As hosts of COP26, the UK Government will see more than 100 world leaders attend Glasgow. Sustainable transport forms an important part of the picture. Road transport accounts for 10 percent of global emissions, and emissions are rising faster than in any other sector. COP26 Transport Day on 10 November aims to build consensus on the pace of transition to zero-emission vehicles that is needed to meet the Paris goals, and to strengthen international collaboration to accelerate progress. 

Beam is Asia Pacific’s largest micromobility company, and the only operator in ANZ to be Certified Climate Neutral. In 2020, Beam offset 4,400 tonnes of CO2 by investing in projects focused on removing carbon from the atmosphere. 

As further evidence of Beam’s commitment to climate action it is pleased to announce its pledge to go beyond net zero and become ‘Carbon Negative’ by 2025. 

Beam’s roadmap to becoming Carbon Negative will include reducing carbon emissions into the atmosphere by encouraging modal shift onto Climate Neutral alternatives, investing over $150,000 into identifying a globally-recognised standard for measuring the positive carbon impact of modal transfer and assisting mobility platforms to measure and report on carbon impact of modal shifts, and investing in new technology to reduce the reliance on carbon in its operations. 

Beam General Manager ANZ Tom Cooper says the team are thrilled and honoured to be partnering with the UK Government and are proud to have been acknowledged as a micromobility leader in the climate space.

“Ahead of the summer peak travel season, we look forward to working locally to introduce incentives for Australians and New Zealanders to make the shift to a climate neutral mode of transport, and turn their short car drives into cleaner rides for a better future. 

“As micromobility is still an emerging industry, we feel a responsibility to lead the conversation in how micromobility can play a part in climate discussions. This is why we have chosen to go further in our sustainability efforts, by pledging to be Carbon Negative by 2025.”

British High Commissioner to New Zealand HE Laura Clarke OBE says she’s thrilled to announce the partnership with Beam in Auckland, Wellington and Palmerston North over November.

“At the UN climate change conference COP26 we’re bringing governments from around the world together to urgently protect our planet and tackle emissions. But we all have a role to play. Choosing more sustainable forms of transport or taking the final stretch of your journey on a Beam e-scooter could make a real difference and bring us one step closer to achieving global net zero emissions.

“COP26 in Glasgow will see the world come together and I’m delighted this partnership will provide a way for Kiwis to play their part too.”

World Food Day (WFD) encourages people all over the world to band together to collaborate more fairly, sustainably and inclusively from farm to table, and beyond. The event highlights the way we produce and consume food, as waste exacts a heavy toll on our planet, putting pressure on natural resources, the environment and climate.

On average, Kiwis produce 61kgs of food waste per person annually, with households throwing away an estimated $1,259 worth of uneaten food each year. 

In June 2021 food-waste charity KiwiHarvest revealed that households in New Zealand are throwing away an estimated $1,259 worth of uneaten food each year. Furthermore, Kiwis produce on average 61kgs of food waste per person annually. As a key charity partner and supporter of KiwiHarvest, the expert team at HelloFresh is here to share some achievable advice and best-loved tips to help Kiwis reduce their daily household food waste.

Tip one: Store ingredients correctly so they last longer

“Should it be stored in the fridge or the pantry?” will always stir up a lively debate. Knowing exactly where and how to store your food can make a huge difference to its shelf life, in turn reducing waste. When it comes to dairy products and eggs they should always be kept in the fridge. The back of the fridge tends to stay cooler, so it’s a much better place to store milk than the side door as lower temperatures help it tolast longer.

For fruits and vegetables again it is best to keep most of them in the fridge, as they soften faster at room temperature. However, the likes of garlic, onions, potatoes, pineapple, peaches, plums and tomatoes should be stored in the pantry as they thrive in a cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated space.

Tip two: Start a compost bin

The most popular online searches in New Zealand for “Can you compost..?” aren’t about food either – it’s charcoal, toilet paper and dog hair we seem to be worried about, commonly completing the search queries. The simple answer is yes but when it comes to charcoal you should only add small amounts, making sure that it doesn’t contain additives.

Composting is a great habit both for your home and the environment. And while Kiwis have proven to be very interested in composting, many of us are still confused about what can and can’t go into the compost bin. Food items that have Kiwis confused included clam shells, onions and watermelon which all belong in the compost bin.The only organic materials you should avoid adding to your compost bin are meat, bones and fish scraps as these can attract pests.

