Ngā Ara Whetū: Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society

While reflecting on the year, it's worth recalling how Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland has contributed to global sustainability.

Check out this review on our academic leadership in research, teaching, and partnerships with regards to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as institutional work such as sustainable building materials and net-zero work.

Annual Sustainability Report shows University's real world impact – University of Auckland The 2025 Sustainability Report highlights the University of Auckland's progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

It is great to see that a deal was made at COP30 - making yet another small step away from fossil fuel dependency. But it's still not enough to keep global warming below the 1.5 degree threshold, and it is clear that many oil-producer states have played significant roles in maintaining global policy inertia on these matters.

It's all very well to know what needs to be done - the science, engineering, and economics is all there - but we also need to study how to overcome the barriers to environmental progress: social, political, cultural, and so on.

‘Fossil fuel giants finally in the crosshairs’: Cop30 avoids total failure with last-ditch deal It took some oblique wording, but Saudi Arabia made a last-minute decision to sign deal that marks departure for Cop

🛞 One of the big mysteries in microplastics research has come to a concerning conclusion. Broken down tyres have been revealed as the biggest source of microplastics in the coastal waters of Aotearoa New Zealand - demonstrating the intimate ecological connection between land and sea.

🔬 Dr. Samantha Ladewig and her team have been investigating this trend, and the wide-reaching impacts it has on bio-geochemical cycles and possible methods of resolving it. Read more here:
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/25/time-to-kick-this-marine-menace-to-the-curb

🌏 Planetary Solutions is an initiative of Newsroom together with the Sustainability Hub at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, presenting expert academic knowledge on our unprecedented environmental challenges. We are open to submissions, so get in touch if you have some solution-focused material to contribute!

Time to kick this marine menace to the kerb Researchers have narrowed down the single biggest source of microplastic pollution in NZ’s coastal waters – and ways to curb it.

🏢 Green buildings are one of the most eye-catching new frontiers for an environmentally-conscious economy - bringing verdant foliage and new designs to the city-scape. But there is more to them than meets the eye...

🌲 This Planetary Solutions article covers insights from property scholar Dr Michael Rehm, of the broader contributions that green architecture and construction can provide: energy efficiency, sustainable materials, and social development.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/18/three-surprising-facts-about-green-buildings-and-why-they-matter/

🌏 Planetary Solutions is an initiative of the Sustainability Hub (Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland) together with Newsroom, looking at pragmatic solution-focused reflections on the environment. If you have some ideas to contribute, do get in touch!

Three surprising facts about green buildings From the University of Auckland: They might often look like architecture’s answer to climate change, but green buildings are also about comfort, productivity, and local innovation

🏙️ This article from Planetary Solutions spotlights insights from atmospheric chemist Dr. Joel Rindelaub. While Aotearoa New Zealand maintains a reputation of pristine air, health data suggests quite the opposite.

🌫️ In fact, New Zealand lags behind many other developed nations in regulating air pollution, which often goes unnoticed: impacting infant development and long-term health. Dr. Rindelaub argues that clean air policies are long overdue and would have an enormous benefit for population and economy alike.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/13/the-deadly-threats-in-our-air-and-how-we-can-fix-them/

🌏 Planetary Solutions is an initiative of Newsroom together with the Sustainability Hub at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, connecting expert academic knowledge with public-facing media. We are open to submissions, so get in touch if you have some solution-focused material to contribute!

The deadly threats in our air – and how we can fix them Opinion from the University of Auckland: Air pollution in NZ is contributing to thousands of premature deaths each year, but we have the knowledge to fix it

🥜 There are abundant ways to eat that are better for both our individual health and for the planet. Simple sustainable meals are something that we can all practice, while also benefiting our wallets, taste, and convenience.

🌾 Local production, less food waste, and plant-based protein are all good starting points.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/06/everyday-ways-to-make-your-diet-better-for-the-planet/

🌏 Planetary Solutions is an initiative of the Sustainability Hub at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland together with Newsroom, looking at pragmatic reflections on the environmental crisis. We are open to submissions, so get in touch if you have some solution-based material to contribute.

Everyday ways to make your diet better for the planet Opinion from the University of Auckland: With food production accounting for a sizeable share of New Zealand’s carbon footprint, a University of Auckland expert offers some simple, sustainable steps we can all take

After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Blue & Green Technology Conference scheduled for 2–3 December at the University of Auckland.

Although we had an excellent programme and strong support from speakers, registrations did not reach the level or cross-sector balance needed to deliver the kind of impact this event was designed for. Rather than proceed with a diluted experience, we felt it was more responsible to step back at this stage.

