Sustainable Business Council
1. Name: Sustainable Business Council (SBC) (often referred to by its acronym).
2. Established: Conceived in 1999 as the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD) ; relaunched as the Sustainable Business Council in 2012 after NZBCSD merged with BusinessNZ’s Sustainability Forum.
3. Company Number: Data Not Found (SBC is a division of BusinessNZ rather than a standalone registered company).
4. NZBN (New Zealand Business Number): Data Not Found (no separate NZBN; operates under BusinessNZ’s umbrella).
5. Legal Status: Operates as a division of BusinessNZ with its own advisory board. It is not an incorporated company in its own right, but a membership council within the BusinessNZ network.
6. Parent Organisation: BusinessNZ (the national business industry association). SBC is an integral part of the BusinessNZ network and operates out of BusinessNZ’s offices and infrastructure.
7. Addresses:
Head Office (Wellington): Level 13, NTT Tower, 157 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
Auckland Office: Level 6 (Genesis Energy building), 155 Fanshawe Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
Postal Address: PO Box 1925, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
8. Website: Main website at sbc.org.nz (part of the BusinessNZ family of websites). Contains public resources, reports, member information, and advocacy updates.
9. Social Media: Active on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable_business_council/) (over 13,000 followers as of 2025), which it uses for updates and networking. Maintains a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/sbcnzvideo) for webinars and events. A Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SustainableBusinessCouncilNZ/) exists (with a modest following), but the organisation’s primary social media engagement is via LinkedIn. No official presence on Twitter/X is prominently advertised.
10. Leadership: SBC is governed by a high-level Advisory Board of CEOs and senior executives from member companies. The Advisory Board Chair (as of late 2024) is Chris Aughton (CEO of EnviroNZ), who succeeded Claire Walker (Chief People Officer at Genesis Energy). The Deputy Chair is Amelia Linzey (CEO of engineering firm Beca). Day-to-day operations are led by the Chief Executive of SBC, currently Mike Burrell. Burrell joined in 2020 after a career as a diplomat (former High Commissioner to South Africa) and public sector executive. Previous SBC executives include Penny Nelson (inaugural Executive Director in 2012) and Abbie Reynolds (Executive Director 2016–2019), both of whom have backgrounds in policy and corporate sustainability. BusinessNZ’s Chief Executive Katherine Rich provides oversight as SBC is part of BusinessNZ, and has described SBC as “one of the most influential voices” in the sustainability arena.
11. Key Shareholders / Ownership: Not applicable. SBC has no shareholders – it is a membership-based non-profit council. Its “owners” are effectively its member companies and BusinessNZ. Control is exercised via the advisory board and BusinessNZ governance structures rather than shareholding. SBC’s members (currently 130+ companies) fund the council through membership fees. BusinessNZ, as the parent body, provides institutional support.
12. Membership: Over 130 businesses from all sectors are members of SBC. Collectively, SBC’s member companies represent over NZ$169 billion in turnover, about 41% of New Zealand’s GDP, and 276,000+ full-time jobs. This makes SBC’s network a substantial portion of the NZ economy. Major corporate members include many of New Zealand’s largest companies and emitters, such as Fonterra (dairy cooperative), Meridian Energy (electricity generator), The Warehouse Group (retail), Toyota NZ, Air New Zealand, Spark (telecom), Z Energy (fuel),), Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, NZ Steel, and numerous others. Founding members from the early days (circa 1999–2002) included corporate leaders like Deloitte, Fonterra, Meridian, Toyota NZ, and The Warehouse Group, many of whom remain involved. Member companies span sectors from energy, agriculture, transport, finance, manufacturing to tech – indicating a broad coalition of big business under the sustainability banner.
13. Affiliations and Partnerships: SBC is the exclusive New Zealand Global Network Partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). (It remains the only NZ-based member of WBCSD, a Geneva-based global CEO sustainability coalition). SBC also serves as the official secretariat for the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) – a CEO-led climate action initiative launched in 2018. SBC “hosts” and administers the CLC, meaning the two initiatives are closely intertwined. Within New Zealand, SBC is a part of the BusinessNZ family which includes the Employers and Manufacturers Association, ExportNZ, the BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC), and other industry groups. SBC often collaborates with government agencies (e.g. Ministry for the Environment, MBIE) on consultations and with NGOs on events. Notably, SBC co-organises the annual Climate Change & Business Conference alongside the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) and CLC, bringing together business and policymakers. SBC has also led or contributed to partnerships like AgriZeroNZ (a public-private venture to cut agricultural emissions). It is aligned with global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and works closely with the Climate Change Commission and government on climate policy (often making joint submissions via BusinessNZ).