Hannah Gilbert, Dietitian and HelloFresh Head of Culinary says, “If you’re a first time composter and confused about what around your home is compostable, there’s good news – a ton of it probably is. From coffee grounds to paper bags and food scraps, there’s a long list of items that are compostable. If you do your research before you start it’s a simple and very effective process.”

Tip three: Shop smart & plan, plan, plan

In a recent study of 1,000 New Zealanders a quarter of Kiwi households admitted that food waste comes from a lack of meal planning. Try making a list of items that you need to buy and stick to that list, which will reduce the chance of impulse buying and therefore food waste. And before ordering takeaways or heading back to the supermarket, take another look in your cupboard and make a point of using up all the food you purchased during the last trip.

Things like pizzas, pastas and rice are the perfect vehicle for an array of leftover produce so get creative with what you’ve got – you might just surprise yourself. Another alternative is opting for a meal kit delivery service. HelloFresh helps households cut food waste by directly sourcing and delivering the exact amount of ingredients needed. Not only does the food arrive faster and fresher, but everything in the box ends up on the plate.

Tip four: Preserve your food

Currently kimchi is the most-popular fermented food in New Zealand, based on an average of 5,400 monthly searches, followed by tempeh and sauerkraut, both with 2,900 monthly searches. 2020’s must-make sourdough is sitting fourth on the list based on an average of 2,400 searches per month. Fermentation is an easy, tasty and nutritious way to preserve food for months and it’s quickly become a very popular trend in New Zealand.

Fermenting is not only a great way to preserve your food and prevent food waste, it also helps aid healthy digestion and boosts your immunity. If you’re new to fermenting, start with vegetables such as kimchi and sauerkraut and go from there.

Tip five: Make the most out of your leftovers

Using leftovers is a great way to save time, money and the planet and it doesn’t have to mean eating the same meal for an entire week. It’s important to take time to think about what you make and how you can repurpose the leftovers into new meals that are still exciting the next day. Depending on the seasoning of the original meal, adding leftover meat, vegetables or seafood to fajitas, fried rice, pasta sauce, soup or a casserole can make for a delicious leftover-based dish.

“At 2degrees, we’re committed to working with organisations that have shared values and, like us, the New Zealand Chambers are focused on enabling New Zealand businesses to adapt and grow,” says Andrew Fairgray, Chief Business Officer at 2degrees. 

“Digital enablement is critically important to the economic growth of New Zealand, and we’re thrilled to be working with an organisation that has credibility with local business, and one that is known for rolling up its sleeves and doing the hard yards to support them.” 

The relationship will also allow tens of thousands of Chamber of Commerce members across New Zealand access to a special offer on 2degrees’ mobile and broadband connectivity. The two organisations will also work together on a programme to support members as they look to capitalise on the learnings of the last 18 months and continue on their digital enablement journey. 

“Relationships like this really matter, even more so when businesses need extra, or a different kind of support, like many are experiencing right now,” says Andrew. 

 Michael Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of the Auckland Business Chamber, says the relationship makes perfect sense, because of the organisations’ strong alignment on values and purpose and 2degrees’ excellent offering for business customers. 

“We decided to partner with 2degrees for good reason, our alignment of values, and the knowledge that 2degrees cares about business the same way we do. They are looking to make sure our members have the right network support and the opportunity to digitally upskill to operate their businesses the best they can.” 

The announcement comes off the back of news that 2degrees was named Canstar Blue’s winner of the Small Business Telecommunications Most Satisfied Customers Award for 2021, with customers giving the telco 5-star ratings for its network coverage, value for money, bill clarity, and overall satisfaction. 

New Zealand Chambers of Commerce members should ask their local Chamber for more information and to sign up for the special Chamber plans. 

Opinion piece by Brendan Sturrock

It shouldn’t be controversial to say that our fight against Covid-19 has been one of the world’s most successful. An important weapon in our armoury has been the well-orchestrated integrated communications that helped bring us all together against a common enemy. But, we’re facing another “Code Red” for humanity. And despite our clean, green, “100% pure” reputation, we’re punching well below our weight as a nation.

In 2019 our emissions were fifth highest per capita in the OECD, more than twice the global average. We have the fourth highest increase in emissions between 1990, when we were actually almost carbon neutral, and 2019. And at an individual level the picture is no greener. While around 60 percent believe they need to take action, this is well below the global average. Damningly for our national pride, even the Aussies are doing more than us. 

