Work

Mobilising capital into long-term prosperity and resilience

Our work

CSF is focused on finance that unlocks New Zealand’s potential and enables the growth, innovation and capital required for current and future generations to thrive.

The New Zealand Government has an ambitious economic growth agenda. These aspirations are set in the context of unprecedented change – including a rapidly warming climate, ageing populations, increased geopolitical and trade tensions, and technology change. The speed and scale of these changes have the potential to destabilise economies, strain public resources, disrupt labour markets, and increase vulnerability to global conflicts.

Aotearoa New Zealand is also in a competition for capital globally.

CSF’s work is focused on removing barriers and enabling flows of finance to respond to these goals and challenges.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to maintain our access to international markets
Seize new growth and productivity opportunities
Responsibly mange our natural resources
Build a resilient economy that can adapt to future shocks

Our work

Catalyse collaborative solutions

CSF catalyses cross-sector projects to identify and scale innovative financing solutions.

Drive enabling policy

CSF collaborates with government and financial market participants to develop policy and standards which will support resilience.

Deliver industry guidance and learning

CSF connects partners and the wider financial sector with leading thinking, international developments and guidance.

Monitor and communicate progress

CSF tracks progress toward the Sustainable Finance Forum’s 2030 Roadmap For Action.

Strategic priorities

Our work is based on the Sustainable Finance Forum’s 2030 Roadmap for an equitable, inclusive, sustainable financial system, and is focused on financing transformation, transforming finance and changing mindsets.

Investing in private assets

The Centre is working with financial market participants and policy makers to remove barriers to increased investment into private and illiquid assets from managed funds, including KiwiSaver. This will help New Zealanders benefit from investment options that can provide potentially higher financial returns and may also bring long-term positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes.

Our workstreams to enable sustainable finance

Novel financing solutions for priority sectors

CSF is working to catalyse and accelerate innovative low-emissions transition financing solutions for priority sectors in New Zealand. We are conducting research and engaging with key stakeholders including CSF partners, private sector experts and government officials, to identify and prioritise key transition sectors. It will then work to support related innovative financing solutions and help catalyse demonstration projects.

Developing a sustainable finance taxonomy

CSF, in partnership with the NZ Government, is developing a sustainable finance taxonomy, starting with the priority sectors of agriculture and forestry. A sustainable finance taxonomy is a standardised framework for classifying economic activities according to their environmental performance. This classification system provides investors with the confidence to identify and invest in green and transition activities. Developing a robust taxonomy framework, aligned with those already place in our trading partner’s economies, will help to attract more international capital for sustainable investment opportunities into Aotearoa New Zealand.

Investing in private assets

CSF is working with financial market participants and policy makers to remove barriers to increased investment into private and illiquid assets from managed funds, including KiwiSaver. This will help New Zealanders benefit from investment options that can provide potentially higher financial returns and may also bring long-term positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes.

Starter for Ten: supporting SME reporting

More than 80% of New Zealand’s exports by value are now going to countries with mandatory climate-related disclosures either in force or proposed.

SMEs often lack the resources and guidance to collate the necessary sustainability-related information in a consistent way.

CSF has worked to create a clear and concise tool for SMEs to begin measuring and reporting on sustainability-related matters, reducing risk, increasing resilience and making more informed business decisions.

The New Zealand Sustainable Finance Reference Group

The Centre is working to establish a private sector sustainable finance reference group to provide advice to and support the Minister for Climate change on priority actions and delivery related to sustainable finance. The Centre’s related work includes a review of the sustainable finance landscape in Aotearoa New Zealand to develop a long list of options for the reference group to then recommend 3-5 options for the Government to focus on over the next couple of years. The reference group would subsequently focus on ensuring the partnership between the Government and the Centre focuses on the right areas to achieve our overarching aim of getting more private capital to flow to sustainable opportunities.

Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Finance Strategy

Aotearoa New Zealand needs a sustainable finance strategy to provide clarity on the Government’s priorities to increase the flow of international and domestic capital for sustainable and transition opportunities. The strategy will consider opportunities to align New Zealand with developments in other countries including Australia, Singapore and the United Kingdom which have similar initiatives. It is expected to provide a cohesive framework that is recognisable to international capital providers and complement the development of sustainable finance taxonomies and innovative sector financing work. Together, these activities aim to help catalyse more private finance for sustainable opportunities.