Sustainability Options

🚲🏃 Spring is here… now we can hopefully start leaving some of those layers at home!

Some of the team have been biking, running and walking to work to make the most of the warmer, longer days.

As spring arrives, it's a great time to think about swapping the car for a bike, walk or bus when you can. 🌱

Less traffic, fewer emissions and a bit more movement in your day. 💚

🏠 Everyone deserves a warm, dry, healthy home.

A few weeks ago, we shared a petition calling for changes to New Zealand’s rental compliance system, including independent certification and regular compliance checks for rental properties.

We wanted to share it again because it’s a conversation we think is worth continuing.

Through our work across the Bay of Plenty, our team sees firsthand the difference that a warmer, drier and healthier home can make for whānau.

The Healthy Homes Standards are an important step towards improving the quality of rental homes. We also believe there is value in considering how we can strengthen the systems that support those standards and give renters confidence that they are being met.

The petition is calling for independent certification and regular compliance audits as one possible way to do this.

If this is something you are interested in, you can read more about the petition and add your voice here:

👉 https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/require-independent-healthy-homes-certification-and-regular-compliance-audits-for-rental-properties

Every signature helps show that healthy homes matter to our communities. 💚

Require independent Healthy Homes certification and regular compliance audits for rental properties In New Zealand, too many people live in cold, damp and mouldy rental homes despite the Healthy Homes Standards. Poor housing affects health, education, employment and wellbeing, while also placing avoidable costs on families and the wider health system. A healthy home should not depend on how confid...

What would it take to fund the future we want?

How we structure our tax system has a significant impact on our communities, our economy and our ability to respond to challenges such as climate change.

This Thursday, Better taxes for a Better Future is hosting Funding Our Future in Tauranga — a practical workshop exploring how better taxes could help fund the things that matter, including schools and hospitals, climate action and a just transition.

The workshop will look at:

💡 The problems with our current tax system and some practical solutions

💬 How to have constructive conversations about tax and bring people along

🌱 How communities can help build support for changes to our tax system

It’s a topic that connects closely with the broader questions we think about at Sustainability Options: what does a fair, sustainable and flourishing future look like — and how do we create the systems to support it?

If tax, sustainability and the future of our economy are topics you’re interested in, this could be a worthwhile conversation to be part of.

📅 Thursday 3 September
⏰ 5:30–7:30pm
📍 Basestation, 148 Durham Street, Tauranga
🍽️ Kai, inu and good vibes provided

Everyone is welcome, but spaces are limited.

Find out more and RSVP: www.bettertaxes.nz/fof_tauranga

Another great Green Drinks! 🥂

Last Thursday we headed beneath the surface of our oceans for an evening exploring the impact of bottom trawling on Aotearoa’s moana.

We were joined by local Tauranga resident Kate Graeme, President of Forest & Bird’s National Board, who unpacked what bottom trawling means for our marine ecosystems, from the scale of the practice in New Zealand to the impacts it can have on the health of our oceans.

With around 68% of New Zealand’s fish caught using bottom trawling, there was plenty to discuss: Is this practice truly sustainable? What does it mean for our marine environment here in the Bay of Plenty? And what alternatives might be possible?

As always, it was an evening full of thoughtful conversation, curiosity and connection, and a great reminder of the importance of understanding what’s happening beneath the surface.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for another thought-provoking Green Drinks!

We’re pretty proud of our kaimahi Lee! 🌿

Lee has been recognised with the Emerging Leader Award from the New Zealand Green Building Council - NZGBC - recognising someone who has made a significant contribution and impact early in their career.

Lee has played a big part in establishing our 20 Degrees healthy housing programme, developing our customer relationship management system and helping build the way we measure our impact.

Lee spoke about something we care deeply about: making healthy, efficient homes accessible to everyone. That means finding more affordable ways to retrofit the homes we already have, while also building new homes that last, use less energy and are affordable to live in.

Well done Lee – this award is very deserved! 👏

Find out more about the mahi our team is doing at Sustainability Options: sustainabilityoptions.org.nz/current-projects/

Healthy Homes FREE workshop coming soon! Hosted by Merivale Community Centre . 🙏

We think that education is a really important tool in improving Aotearoa's housing conditions.

