Nature In The Balance: EDS Wraps Up Landmark Dollars And Sense Conference

Scoop

15-05-2025

The conference explored how to reshape land use practices to enhance biodiversity and carbon resilience. Speakers including Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton raised concerns about perverse incentives driving pine afforestation …
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has concluded its landmark 2025 Dollars and Sense Conference in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, drawing together over 350 delegates across government, business, iwi, academia, and civil society for three days of frank, future-focused conversation on aligning economic systems with ecological realities.
The conference, subtitled Making the Economy Work for Nature, comes at a pivotal moment for Aotearoa New Zealand. The Government talks a lot about economic growth. But the question asked at the conference was: how can we achieve that growth while also restoring and protecting our natural environment? And to what extent is the long term prosperity of the country dependant on thriving nature?
The event opened with an oceans symposium, which you can read about here, and was followed by two full days of intensive discussion on climate change, energy, biodiversity, freshwater, land use, environmental law reform, and the green economy.
Day one began with sobering international and local updates on biodiversity loss, climate instability and systemic risks, urging more adaptive governance and stronger investment in prevention and resilience. We are in a moment of accelerating risk, but we are not without options. The challenge is having the courage to take them.
The conference explored how to reshape land use practices to enhance biodiversity and carbon resilience. Speakers including Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton raised concerns about perverse incentives driving pine afforestation in our rural landscapes. Many called for greater support for place-based native ecosystem restoration and more robust data systems.
Te Maire Tau challenged delegates to rethink environmental governance through a te ao Māori lens, including proposals for smart water markets that internalise environmental costs and ensure shared obligations. Legal personhood for nature and recognition of mauri in environmental decision-making were highlighted as models with growing potential.
A central theme was the opportunity within the green economy. EU Ambassador Lawrence Meredith offered insight into Europe's progress toward net zero, while Dr Rod Carr outlined the economic logic of energy transformation. 'The business case is made. The technology is proven. The funding is available,' said Dr Carr. 'Our choices are the only thing in the way.' Sir Ian Taylor urged us to 'fast track to the future' and not to the past.
Resource management reform was another major focus. Reforming the Resource Management Act has the potential to deliver win-wins for the economy and nature. But delegates heard very little of that from Minister Bishop and Under Secretary Simon Court. While many acknowledged the need for change, there was deep concern about the current direction of travel, described by some as dis-integrated and driven by political urgency rather than long-term environmental planning. Multiple speakers expressed frustration about the erosion of environmental protections and the absence of robust national bottom lines.
The over-arching message from the conference was that nature is not a handbrake on economic growth. The two can go hand in hand and need to do so. But this will require clear-headed and clever thinking on the issues, something that has been lacking in recent political discourse.
'This year marks the 20th anniversary of EDS's environmental conferences. For two decades we've been creating spaces for these vital conversations. Finding solutions has never been more important,' said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.