14. Activities: SBC’s core activities include: publishing research and policy submissions on climate change, sustainability and ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) issues; facilitating working groups among member companies on topics like emissions reduction, circular economy, and social impact; providing training and networking for sustainability professionals; and conducting public advocacy to influence government policy in favor of “business-friendly” sustainability solutions. It requires members to make certain public sustainability commitments and report progress. SBC frequently issues press releases and commentaries on climate policy, carbon budgets, and related business issues. It also runs programmes such as the Future Leaders Programme (a leadership development initiative on sustainable business) and partners with smaller regional business groups to spread sustainability practices to SMEs.
15. Controversies: Despite its green positioning, SBC has faced criticism and skepticism about its true impact and transparency. Critics allege that SBC can serve as a “greenwashing” platform for large emitters. For example, when government-owned KiwiRail joined SBC’s Climate Leaders Coalition, the Rail & Maritime Transport Union blasted the move as “nothing but a cynical public relations manoeuvre” – noting the irony of KiwiRail touting climate leadership while expanding diesel locomotive use. The union’s secretary described the coalition as “a polygamous marriage of convenience between a gaggle of New Zealand’s worst polluters”. Environmental activists have similarly questioned whether some SBC member companies use the council to bolster their public image while lobbying behind closed doors against robust climate regulations. Greenpeace Aotearoa has pointed out that SBC members like Fonterra (NZ’s largest greenhouse polluter at 34% of NZ’s emissions) make bold climate pledges through initiatives like the CLC, yet continue to rely on “mythical technofixes” and slow action – essentially “polishing a turd” in lieu of real emissions cuts. Such incidents highlight a potential gap between the public commitments made by SBC and its members and the actual environmental performance or lobbying positions of some member firms. Another controversy is SBC’s lack of formal transparency around lobbying – as it is not legally required to disclose meetings with officials. Additionally, there have been periodic questions about conflicts of interest, such as whether BusinessNZ’s other lobbying arms (for example, the Energy Council or ManufacturingNZ) push agendas contrary to SBC’s sustainability mission (e.g. defending fossil gas use or road expansion) – raising internal consistency issues. To date, no major scandals have directly engulfed SBC itself, but accusations of greenwash, insufficient transparency, and serving corporate interests first persist in commentary from unions, environmental NGOs, and some media.
16. COVID-19 Wage Subsidy: Data Not Found. There is no public record of the Sustainable Business Council itself receiving COVID-19 wage subsidy payments. (As a non-profit unit of BusinessNZ, it likely did not qualify or apply. BusinessNZ’s finances are primarily membership-funded, and any pandemic-related assistance or grants to BusinessNZ have not been transparently disclosed.) In general, SBC’s funding comes from member dues rather than trading revenue, making direct government wage subsidy less applicable. No indication of SBC being a wage subsidy recipient appears in official disclosures.
17. Integrity and Transparency: SBC is not registered under any lobbying transparency regime. It operates as a private advocacy group, so its interactions with ministers and officials are typically not publicly disclosed unless voluntarily mentioned or released via Official Information Act (OIA) requests. This lack of formal oversight has drawn criticism from transparency advocates. In response, SBC has published a “member communications transparency policy” on its site, and it often publishes its policy submissions on the website for public viewing (e.g. submissions to the Climate Change Commission) as a gesture toward openness. Still, much of its influence is wielded behind closed doors through BusinessNZ’s channels, leading to calls for greater disclosure of its lobbying activities.
(All information above is sourced from official publications, press releases, and credible news outlets, as footnoted. Data unavailable in public sources is noted accordingly.)
