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.
Accelerate financing solutions
Drive the NZ Taxonomy
CSF collaborates with government, financial market, and real economy participants to develop a sustainable finance taxonomy that will support growth and resilience.
Deliver credible market & policy insights
CSF brings together partners and industry experts, and engages in broad consultation, to develop market guidance and insights for policymakers.
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.
New Zealand is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with more frequent and severe weather events placing increasing pressure on communities and infrastructure.
The scale and pace of the adaptation and resilience (A&R) activities required demands significant capital – far beyond what current funding approaches are delivering.
New Zealand has national objectives of doubling renewable energy and doubling the value of exports. Similar to approaches in other countries around the world, the New Zealand Government has partnered with the private sector through CSF to accelerate financing solutions that help cost effectively close the gap between the investment needed to meet national-level objectives and the capital currently flowing into aligned projects.
CSF, in partnership with the NZ Government, is developing a sustainable finance taxonomy for priority sectors. The NZ Taxonomy is a classification system for sustainable economic activities. It enables capital allocation decisions to economic activities that align with the transition to a resilient, low-emissions economy.
CSF supports partners and the broader sector to engage on policy and regulatory approaches. We provide specialist expertise on select long-term opportunities, including trans-Tasman alignment on sustainable finance frameworks, enabling institutional investment in private assets, international green economy opportunities and utilising markets and financial system infrastructure to direct capital into long term resilience.
CSF worked with major financial institutions to develop the ‘Starter for Ten: 10 topics for SMEs to start sustainability reporting’ a tool for SMEs to begin measuring and reporting on sustainability-related matters, reducing risk, increasing resilience and making more informed business decisions.
The Starter for Ten is also a resource for banks and investors to support small business customers with sustainability reporting and a starting point for conversations about sustainable finance.
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.
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Financing sustainable growth in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A classification system for sustainable economic activities.
Accelerating financing solutions for affordable, abundant clean energy.
Guidance for SMEs to start sustainability reporting.
Promoting greater options for New Zealand investors