A clear lesson from our Covid-19 response is that we’ll have greater chance of success if all sides of society – government, business, media and individuals – act together. The Climate Change Commission’s recent report noted the need for behaviour change initiatives to help tackle the problem. Especially when trying to close the gap between green attitudes and real climate positive behaviour. 

But, from a communications perspective, there are significant differences in the climate context vs the Covid context. Covid gave us a single enemy to fight and some clear behaviours to adopt to help us win. Climate change is a more nebulous beast with many potential actions to take, more confusion over their relative impact, and disagreement within the population over whether or not this is an issue we need to fight in the first place. Research by Massey University’s Dr Jagadish Thacker found 30% of Kiwis fall into segments “doubtful” or downright “dismissive” of the impact of climate change.

Clearly, with climate change there’s no one team of 5 million to band together in pursuit of a common goal. But, if we follow the (behavioural) science, we can still make a difference. We need to build multiple teams that are big enough to really shift the needle. Team EV… Team Meat Free – Monday, or any day… Team healthier, more energy efficient, homes… Team not more plastic packaging please… Team slow fashion… We need to get smarter with data to understand the potential returns from different behaviours, and the barriers to change, to help prioritise our teams and develop hypotheses who are most likely to shift – and how. And, we need to help drive the desired behaviour by reframing the balance of power, making difficult choices seem easier and more rewarding.

Here are a few potential places to start:

1.     Electric Vehicles are a key opportunity noted by the Climate Change Commission. The government is already committed to upgrading their fleet, and is beginning to make them a more attractive alternative through the new Clean Car Discount scheme. But there are still a number of barriers for the average driver to overcome. What if we could make switching to an EV as easy as switching your broadband? That’s what UK site Carverter does, suggesting the best EV for you based on your current number plate or online “wizard”, and provides financing options to help bridge the gap between higher cost of purchase and lower cost of ownership.

2.     Brands will have to lead the way for consumers – not least because they’re increasingly expected to – modelling, facilitating and rewarding more climate positive behaviour. Think Greenfield Meat Co not just asking people to eat less meat, but rewarding them with discounts on future purchases for doing so. (The company is now carbon neutral by the way). H&M enabling people to recycle old clothes in-store – and even in Animal Crossing. Or how Ikea “drove” people to their new sustainable store via posters giving local Londoners directions how to walk there, down to the number of steps, and a special offer on home delivery.

3.     Make Carbon a more visible component of the ecosystem so that it becomes a more conscious currency. Some brands are already introducing carbon labelling. What if it were mandatory? What if your car insurance premiums included data on your carbon footprint so they were based on how safely your drove, for yourself, those around you and the planet. And what if we re-thought rewards programmes to encourage people to save carbon, instead of promoting spending on more stuff?

Come on Aotearoa, the data shows we’re not moving nearly fast enough. We’ve got to get more balls rolling. And get the balls currently in play moving faster. Let’s pick our teams and, at the very least, get ahead of the Aussies in terms of making a difference.

Cadbury has sourced the equivalent of 30 percent of the plastic needed to wrap Cadbury Dairy Milk family block range from recycled sources. 

Many Kiwis are familiar with the ability to drop off their soft plastics through the Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme and have the packaging recycled into new products such as fence posts, vegetable gardens, parking bumpers and garden edging. However, the development of advanced recycling technology makes it possible to recycle soft plastics like its Cadbury wrappers into new packaging that keeps snacks fresh and safe. With this transition, Cadbury fans can look forward to playing an even greater role in the circular economy. 

The volume of recycled plastic being used is enough for 50-million family blocks of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate which – if laid end-to-end – would stretch from Auckland to San Francisco. 

Cara Liebrock, Managing Director of Mondelēz New Zealand, says the company’s investment in this emerging technology is another step forward in its packaging commitments and a must-do by brands to lead sustainability solutions. 

“We have been working hard on innovating our packaging and finding solutions that rely on less virgin materials,” says Liebrock.

“This world first for Cadbury is another example of us tackling the global challenges presented by packaging waste. On top of us tapping into the very latest technology to source recycled material for our Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks, we are also continuing to advocate for advanced recycling solutions and infrastructure here in New Zealand.” 

Katherine Rich, CEO of the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council, welcomed the move. 

“We are continuing to see the Food & Grocery sector front up with solutions to the environmental challenges that we are facing and this example by Mondelēz is no different,” she says.