Sources:
[1] Sustainable Business Council appoints executive director, BusinessNZ (2012), https://businessnz.org.nz/sustainable-business-council-appoints-executive-director/
[2] The Sustainable Business Council Celebrates 25 Years Of Ambition And Progress, Business Scoop (Press Release – SBC, 24 Oct 2024), https://business.scoop.co.nz/2024/10/24/the-sustainable-business-council-celebrates-25-years-of-ambition-and-progress/
[3] Sustainable Business – Operating out of BusinessNZ, BusinessNZ website (2020), https://businessnz.org.nz/business-issues/sustainable-business/
[4] BusinessNZ Network and the Sustainable Business Council partnership, BNZ Sustainability Portal, https://sustainability.bnzn.org.nz/network-collaborations/
[5] About the Sustainable Business Council, SBC website (2025), https://sbc.org.nz/about-us/ (Membership statistics and influence)
[6] Contact Us – Sustainable Business Council (Wellington & Auckland addresses), SBC website (2025), https://sbc.org.nz/contact/
[7] Sustainable Business Council NZ – LinkedIn page (profile snippet showing followers and tagline), LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-business-council-nz/
[8] Lobbyists in New Zealand enjoy freedoms unlike most other nations – “Wild West of lobbying”, RNZ News (Mar 2023), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/lobbyists-in-new-zealand-enjoy-freedoms-unlike-most-other-nations-in-the-developed-world
[9] RNZ News – OECD finds NZ one of 18 countries with no transparency regulations on lobbying, RNZ (Mar 2023), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/lobbyists-in-new-zealand-enjoy-freedoms-unlike-most-other-nations-in-the-developed-world (NZ transparency comparison)
[10] RNZ News – “approved visitor list” gives lobbyists swipe-card access to Parliament, RNZ (Mar 2023), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/ (excerpt on 80 people with access)
[11] Gas industry boasts about killing proposed ban with lobbying, RNZ News (Nov 2023), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/528952/gas-industry-boasts-about-killing-proposed-ban-with-lobbying
[12] NZ road lobby’s tobacco industry-like tactics revealed in study (incl. BusinessNZ Energy Council), RNZ News (Feb 2025), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542758/nz-road-lobby-s-tobacco-industry-like-tactics-revealed-in-study
[13] BusinessNZ Energy Council response to road lobby study (supporting EV/biofuel over mode shift), RNZ News (Feb 2025), https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542758/ (BEC spokesperson quote)
[14] KiwiRail’s emissions agreement ‘greenwashing’, union says, TransportTalk NZ (July 2018), https://transporttalk.co.nz/news/kiwirails-emissions-agreement-greenwashing-union (RMTU criticism of Climate Leaders Coalition)
[15] The giants of NZ business pledge bold action on emissions. Is this the real deal?, The Spinoff (July 2018), https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/12-07-2018/climate-leader-coalition (Launch of Climate Leaders Coalition, member list and commitments)
Sources:
[1] Sustainable Business Council appoints executive director, BusinessNZ, https://businessnz.org.nz/sustainable-business-council-appoints-executive-director/
[2] The Sustainable Business Council Celebrates 25 Years Of Ambition And Progress, Business Scoop (Press Release – SBC), https://business.scoop.co.nz/2024/10/24/the-sustainable-business-council-celebrates-25-years-of-ambition-and-progress/
[3] Sustainable Business – “Operating out of BusinessNZ”, BusinessNZ (website), https://businessnz.org.nz/business-issues/sustainable-business/
[4] BusinessNZ Network and the Sustainable Business Council partnership, BusinessNZ Sustainability Portal, https://sustainability.bnzn.org.nz/network-collaborations/
[5] About Us – Sustainable Business Council (Membership and impact statistics), SBC website, https://sbc.org.nz/about-us/
[6] Contact – Sustainable Business Council (Head Office & Auckland addresses), SBC website, https://sbc.org.nz/contact/
[7] Sustainable Business Council NZ – LinkedIn profile (organisation overview), LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-business-council-nz/
[8] Lobbyists in New Zealand enjoy freedoms unlike most other nations – “the wild west of lobbying”, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/lobbyists-in-new-zealand-enjoy-freedoms-unlike-most-other-nations-in-the-developed-world
[9] Transparency lacking: NZ one of 18 countries with no lobbying transparency regulations (OECD finding), RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/lobbyists-in-new-zealand-enjoy-freedoms-unlike-most-other-nations-in-the-developed-world
[10] About 80 lobbyists have swipe-card access to Parliament (“approved visitor” list), RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/lobbying/486670/lobbyists-in-new-zealand-enjoy-freedoms-unlike-most-other-nations-in-the-developed-world
[11] Gas industry boasts of killing proposed gas connection ban with lobbying, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/528952/gas-industry-boasts-about-killing-proposed-ban-with-lobbying
[12] Climate Change Commission’s draft gas connection ban removed after industry lobbying, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/528952/gas-industry-boasts-about-killing-proposed-ban-with-lobbying
[13] NZ road lobby uses tobacco industry-like tactics to obstruct policy – study, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542758/nz-road-lobby-s-tobacco-industry-like-tactics-revealed-in-study
