Environment Pou

We aim to support environmental resilience through:

• Collaborative approaches which support environmental planning and prioritisation at a landscape-scale, to help guide future environmental activity and investment.
• Landscape-scale approaches which enhance biodiversity and nature-based solutions to mitigate or adapt to environmental impacts of climate change.
• Work to strengthen the community sector by assisting community organisations to adapt to climate change and reduce their carbon emissions through a tailored programme of support partnering with Terra Nova.

One way Rātā has shown our commitment to climate action is to be a signatory of the Community Trusts’ Funders Commitment on Climate Action Aotearoa and be part of the joint working party.

We co-funded the Kaupapa of National Significance Fund to boost community resilience to a changing climate and empower national-scale climate initiatives.  It has a total granting value of $600k over a three year period. Successful fund recipients are Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, The Nature Conservancy Aotearoa, and Para Kore Marae Incorporated.

Data and evidence supports our decision making 

Our research shows us that strong collaborative partnerships that have iwi at the centre of planning and design and embrace mātauranga Māori and iwi aspirations are already making a difference in the restoration and revitalisation of the environment. 

The National Adaptation Plan underscores the importance of nature-based solutions to help communities prepare for a warming climate. We already fund several community organisations to carry out activities such as native reforestation.

This has given us the confidence to make significant financial contribution to landscape scale environmental projects within our region.