“I’m immensely proud of the leadership food manufacturers are taking in the area of sustainability and applaud this initiative by Mondelēz to help drive a more circular economy.” 

Lyn Mayes, Manager of The Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme says Mondelēz plays an important role in driving consumer behaviour for recycling soft plastics.

“Introducing recycled plastic is the next step in driving a more circular economy and underscores the importance of investing in emerging technologies.” 

The recycled plastic material will be used in Cadbury Dairy Milk family blocks ranges made at the Cadbury Tasmania factory and distributed across New Zealand and Australia. At this stage, the recycled plastic material sourced equates to about 30 percent of the required plastics needed to wrap these products. 

This is just the first step to use recycled soft plastics as a circular material as the company is determined to increase the amount of recycled material in its packaging. 

The first Cadbury Dairy Milk blocks to include recycled soft plastic in its packaging will be available in New Zealand supermarkets from September 2022. 

Since launching, New Zealand’s leading luxury beauty brand has made waves in the industry due to its new way of thinking. The seeds of Emma Lewisham’s eponymous brand were sown when she uncovered a product she had been using for her own personal skin concern (hyperpigmentation) contained the ingredient ‘hydroquinone’ that, although effective, was questionable for people’s health and banned in non-prescriptive products in many countries.

After three years, and 52 iterations, Emma Lewisham entered the market in 2019 with the cult-status Skin Reset for hyperpigmentation and skin brightening, which is natural, and scientifically proven to outperform the most recognised vitamin C and brightening products on the market.

Three years later, Emma Lewisham proudly rivals the most recognised luxury brands in the world while being a global leader towards a circular and carbon positive beauty model. Lewisham continues to be on a mission to make a meaningful, lasting difference in the beauty industry through innovative thinking, natural, science-backed products and being at the forefront of the circular and carbon positive beauty movement.

“I guess when you do see something that isn’t working and it’s broken, you choose to be either a bystander or do something about it. And I’m the sort of person that takes on those challenges and wanted to do something about it,” says Lewisham.

Today, Emma Lewisham will publicly release its IP for its 100 percent circular designed product packaging and carbon positive model, enabling small and large competitors alike to capitalise from Emma Lewisham’s investment and to start making widespread change within the beauty industry.

The beauty industry currently produces 120 billion units of waste every year, with the majority of this being non-recycled; this has the largest impact on the industry’s carbon emissions. Emma Lewisham’s circular, carbon positive business model is the only viable solution to the beauty industry meeting global climate targets.

“We have less than 10 years to avoid the worst effects of climate change, and we very much see it that if we keep trying to do things alone, we’re never going to make it on time,” says Lewisham.

“By us sharing our blueprint, it means we can accelerate the industry’s move to a circular and regenerative model, which will bring about significant change and hopefully transform the world.”

Validating this incredible achievement, iconic environmentalist, ethologist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, Dr Jane Goodall, has sent a letter of endorsement to the brand.

“Emma Lewisham is demonstrating what it means to be a truly sustainable business,” says Dr Goodall.

“Through their carbon positive and circular business model, the brand is creating environmental prosperity and showing their peers that this business model is not just possible but paramount if we are to make a meaningful difference.”

Carbon Positive at Product Level

Lewisham and her team spent 12 months working with world leading independent environmental certification agency, Toitū Envirocare, to measure the carbon emissions emitted at each stage of its product’s lifecycle and have the brand independently verified as carbon positive at a product level.

The brand sought to measure its emissions throughout its entire supply chain, including the harvesting and production of raw ingredients used, transportation, product packaging and end-of-life for each product in order to put reduction plans in place before positively offsetting what could not be reduced. Aligning with the urgent objective of the United Nations 2015 Paris Agreement of halving CO₂ emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050, when it came to offsetting, Emma Lewisham was clear that it did not just want to neutralise its impact; it wanted to create a positive one as the future of sustainability lies in regeneration.

The company decided to offset its remaining emissions by an additional 25 percent to become the world’s first beauty brand to be verified carbon positive at a product level.

Emma is also clear that offsetting should be the final port of call; reduction should be the priority, saying:

“It’s not just about measuring and then offsetting our impact. We are focused on reducing our carbon footprint to the lowest number possible and implementing strategies, such as moving to a circular business model to illustrate this is more than just offsetting for us. We are doing the work. We’d love to be in a position where we eliminate the need to offset altogether.”