[14] BusinessNZ Energy Council rejects being “anti-climate” (response to road lobby study), RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542758/nz-road-lobby-s-tobacco-industry-like-tactics-revealed-in-study
[15] KiwiRail’s climate pledge ‘greenwashing’, union says, TransportTalk (NZ), https://transporttalk.co.nz/news/kiwirails-emissions-agreement-greenwashing-union
[16] Greenpeace slams Fonterra’s climate plan as “polishing a turd” – NZ’s biggest climate polluter relies on technofixes, Greenpeace Aotearoa (Press Release, 9 Nov 2023), https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/fonterra-scope-3-climate-roadmap/
[17] The giants of NZ business pledge bold action on emissions – Climate Leaders Coalition launch, The Spinoff, https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/12-07-2018/climate-leader-coalition
[18] Climate Leaders Coalition formed by 60 CEOs (Air NZ, Spark, Fonterra, etc.), The Spinoff, https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/12-07-2018/climate-leader-coalition
[19] SBC “Our Advocacy” – business influence on climate policy (funding for ag emissions R&D, etc.), Sustainable Business Council, https://sbc.org.nz/our-advocacy/
[20] 12 of 14 SBC member recommendations reflected in Emissions Reduction Plan (SBC advocacy results), Sustainable Business Council, https://sbc.org.nz/our-advocacy/
[21] Government increases GIDI clean industrial fund from $65m to $600m (influenced by SBC), Sustainable Business Council, https://sbc.org.nz/our-advocacy/
[22] He Waka Eke Noa sector partnership proposal (agricultural emissions pricing), Ministry for Primary Industries (Report, May 2022), https://hewakaekenoa.nz/
[23] New Zealand Emissions Reduction Plan 2022 (foreword and initiatives), Ministry for the Environment, https://environment.govt.nz/publications/aotearoa-new-zealands-first-emissions-reduction-plan/
[24] Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, New Zealand Legislation, https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2019/0061/latest/whole.html
[25] BusinessNZ refuses to be part of Government’s Fair Pay Agreements scheme, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/458220/businessnz-has-refused-to-be-a-formal-partner-in-the-government-s-fair-pay-agreements-scheme
[26] BusinessNZ lodges ILO complaint against Fair Pay Agreements, RNZ News, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/464588/businessnz-takes-complaint-over-fair-pay-agreements-to-international-labour-organisation
[27] ILO dismisses BusinessNZ complaint on Fair Pay Agreements, Beehive.govt.nz (Press Release, 6 Nov 2022), https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/businessnz-complaint-ilo-fails
[28] Transparency International NZ: “absence of lobbying oversight in NZ is glaring”, Transparency International NZ (Media Release, 4 Nov 2022), https://www.transparency.org.nz/newsroom/weak-oversight-of-lobbying-allows-undue-influence/
[29] New executive director for SBC announced – “one of the most influential voices” in sustainability, National Business Review, https://www.nbr.co.nz/comings-and-goings/new-executive-director-for-the-sustainable-business-council/
[30] SBC membership reaches 114 companies in 2019, driving change at scale (NBR report), National Business Review, https://www.nbr.co.nz/comings-and-goings/new-executive-director-for-the-sustainable-business-council/
[31] Climate Change & Business Conference marks 15th year – business and government join forces, Scoop Business (20 Sep 2023), https://business.scoop.co.nz/2023/09/20/climate-change-business-conference-marks-15th-anniversary-with-critical-discussions/
[32] Minister: NZ business climate action ‘in our interests’ – SBC 25th Anniversary event, SBC Press Release (via LiveNews, 17 Oct 2024), https://livenews.co.nz/2024/10/17/business-the-sustainable-business-council-celebrates-25-years-of-ambition-and-progress/
[33] Climate Leaders Coalition Snapshot Report 2023: collective progress of 93 members, thinkstep-ANZ for CLC, https://www.thinkstep-anz.com/resource-item/climate-leaders-coalition-snapshot-report-2023/
[34] World Business Council for Sustainable Development – Global Network Partner (SBC NZ), WBCSD, https://www.wbcsd.org/Overview/Global-Network/Partners/Sustainable-Business-Council-NZ
[35] OECD Principles for Transparency and Integrity in Lobbying – NZ assessment, OECD report (2021), https://www.oecd.org/corruption/ethics/Lobbying-Brochure.pdf
[36] Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks lustre, University of Waikato News (Oct 2021), https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-opinion/unambitious-and-undermined-why-nzs-climate-pledge-lacks-lustre
[37] Climate Change Commission final advice vs BusinessNZ positions (summary table), BusinessNZ Advocacy (Mar 2021), https://www.businessnz.org.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/206400/Climate-Change-Commission-draft-and-final-advice-vs-BusinessNZ-positions.pdf
[38] Fonterra 2018 baseline targets unambitious – Greenpeace critique, Greenpeace Aotearoa, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/fonterra-scope-3-climate-roadmap/
[39] NZ’s 2030 climate pledge rated insufficient – Climate Action Tracker (analysis), Stuff News (1 Nov 2021), https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/126830161/un-climate-summit-new-zealands-updated-emissions-pledge-still-insufficient-analysis-shows
[40] The Integrity Institute – Unauthorised Lobbying & Influence Register (2025 initiative), Integrity Institute (website), https://integrityinstitute.org.nz/lobbying-register/
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz