Climate action is a broad term that Dr Amanda Thomas defines as “the tools people put together in order to address climate change”. Climate justice, on the other hand, looks at the equitable implications of our climate actions.  

Climate justice is important in addressing sustainability because climate change is one of the biggest threats to the long-term health and wellbeing of  the planet and its inhabitants, and its impacts are often disproportionately felt by marginalised and vulnerable communities. Throughout this episode key considerations related to both climate action and climate justice are discussed, including the role of industry and technology in addressing our climate challenges, as well as implications of climate change on social and gender equity. This episode highlights the need for climate justice to be at the forefront of our actions in contending with our broad sustainability challenges. 

In this episode our host, Dr Sarah Jane O’Conner, is joined by co-founder and CEO of TasmanIon, Dr Shalini Divya, and feminist political geographer, Dr Amanda Thomas, to discuss climate action from both a technological and a societal perspective.

Sustainability series #1: The rallying cry—talking climate action

Clean, fresh water is essential to our health—and is threatened, in Aotearoa New Zealand not only by climate change, but by poor industrial farming practices, population growth, and under-investment. This conversation illuminates the need for strong governance in addressing water security, as well as addressing the issues underlying the Three Waters discussion, and the place freshwater and the 100% Pure New Zealand concept play in our cultural identity.   

Our host Dr Sarah Jane O’Connor is joined in this episode by guests, green criminologist Dr Sarah Monod de Froideville, and environmental economist Dr Julia Talbot-Jones to discuss the murky depths of our clean water discourse.

Sustainability series #3: The Murky Depths—talking Clean Water

In late April 2024, Wellington School of Business and Government was honoured to host Distinguished Professor Dame Anne Salmond to deliver the Sir Frank Holmes Memorial Lecture in Policy Studies.
 
Examining how Te Tiriti o Waitangi and democracy can work together and drawing on global studies of cross-cultural relations in nation states, Dame Anne, Professor of Māori Studies and Anthropology, and a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equal Opportunity) at the University of Auckland, drew on her own research, and that of her peers. She took the audience through a timeline that moved from the democracy that existed before the signing of Te Tiriti through the land wars, the right for all in New Zealand to vote, and to the current day questions around what a fair, wise, and just government might look like: one that has the best interests of all New Zealanders at heart and in mind, and ignores the trap of “Pernicious Polarisation.”
 
Over 150 people sat with every word Dame Anne offered, many questions were answered, with many more arising as a result of the thought-provoking, empathic, and all-encompassing public lecture.

Dame Anne Salmond delivers Sir Frank Holmes Memorial Lecture in Policy Studies

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington's podcast gives you the chance to catch up with our academics and guest speakers who lead thinking on the big questions facing society. Capital thinking. Globally minded.

Dame Anne Salmond delivers Sir Frank Holmes Memorial Lecture in Policy Studies

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

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