Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a potential inflection point for New Zealand. It is unlikely that many aspects of our society will revert to business as usual, even once the pandemic is brought under control globally. Many trends that were apparent before the virus struck have been amplified in our collective consciousness. The real question for New Zealand is whether we take this as an opportunity to pursue transformational changes that will enhance our resilience and sustainability as we look to recover and rebuild. This discussion paper is the result of preliminary dialogue on that question, and suggests that a more holistic and systematic approach is needed. Addressing the post-COVID future with long-term goals that put greater emphasis on environmental sustainability requires a true national consensus. The reset has added a new dimension and urgency to the work already being undertaken in the environmental space by many separate players in parallel. Iwi, communities, NGOs, and others have shown enormous commitment and enthusiasm for a wide variety of environmental projects. There are many great ideas out there, and each, if implemented, may have some effect. How can we use the current situation to integrate these actions in a more cohesive way that reflects communally agreed priorities? Can we move faster and more effectively? Can we create a platform for doing things differently?