Emma Lewisham has allocated 75 percent of its carbon offset credits to regenerating New Zealand’s Puhoi Forest Reserves, 12.5 percent to supporting Gyapa’s Cook Stoves technology in Ghana and 12.5 percent to Malya’s Wind Power Project in India.

All of Emma Lewisham’s products are manufactured using 100 percent renewable energy. The detailed research, audited by Toitū Envirocare, also established that Emma Lewisham’s refillable product vessels have up to a 74 percent smaller carbon footprint than that of the original packaging. 

While many businesses globally have measured their Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF), very few have dedicated the time and resources to measuring the Product Carbon Footprint (CPF).


Circular Designed Beauty

All of Emma Lewisham’s products are refillable and 100 percent designed to fit within a circular system, the pinnacle of sustainable achievement. “Circular designed” means designing out waste, keeping materials in use through reuse, repair and recycling, and regenerating the environment. It is no longer acceptable for brands to claim recyclability and rely on differentiating local curbside recycling programmes.

Packaging is the beauty industry’s number one contributor to carbon emissions, and by moving to a circular model, beauty brands could lower their carbon emissions by 70 percent. Emma Lewisham has invested heavily into the research and development of innovative packaging, machinery and business processes that allow each product to be refilled and to ensure packaging end of life is kept in circulation and diverted from landfill.

“It’s really hard when you take a path that’s not established and there was no blueprint for us. So it was sort of reimagining everything in beauty packaging,” says Lewisham.

“This is a new model of beauty. It has required strenuous investments in both time and capital; however, there was no other option for us. We believe businesses are uniquely placed to drive change and possess the power to use their resources for the good.”

Emma stresses the dire need for the industry to prioritise refills over recycling, saying “At the moment, beauty brands sell a product and then they forget about it, it’s someone else’s problem. We don’t, we go, ‘Okay, it’s still our problem to take that material back and ensure that it’s reused.’ “

Emma is also passionate about educating brands and customers on the unaddressed reality of recycling – that almost no ‘recyclable’ beauty packaging is actually being recycled. For Emma Lewisham, recyclability is defined not by the potential but by what actually happens in practice.

“What people don’t know is that virtually no curbside recycling systems actually recycle beauty packaging. Although products might ‘technically’ be recyclable, the economics just don’t stack up – so to landfill it goes.”

“If we are to ensure packaging is recycled, we (brands) must take ownership of our materials and work with our customers to take back all packaging globally to be recycled through specialised recycling partners who ensure this happens. Labelling a beauty product ‘100 percent recyclable’ without a take back programme and reputable recycling partner in place – should be considered an irresponsible business practice.”

Sharing the Blueprint

Although the first to adopt a circular and carbon positive business model in beauty, Emma Lewisham doesn’t want to be the last. With the hope of accelerating the movement towards a circular beauty industry, Emma Lewisham has shared all intellectual property surrounding the achievement of a circular and carbon positive model with beauty brands around the world on emmalewisham.com/beauty-blueprint.

The blueprint includes refill designs, sterilising processes, recycling and returns processes, packaging supplier connections, take back procedures and carbon calculation guides. From today, all brands have access to Emma Lewisham’s extensive research, processes and innovations.

“I admire Emma Lewisham’s passion for creating lasting change. Sharing their sustainability IP industry-wide is a powerful step, and I urge all brands to follow their lead. When someone reaches out with a helping hand, I always hope that it can be taken. This is when true change begins – when we work together,” says Dr Goodall.

“Emma Lewisham may be setting a new benchmark in beauty, but they are also setting a benchmark for how all industries should be operating – circular, waste-free and carbon positive. I wholeheartedly endorse Emma Lewisham’s Beauty Circle and all the systems they have put in place as a business striving to make the world a better place.”

Lewisham says since her teenager years, Dr Goodall has always been someone that she has looked up to and admired. She says receiving an endorsement from Goodall is truly a dream come true.

“For me, having her read about the work that we have done would have been an honour, and for her to try Emma Lewisham product. It is incredible that she now uses Emma Lewisham and has come back with her endorsement.”

Circular Business

For a business to truly be sustainable, it has to be circular. This means designing out waste and pollution, keeping the materials used in circulation, and regenerating the ecosystems that the business operates in. And all of this is to be powered using renewable energy.

Emma Lewisham has designed its products so that all of them come as refillable, meaning customers can buy an original product and top up without the need to rebuy more packaging.

