly for private and alternative asset classes. While the introduction of mandatory Climate-Related Disclosures (CRD) has driven improvements in emissions tracking, many investors are still navigating the complexities of the new reporting regime.

Public pressure is also mounting. Recent surveys show that 74% of New Zealanders expect their fund managers to reach net zero before 2050. Yet, the report notes that few investors have escalation strategies when companies fail to act on climate, and shareholder activism remains limited compared to Australia.

“Investors are responding to fiduciary duty and risk management, but they’re also hearing the call from clients and the public,” said Duncan Paterson, Director of Investor Practice at IGCC. “The next step is to move from measurement to meaningful investment in the transition.”

The report also underscores the importance of policy stability. While New Zealand’s legislative framework remains intact, recent political shifts have introduced uncertainty. Two-thirds of investors surveyed have engaged in climate policy advocacy over the past year, signalling a growing recognition of the finance sector’s role in shaping a supportive policy environment.

As global standards evolve and expectations rise, the report calls for stronger alignment between climate ambition and investment practice. With the right tools, data, and policy signals, New Zealand’s investors are well-positioned to lead in financing a resilient, low-emissions economy.

Notes: 

A webinar will be held at 11am on Tuesday, 2^nd September. Over 250 people have registered so far. Register for the webinar here: https://loghic.eventsair.com/773665/128311/Site/Register

About CSF 

The Centre for Sustainable Finance is an independently governed charitable trust, founded in 2021, which works with partners across the finance system to enable and accelerate capital flows towards sustainability and resilience outcomes across key sectors of New Zealand’s economy.   

About Mindful Money  

Mindful Money is a charity that promotes ethical and impact investment in New Zealand. It provides transparency for KiwiSaver and managed fund investors on portfolio holdings, together with public education and engagement. Mindful Money provides services to the financial sector including research on the integration of climate change into investment portfolios. 

About IGCC 

The Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) is a collaboration of Australian and New Zealand institutional investors focused on the impact of climate change on investments. IGCC represents investors with total funds under management of over $5 trillion in Australia and New Zealand and $35 trillion globally. IGCC members’ beneficiaries include more than 14.8 million Australians and millions more New Zealanders. 

Responding to the devastating earthquake that struck eastern provinces of Afghanistan, Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said:

“Amnesty International expresses its deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in the devastating earthquake that has come at a time when Afghanistan faces a multitude of existing crises.

“More than 22 million people, almost half of the country’s population, already remain in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. The humanitarian crisis is further deepened by the mass deportation of more than 1.9 million Afghan refugees and asylum seekers from Iran and Pakistan – many of whom had been living in makeshift tents near the borders. Additionally, many donor countries, including the US, have cut or scaled back aid and assistance for the people of Afghanistan.  

“The Taliban de-facto authorities have also been responsible for the shrinking of operations of humanitarian and aid agencies in the country due to restrictive policies and a ban on Afghan women working for the UN as well as other NGOs in Afghanistan. This is part of the Taliban’s systematic attack on human rights in the country.

“Amnesty International calls on the Taliban de facto authorities to ensure immediate and unimpeded access to all humanitarian organizations and to remove administrative barriers delaying needs assessments. They must attend to the needs of the affected communities and ensure that rescue and relief efforts are carried out without discrimination. Special measures must be put in place to ensure that the human rights of the most at-risks groups who often face compounded challenges in crisis situations, including women, children, older persons, and people with disabilities, are guaranteed in relief and recovery efforts.

“In times of crisis, it is vital that human rights protections are at the heart of the response. The Taliban de-facto authorities must ensure that they uphold their human rights obligations and take steps to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in a manner that is non-discriminatory and effective in responding to people's needs.”

Background:

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck just before midnight local time in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. At least 800 people have been killed and 2,500 injured as several villages are completely destroyed.

Afghanistan suffered a devastating magnitude-6.3 earthquake in October 2023, which flattened villages and left thousands killed. Due to sanctions, international isolation and Taliban interference, rescue workers said at the time, that there was little to no aid available for the people and thousands remained trapped for days without help.

A New Zealand real estate leader is applauding the Government’s decision to amend the ban on foreign property buyers.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today confirmed that foreign investors with an Active Investor Plus residency visa will now be able to buy or build one home in NZ, with a minimum value of $5 million.
 