A heartfelt thank you to all speakers, partners, and supporters who contributed their time and enthusiasm. We deeply value your commitment to advancing climate, biodiversity, and clean-technology innovation in Aotearoa.

Ngā Ara Whetū remains committed to this kaupapa, and we look forward to reconnecting in 2026 with new opportunities to collaborate.

🗝️ Today we would like to spotlight a keynote speaker for our upcoming conference, coming up in less than a month. Matt Kennedy-Good is co-founder of one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most exciting technology companies, Neocrete.

🪨 One of the most challenging problems for sustainability faced by the construction industry lies in the material that they use everyday. Concrete is the building block of the world, but manufacturing cement, its fundamental component, requires a carbon-heavy process - to activate limestone, it must be heated to very high temperatures, releasing vast quantities of carbon dioxide.

☘️ Neocrete research seeks to build a green alternative for cement, aiming to pioneer a carbon neutral cement by 2027.
Neocrete is a "dry powder additive" - when added to concrete mixes it boosts the reactivity of elements and molecular bond density, accelerating chemical reactions to a rate comparable to existing limestone-based cement, but with a fraction of the carbon cost.

🏗️ Furthermore, Neocrete has excellent durability and water-tightness. In the lab, it has also been shown to self-heal, just like the legendary concrete of ancient Rome that still stands two thousand years later.
Check out their work here:
https://www.neocrete.com/

🌏 Registration to the Blue-Green conference is through here: https://www.blueandgreentech.auckland.ac.nz/3485-2/

Redefining Concrete | Neocrete Neocrete is a New Zealand-based company focused on reducing the carbon footprint of concrete and improving its performance through technology and innovation.

💸 There is still time today to catch early-bird discount tickets for the Blue-Green Tech Conference in December!
https://www.blueandgreentech.auckland.ac.nz/3485-2/

🔬 Today we would like to spotlight the Cawthron Institute, New Zealand's top organisation for independent research into the science behind primary industries and environmental protection.
https://www.cawthron.org.nz/

🐚 Patrick Cahill manages the Biodiversity group within Cawthron - and will be speaking at the Blue-Green Conference. Armed with a PhD in marine biology from Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, Cahill has taken the lead battling marine pests, maintaining biosecurity, and assessing aquaculture.

🚢 Moreover, his team is pioneering methods for creating the next generation of marine coatings; better for the environment and commercially sound. We are very privileged to be hosting him.

Registration | Blue and Green Tech Home Registration Keynote Speakers Programme Exhibition Sponsor 2025 Sponsors Accommodation Travel Information Travel Information Explore Auckland News & Updates Contact Us Registration Open Now Click Here to Register Please note all prices are listed in New Zealand dollars and include a 15% Goods a...

🧠 We have an incredible ensemble of brilliant minds converging on the Blue Green Tech Conference early next month - including expert cleantech policy-maker Lucy Chatburn and EU ambassador Lawrence Meredith, who will be opening the event. The development and use of technology will undoubtedly be indispensable for building future climate resilience, and events like these play a vital role in bringing everything together.

🗝️ Check out the keynote speaker list through here, or on the Blue-Green Tech website below for further details:
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/10/31/brilliant-minds-explore-tech-to-help-the-planet.html
https://www.blueandgreentech.auckland.ac.nz/keynote-speakers/

💸 There are three days left to catch early-bird tickets; register now while they're discounted!
https://www.blueandgreentech.auckland.ac.nz/3485-2/

‘Brilliant minds’ explore tech to help the planet – University of Auckland International cleantech expert Lucy Chatburn will offer cutting-edge insights at the Blue and Green Technology Conference in Auckland in December.

Huge thanks to 95bFM for sharing these details on the upcoming Blue & Green Tech Conference!

Jacqueline Beggs spoke to the transformative confluence of scientists, engineers, Māori stewardship, policy-makers, and business-people that this event represents. She also outlined the field of possible solutions to the pressing issues of climate change that the conference will seek to stimulate, overcoming policy inertia, climate injustice, and green-washing.
https://95bfm.com/bcast/blue-green-tech-conference-w-key-organiser-and-university-of-auckland-professor-jacqueline-beggs-28

The conference begins in early December, only a month away - early bird registration will be open for another week!
https://www.blueandgreentech.auckland.ac.nz/3485-2/

Blue & Green tech conference w/ key organiser and University of Auckland Professor Jacqueline Beggs: 28 October, 2025 The University of Auckland’s Ngā Ara Whetū – the Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society, are hosting a Blue & Green technology conference at the beginning of December looking at how technology can be a part of a climate-resilient future for New Zealand. Host Sara spoke with Professor Jac...