“Our ultimate goal is to bring about a truly beautiful beauty industry, which would be circular, regenerative, and transparent. If we can play even a small role in achieving that, that’s what it’s about for us,” say Lewisham.

What is burn out?

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, care-taking, or romantic relationships.

Though not a medical diagnosis, burnout is linked to a range of serious health issues, from depression to cardiovascular disease. In 2019, burnout was officially recognised as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ by the World Health Organisation, and recent research from AUT suggests that one in ten New Zealanders are experiencing some form of it.

Burnout expert, Clinic Manager and Lead Researcher at NZ wellness company BePure, Lisa Grey says that in her experience, many New Zealanders have a hard time accepting they’re burned out. She believes that this is partly because, as a culture, we have normalised an unsustainable pace of living and working.

“Like many of my clients I see at our clinic, I spent a number of years ignoring my symptoms of stress and justifying why I didn’t “deserve” to feel burned out. In fact, I had an endless list of excuses: ‘this is just what I have to do in life to get ahead, ’my parents never complained about working hard – why should I, ‘my colleagues can cope – I should be able to cope too.’

“Being burned out is by no means a badge of honour – nor is it a sign that you are doing well. However, it’s hard to accept you’re burned out and make changes when everyday culture repeatedly tells us that being “busy” is just part of life.”

While workplace burnout is potentially more recognised, parental burnout is also a very real experience now, more so than ever. With the extra demands from Lockdowns, many parents find themselves with no choice but to juggle parenting, homeschooling, and working without any additional support.

But what can we do about it? In her practice, Lisa recommends a personalised multi-pronged approach to burnout recovery. This includes using a combination of personalised dietary changes, regular movement, breath work, healthy routines, sleep prioritisation, setting boundaries and nutritional and herbal supplementation.

The top nutritional and herbal supplements Lisa recommends can be found in BePure’s new ‘Inner Duo’. This powerful combo provides support for optimal mental wellbeing and nervous system balance.

“Think of the feeling after a massage, or yoga where you feel a deep relaxation within the mind and the body. This is what these herbs and nutrients stimulate within us with the simple act of taking them each day.”

The duo consists of InnerCalm and InnerStrength, both designed as a simple tool to help our bodies respond to stress in a far more sustainable way.

“While our bodies can withstand short spouts of stress – prolonged activation of the stress response system over-activates our “fight and flight” response. Continual activation of this system keeps our body flooded with cortisol, one of our key stress hormones.- which disrupts almost every organ system in our
body and can put our health at serious risk.”

“The adaptogenic herbs and nutrients found in InnerCalm and Inner Strength help you return to homeostasis, your home base of feeling good. They offer an undemanding solution on the road to living a more balanced life.”

InnerCalm

InnerCalm is designed to support those experiencing anxiety and overwhelm. Think tight chests, sweaty palms, shaky hands, and racing minds. It embraces the power of hero herbs kava and passionflower with research showing their effectiveness in activating our soothing neurotransmitter, GABA, which helps us
to feel calm, creative and in control.

InnerStrength
InnerStrength helps build us back up from burnout and fatigue. The ingredients in this product are focused on balancing the nervous system and are designed to prevent our stress response system from being overactive. Ashwagandha and Rhodiola are the hero ingredients in this product, alongside soothing lemon balm, L-Theanine and vitamin B5.

Grey says if you are suffering from burnout know that you’re not alone. Many are going through, or have gone through it and come out the other side.

“Know that you are not broken and the road to recovery starts with a single step. The first step is acknowledging you want to feel better and using that feeling to make your own personalised action plan – whatever that looks like for you.”

NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says the government has the solution to solve the problem by allowing essential tech workers into the country.

The shortage of tech experts is damaging the economy, causing hundreds of jobs to be shifted out of New Zealand, hurting our homegrown global software companies, and halting critical tech projects for New Zealand businesses and government agencies.

“We have surveyed hundreds of NZ tech companies to see what we can be done, we have shared the data with the government, shown them the impacts and suggested options, but nothing is being done to address the problem,” Muller says.

“In theory, it is simply a case of agreeing that with thousands of open roles, these technical skills are not readily available in New Zealand, using exactly the same logic as they did for vets. 

“Meanwhile, the impact is that hundreds of jobs paying well over $100,000 are being shifted out of New Zealand every week and critical digital projects across business and government agencies are not getting done.