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty managing director Mark Harris says it’s a prudent move by the Government.
 
“We are delighted by the announcement,” he says. “Given the state of NZ’s economy, we need as much productive investment as we can get. By allowing foreigners to own a holiday home here, it encourages them to invest in other business ventures in NZ, which then leads to capital expenditure and job creation.
 
“We have many examples of foreign holiday homeowners here who – prior to 2018 – contributed greatly to the community with business investment. In recent years, Australia has benefitted from the investors NZ has turned away.”
 
Harris says the impact from allowing foreign buyers to enter the NZ housing market is negligible, but the economic boost is significant. The minimum value of a foreign investor-purchased property is set at $5 million, which equates to less than 1% of NZ homes.
 
“The ban was introduced to assist first home buyers but it’s had minimal effect – prices have still increased dramatically over the past six years,” he says. “Allowing foreign buyers into the country while introducing a value hurdle protects the domestic buyer and limits the number of investors who can purchase.”

About New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty                

01 SEPTEMBER 2025 – Equinor has assessed the proposal put forward by the Board of Directors of Ørsted A/S on 11 August 2025 for a Rights Issue with pre-emptive rights for existing shareholders (the “Rights Issue”).

Following dialogue with Ørsted, Equinor has decided to support the proposal to strengthen Ørsted’s balance sheet in response to the current industry challenges.

As a long-term industrial shareholder, Equinor intends to participate in the Rights Issue and maintain its 10% ownership share in Ørsted. Ahead of the next annual general meeting, Equinor will also nominate a candidate to Ørsted’s board of directors.

Equinor’s support of the Rights Issue reflects confidence in Ørsted’s underlying business, and the competitiveness of offshore wind in the future energy mix, in selected geographies.

In response to the challenges facing offshore wind, the industry will see consolidation and new business models. Equinor believes that a closer industrial and strategic collaboration between Ørsted and Equinor can create value for all shareholders in both companies.

Equinor is following recent developments around the offshore wind industry in the US closely and will remain in dialogue with Ørsted as the situation evolves.

Subject to the final terms of the Rights Issue, Equinor will subscribe for new shares at a consideration of up to DKK 6 billion, or around USD 939 million, based on a USD/DKK exchange rate of 6.39.

Equinor will participate in the Rights Issue within its communicated financial framework and remains committed to delivering competitive capital distribution.

Equinor’s offshore wind portfolio consists of 0.4 GW net installed capacity, and a further 3.0 GW under development. The current focus is on completing the ongoing development projects in North-West Europe and Empire Wind 1 in the US.

New Zealand and the Republic of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to strengthen international cooperation on emergency management says Director Civil Defence Emergency Management John Price.

The agreement between New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea was signed at the APEC Senior Disaster Management Officials Forum on 30 July 2025.

“At the heart of emergency management is always people and their safety. NEMA expresses our deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased in Korea following the landslides and floods that occurred as a result of torrential rain in July,” John Price says.

“With the growing impacts of emergencies globally, it is critical that countries work together to build resilience, reduce risk, and improve preparedness for emergencies. The Memorandum of Cooperation with the Republic of Korea is an example of this, as emergencies and disasters have no boundaries.

“New Zealand and Korea face shared challenges from hazards such as severe weather, flooding and tsunami. This partnership enables us to learn from each other, improving and developing how we respond to and recover from these events.”

“The Memorandum of Cooperation will provide avenues for sharing best practices and lessons between our two countries, as well as opportunities for joint research and participation in training, workshops, and exercises, so we can prepare for and respond better in the future.

“The agreement reflects our shared commitment to improving resilience across the Asia-Pacific region through a more coordinated and collaborative approach. The emergency management system is both national and international.”

The agreement is part of NEMA’s work as an internationally recognised leader in emergency management. NEMA supports Emergency Management initiatives in the global arena with a specific focus on the Pacific and commitments under the United Nations and regional frameworks.

NEMA also has Memorandums of Cooperation with the Australian National Emergency Management Agency, Fiji National Disaster Management Office, the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency, Public Safety Canada, and The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.

“On New Zealand’s worst day it will be our friends and colleagues from these countries who will come to our aid and support us. The whole of the system is greater and stronger than its parts. We all work as one together.”