Out of the recession: Into the clean economy
The head of New Zealand’s Business Council for Sustainability, Peter Neilson, wraps up the University of Waikato’s free series of public lectures on the global economic crisis this week.
His presentation ‘Out of the recession: Into the clean economy’ is on Wednesday September 30.
Mr Neilson will canvass the recession’s causes, errors in monetary policy, and present research showing the New Zealand public still care about sustainability. He’ll present evidence of corporates outperforming the market when they’ve run sustainable practice to their core, and discuss the vast opportunities which will arise from pricing environmental externalities, like waste, water greenhouse gas emissions, and the air. New Zealand has attributes the world increasingly wants to take advantage of. This presentation will discuss how to meet those expectations.
The Business Council is known for its work on promoting the use of market instruments to achieve environmental benefits at less cost through its support for the ETS, waste levies, and sustainable procurement. The more than 70 CEO members of the Business Council have funded research into the ETS, improving the performance of our homes, managing our fresh water, and upgrading the efficiency of our car fleet. Projects underway include ensuring our transport infrastructure is more sustainable and examining what the social role of business is and could be.
Peter Neilson is a former Cabinet Minister of Revenue, Customs and Works, and was Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises and Finance under the Lange Labour government between 1984 and 1990. Following a period as Leader of the Opposition’s Economic Advisor, Peter moved to private industry. Working initially in corporate finance, Peter then managed a number of international advisory roles, firstly with Ernst and Young (1994-2002) and subsequently with the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research. His economic consulting experience ranges from energy projects, transport solutions and sustainable forestry to social welfare, student loan schemes, youth employment, and prison reform.
The University of Waikato winter lecture series has included prominent Waikato alumni such as former Telecom head Theresa Gattung and the head of the NZ Super Fund, Adrian Orr. The series of six lectures looked at a variety of issues around the crisis. Mr Neilson will speak at the university’s Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts from 6.30pm-7.30pm on Wednesday. Parking in Gate 2B, Knighton Rd, Hamilton.