Muller says an urgent review of what constitutes unique experience and technical skills, the criteria for Critical Workers, is needed to better enable access to the advanced skills needed to support New Zealand’s covid recovery, digitalisation, and export growth. 

“Immigration NZ are telling senior experienced tech people who have been living in New Zealand, working for our leading tech firms, that suddenly they don’t have enough unique experience or technical skills to enable them to bring their family to New Zealand.

“We are seeing large New Zealand software companies, whose products are in huge demand, shifting their R&D teams into offshore locations as they are being told by Immigration that the highly skilled technical specialists, they would like to employ don’t have unique experience or technical skills that qualify for a visa.

“We are seeing IT companies that build and support critical government infrastructure and who are enabling the digital transformation and productivity growth needed in New Zealand, being told that the specialist programmers or cybersecurity people they need should be available in a local market which currently has thousands of open jobs being promoted.

Because of this, projects are being stalled or aborted, cybersecurity is at risk, export revenues are being impacted and jobs are being sent out of New Zealand. 

“To make it worse, for each senior role not employed in New Zealand the downstream impact will be graduates that are unable to be employed as there are not enough experienced staff to support them. 

“Now is actually a time when New Zealand is particularly attractive for software engineers, senior experienced tech people, and creative tech professionals from offshore who often have clean, green orientations, and / or live in countries where our relatively peaceful, tolerant society is regarded with envy.” 

For many years immigration has been a source of advanced experienced talent to support the growth of New Zealand’s global technology businesses and to support the digitalisation of New Zealand businesses and agencies.  

Usually around 4000 senior technical specialists come into New Zealand each year and this has complimented the 3500 to 4000 graduates developed locally each year which together have enabled tech to become New Zealand’s second-largest export, Muller says.

“Up until recently, immigration has been part of the secret sauce that has enabled the rapid growth of New Zealand’s tech sector, it was a competitive advantage.

“The current settings, the inability to bring critical skills into the country, and the lack of humanity regarding the families of hundreds of tech workers are fast becoming a major competitive disadvantage.

“NZTech is calling for rapid action by the government to treat critical tech skills with at least the same enthusiasm as they do fruit pickers, actors, sportspeople and other so called critical workers.”

While more younger women feel STEM is a career option (21%), one in ten New Zealand girls still feel pressure to choose a career “more fitting for a woman.” 

Commissioned by Sunsilk as part of its Rethink Pink campaign, the research also shows the most important influence on a young woman is her mother. But New Zealand mums feel largely unequipped to support their daughters when it comes to STEM subjects, with only one in twelve (7.8%) having a strong understanding and knowledge of STEM subjects.

Natalie Buckley, Research and Development Director, Sunsilk ANZ says the research shows that more support is required for young women to feel confident that STEM subjects are for them. 

“What we see is that a lack of role models leads to a substantial drop-off in the participation of young girls in STEM study,” says Buckley. 

After mothers (68.3%), secondary influences on young New Zealand women aged 16-25 are female social influencers (36.6%), followed by their sisters (32.2%). 

The platforms this age group turns to for female inspiration are Instagram (64.4%), YouTube (44%) and Facebook (42%). 

“As New Zealand and the world increasingly rely on science, technology, engineering and maths, we need to ensure our digital creations, platforms and systems reflect the preferences of our whole population,” says Buckley.

“We need New Zealand women from a variety of backgrounds to contribute and feel they are a part of this creative process – for themselves and for the rest of us, too.” 

To address the imbalance in STEM learning and careers, the majority of women surveyed feel that education and training, greater female empowerment and more nurturing of self-confidence are the most important changes needed in Aotearoa. 

Fewer women pursuing STEM at tertiary level 

The study also reveals that 58.5% of girls aged 16-25 believe there is a gender imbalance in STEM in New Zealand – both in schools and outside of them. This imbalance is reflected in tertiary study choices, with female 

STEM study dropping off from 41.5% in Year 12 to only 19.8% in higher (tertiary) education. This dramatically drops after undergraduate study, with only 4.6% and 2.4% of women studying STEM at a postgraduate and Masters/PhD respectively. 

Despite the low numbers participating, 80% of women surveyed think STEM careers will be of increasing importance in the future. 

STEM programme for mothers and daughters 

Sunsilk is launching its ‘Rethink Pink’ campaign, partnering with social enterprise, Girl Geek Academy to deliver a series of interactive online workshops in September and October 2021. 