Our workshop will focus on upskilling attendees with easy-to-action tips for creating a warmer, drier whare.

Details below:
📅Wednesday 26 August, 1-2:30pm
📍Merivale Community Centre, 10 Kesteven Ave, Merivale

A huge thanks to Powerco for their sponsorship towards our Healthy Homes Workshops, we are so grateful! 🙏

All are welcome - we'd love to see you there!😊

Six parties, one important conversation 🗨️

Addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and biosecurity threats has never been more urgent for Aotearoa. Ahead of this year's general election, join us for a free community event where representatives from six political parties share their views on the environment.🌱🏞️

This is not a debate. One representative from each of the six confirmed parties will respond, in their own words, to the same three set questions covering environmental policy, long-term funding, and how parties plan to work together beyond election cycles.

The remaining time will address themes raised through the questions you submit at registration, so the kaupapa reflects what matters most to our community, not just the parties on stage.

Whoever you're planning to vote for, this is a genuine opportunity to listen, gain insight, and inform your voting decision.🗳️

Event details👇

📅 When: Thursday 17 September 2026. Doors open 5.00pm, nibbles on arrival, formalities begin 5.30pm.
📍Where: The Cargo Shed, Tauranga.
FREE - registration essential.

Proudly co-hosted by Envirohub Bay of Plenty, Tiwaiwaka Aotearoa, Bay Conservation Alliance, Manaaki Kaimai Mamaku Trust, Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital and Sustainability Options.

Register now to secure your place:
🔗https://events.humanitix.com/election-special-bop-climate-action-festival-2026

Kia ora koutou.

I have a bit of an update… In a few weeks, I’m going to be boarding a plane to the Solomon Islands for the adventure of a lifetime! ✈️

On 30 August, I'll begin a 12-month volunteer assignment with VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad), supporting two different partner organisations. Sustainability Options are supporting me (they are such an awesome bunch of compassionate humans!), by leaving my position open for me to come back to in 12 months’ time. Our co-founder Nik’s daughter will be looking after our comms while I’m away – so you might notice a bit of a change!

While I’m away in Honiara, Solomon Islands, I'll be supporting communication activities for Transparency Solomon Islands (which is an anti-corruption charity). I’ll also be carrying out market research for Health First, to help guide a feasibility study around setting up a healthcare facility in Honiara.

I’m fundraising $1000 for Volunteer Service Abroad to support their mahi across the Pacific, and to help future volunteers. I’m currently at $514, and every donation - big or small - genuinely helps.

👉 If you’re able to support, you can donate here: https://volunteer-service-abroad.raiselysite.com/c-ogilvy 💝

VSA strives to do capacity-building development, and my assignment ties in with lots of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the kaupapa at Sustainability Options.

I studied Development Studies, focussed on the Pacific region, at Victoria university. This opportunity combines many of the things I'm passionate about: community development, social justice, cross-cultural learning, communications, and research. I’m really excited to share the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired from university and my time at Sustainability Options, to support aiga over in the Pacific region. My time at Sustainability Options has taught me lots about the importance of education in building the capacity of those in the community, for sustainable inter-generational change.

While I'm taking my experiences and skills with me, I know I'll learn just as much from the people and communities I meet along the way. ❤️ I’m also excited to bring my learnings and experience back to Sustainability Options, to support our mahi even more meaningfully. Ngā mihi nui to the beautiful, supportive bunch of kaimahi I work with - and to anyone who’s able to donate. Your support truly means a lot. 🙏

What are the ingredients for a healthy home?🏠

Moisture management, best practice ventilation, reducing heat loss, and heating!

We'll break all of this down at our FREE healthy homes workshop, coming up soon.

At Merivale Community Centre, we'll share lots of practical, low cost tips to get your home warmer and drier. 🔥

Details below:
📅Wednesday 26 August, 1-2:30pm
📍Merivale Community Centre, 10 Kesteven Ave, Merivale

All are welcome - we'd love to see you there!😊