Oxygen Consulting launches its community investment framework - Ko tatou te taiao
To celebrate World Environment Day, Oxygen Consulting has launched its community investment framework - Ko tatou te taiao (‘We are the environment’) - recognizing the interdependent relationship between human health and planetary health and the need to address these together, to provide inclusive outcomes for people and planet.
Ko tatou te taiao focuses on achieving three key impacts through its partnerships. These are aligned with the three principles of the global Project Drawdown Framework, which seeks to help the world reach “drawdown”—the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. The three drawdown principles are:
1. Reduce Sources — bringing emissions to zero
2. Support Sinks — uplifting nature's carbon cycle
3. Improve Society — fostering equality for all
Project Drawdown, lead by renowned climate scientist Paul Hawkin, prioritises the social and environmental solutions that will enable these principles to be achieved, based on their potential emissions reduction impact.
This has helped Oxygen Consulting to target the three partners it is now working with to achieve maximum impact on its community investment outcomes – KiwiHarvest, Million Metres Streams, and Fire and Emergency.
Oxygen Consulting’s community investment framework - Ko tatou te taiao
“Our purpose is to balance today, to maximise tomorrow. This filters through all aspects of our business including our approach to community investment. The partners we are working with will create a positive impact for both environment and society today, enabling a better tomorrow. The Project Drawdown framework has helped us to really zone in on the partners and activities that will help us to maximise this impact through our value chain. As a small Aotearoa New Zealand sustainability consultancy, we’re all about punching above our weight, and this includes what we can achieve through our community investment too”, says Sarah Holden, Oxygen Consulting Director.
Outside of its financial support, Oxygen Consulting has already kicked off volunteering activities with its partners.
“It’s awesome to have direction and focus to our volunteer activities, and a sense that these efforts are dialing up to a higher purpose and creating shared value. We’re looking forward to sharing our community investment progress and continuing to expand what is possible on this front”, says Sarah.
Kelly Flatz, Oxygen Consulting Sustainability Consultant volunteering with KiwiHarvest
Olly Ng, Oxygen Consulting Sustainability Consultant, volunteering with KiwiHarvest