Free to join, participants will explore the science of hair, use tech to code a mother-daughter videogame, engineer their own shampoo bottle and use real world maths to “rethink pink” and smash gender stereotypes. 

Girl Geek Academy Co-Founder Sarah Moran says: “Girl Geek Academy is on a mission to teach one million women technology skills by 2025. We are building a future where women play a crucial role in developing innovations and solutions that ultimately shape lives; our partnership with Sunsilk is another step toward that.” 

Sunsilk invites girls and mums to visit girlgeekacademy.com and register their attendance for the Sunsilk x Girl Geek Academy STEM School Holiday Workshops. The workshops will be streamed live on YouTube, the second most-popular streaming service for girls, at 4:30pm on: 

• Week 1
  • Science: Tuesday 21 September
  • Technology: Thursday 23 September
    
    

• Week 2
  • Engineering: Tuesday 28 September
  • Maths: Thursday 30 September
    
    

• Week 3 (NZ school holidays)
  • Science: Tuesday 5 October
  • Engineering: Thursday 7 October

Thirteen access entrepreneurs and innovators were recognised at an event in April that heralded the launch of their projects and social change initiatives and innovation that are designed to contribute to a fully accessible Aotearoa for every citizen and visitor.

One entrepreneur is Ari Kerssens, a 26-year-old Aucklander who lost most of his sight at 19 due to a genetic eye condition. Having since become an accessibility advocate, he is collaborating on Free Fares to Freedom, a petition calling on government to reinstate the access to affordable, independent mobility that was available during the first Covid lockdown.

Ari is also working on the Sight Dependent project, which has support from Creative NZ to create a framework of accessibility for art galleries in Aotearoa based in part on world-leading accessible venues in Europe, which Ari visited in a research trip before lockdown.

“I have these two established projects, but I don’t have a lot of experience in advocacy, business or leadership, and this is the perfect time for me to gain the skills and relationships that the Possibility Leadership Programme provides,” says Kerssens.

“I want to be able to apply my unique perspective of accessibility, informed by my understanding of sensory neuroscience as much as personal experience – and augmented with my charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent – to pave the way for an all-access Aotearoa.”

Christchurch-based Cate Grace’s project involves building a community of voices that can actively participate in creating partnerships for change. Cate believes that New Zealand is on the cusp of embracing diversity and truly becoming a team of five million.

“For me, the Possibility Leadership Programme is an opportunity to build whakapapa and leave no one behind. I hope to establish a grassroots framework that helps whānau with access needs, who might not yet be heard in their community, to have a voice,” she says.

GCOP and central government are supporting these entrepreneurs as they take the initiative and develop their concepts to expand possibility in communities.

GCOP founder and Chief Possibility Officer Minnie Baragwanath says it is the right time to invest in accessibility.

“The calibre of these 13 people is simply stunning, proving that there is latent access entrepreneurial talent in all our communities, businesses and educational facilities.

“Access citizens in Aotearoa are taking the lead as they cannot wait for permission from the mainstream community or for power structures to change to create a fully accessible future for all.”

New Zealand has the fifth highest employment rate for 15-64 year olds in the OECD – fifth out of 37 countries. The unemployment rate data for the December quarter fell from 5.3% to 4.9%, astounding all economic predictions, yet the unemployment rate for access citizens sits at 11.4%.  

Baragwanath says GCOP’s role is to resource these access entrepreneurs to be business and social leaders, innovators and change makers who can give us the world we need, fit for all citizens, economically, culturally and socially.

“They are some of the best people to do this work, because as access citizens they have spent all their lives, in many cases, being creative, thinking outside the box, and developing their resilience to live successfully in mainstream spaces that are explicitly not designed to accommodate them.”

The pilot programme for access entrepreneurship is possible with support from the Office for Disability Issues in the Ministry of Social Development. AUT remains a key partner to the programme, with the GCOP partnering with the Entrepreneurship Team at AUT and the Co-Starter Programme to deliver the flagship programme. 

Other partners include the GCOP’s sister organisation Be. Lab; founding Possibility Partner Sudima Hotels, which is providing accommodation for participants; and Autex, the innovative acoustic panelling and insulation company which uses recycled plastic in its materials and is converting the GCOP HQ at AUT into a fully accessible space with bespoke panelling that is suited to access citizens with hearing impairment or loss or auditory sensitivity.