Ngā kōrero mō mātou
About Us
Climate Connect Aotearoa is a hub for collaborative climate innovation. We bring together diverse organisations to develop, demonstrate and scale the solutions needed to ensure we reduce emissions in line with global agreements - starting in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
We know we need to move quickly. The climate crisis demands transformational change. Innovative and coordinated thinking, through collaboration between government, Māori, business, academia, funders and investors and community, is vital to come up with the solutions we need.
Ā mātou mahi
What We Do
Our kaupapa is to accelerate the uptake of innovation to support Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan, and its goals to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030, build resilience and deliver a resilient, low-carbon and regenerative economy.
Climate Connect Aotearoa will focus its efforts on four sectors: energy, food, transport and the built environment. These sectors were identified based on the decarbonisation pathway for Tāmaki Makaurau and our regional Climate Change Risk Assessment, both key pieces of work informing Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan. We recognise that there is a significant crossover between these sectors and take a systems-based approach to identifying demand and solutions.
Our work programmes include:
Climate Challenges – a demand-led innovation process involving multiple parties, centred around four main sectors. Learn more here.
Knowledge Hub – a library of resources, links and articles built as a central hub for anyone interested in climate action in Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond. See more here.
Ecosystem Mapping – an ever-evolving interactive and visual mapping tool designed to introduce who’s who in the fast-growing climate community to accelerate collaboration across the climate innovation ecosystem.
Right now, our job is to connect organisations facing climate change challenges and facilitate innovative solutions. In time, we will also grow our showcase of climate innovation and provide a platform to manage and share climate data and knowledge to build capacity and capability in addressing climate change.
Te pūrākau o te tohu
Our tohu (symbol) encapsulates our purpose, telling the pūrākau (story) of where we have come from and where we are going.
Futures Lab
Climate Connect Aotearoa runs the Challenges programme from Futures Lab, a dedicated innovation space housed in GridAKL in Wynyard Quarter. The space is set up to spark collaboration and ideas that will address some of Auckland’s complex urban, economic, social and sustainability challenges.
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Our team
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Advisory Group
In March 2022, Climate Connect Aotearoa appointed an advisory group of nationally, and internationally, recognised leaders in climate innovation to direct and provide expertise into how the hub would be developed. The group was chaired by Pam Ford, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Director Investment and Industry.
Professor John Hosking
Dr David Hall
Abbie Reynolds
Louise Aitken
Jo Kelly
Alec Tang
Izzy Fenwick
Kate Beddoe
Ngarimu Blair
Cristiano Marantes
Donna Purdue
Ian Short
Climate Connect Aotearoa is established by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited
on behalf of Auckland Council