Over the past few months Sustainability Lead Marissa Nikora has been working on Priority One’s Environmental Sustainability Action Plan. One of the core pillars is sector-based projects and initiatives. Each industry has its own set of challenges and opportunities when tackling climate change, each requiring a different approach and delivering different outcomes.

With the construction sector accounting for as much as 20% of New Zealand’s emissions we were pleased to see leaders from the industry sector come together as the first group to go through our Priority One design thinking workshop on sustainability challenges and opportunity. Facilitated by Karl Stevenson, a veteran of using design thinking as a way to share knowledge and open discussions on some of the more difficult topics, the workshop was a benefit to all in the room.

Common themes emerged amongst the group around lack of resource, money, and capability. However, the biggest takeaway for all those who attended was the power of collaboration. “taking on the issue of creating a sustainable future for the construction industry, or any industry for that matter, is not something that can be done in silos – it’s going to take leaders like [those here today] to bring everyone on board to adapt as a collective” says Marissa.

This workshop is the first of many, with the intent to create an industry group that identifies projects or initiatives that will move the sector forward on their sustainability journey. Marissa has her sights on Freight and Logistics next, with the next workshop planned for the first quarter of 2023. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please get in touch with Marissa at marissa@priorityone.co.nz.