How Hikurangi Works

Our focus is on helping people take action on environmental sustainability and climate change. The three main activities of the Foundation are:

1. Holding a strategic overview of the opportunities for action in New Zealand; learning who is doing what, what works and what is changing.
2. Creating action by backing those that enable action and proactively catalyzing projects that leverage a difference.
3. Having a voice so that we are part of the conversation about how action is good for New Zealand and we are helping to lead public opinion.

Most of our focus is on catalyzing action via projects, which we proactively seed. That means we tend not to accept unsolicited applications for funds. Rather, we seek to take a strategic look at the opportunities for effective action on climate change and then work to bring people and resources together to make the right thing happen. We want to support innovation and rapid learning and to reach all walks of life. We are always keen to hear from you if you want to share your plan for action.

Because of our experience and overview, Hikurangi can act as a broker between those who have the resources and desire for action and those that can actually deliver it; through for example, screening projects, convening partnerships, setting up pilots and advising on best practice. Please get in touch with us if we can help you add your vital support for action in New Zealand.

Climate Change action is our priority where the action makes sense in wider sustainability terms. That way there is a strong reason to take that action anyway, irrespective of the actual progress of climate change.

We do not primarily focus our work by sector (for example, forestry or households) or by stages (e.g. research or market development), rather we take a few ripe themes at a time and, within those, use a holistic approach to deliver projects that do “what it takes” for effective climate action to occur.