A group of businessmen are leading a campaign to make New Zealand cleaner and greener and to capitalise on opportunities created by climate change.
The not-for-profit organisation Pure Advantage has identified seven industry sectors which have the potential to add value to New Zealand's economy.
Research commissioned by Pure Advantage pinpoints potential in areas including agri-tech, biodiversity, bio-products, housing, renewable energy, smart grid and waste to value.
CEO Simon Millar said the businessmen were keen to authenticate New Zealand's clean and green image and to capitalise on opportunities within a changed climate.
"Looking at the backdrop of climate change, how can New Zealand capitalise on our natural advantages", he said.
Mr Millar said climate change needs to be looked at as an opportunity and not a cost.
"We have to walk the talk here, and then [consider] how can we ensure the authenticity of the brand globally?" he said
"The underlying theme here is climate change. What are we going to do to respond and to mitigate. How are businesses adapting to the changing circumstances?
"It is looking closely at what we do really well and thinking about how can we do it better and reduce the imprint on the environment.
"What is the cost of doing nothing [about climate change]. What's the analysis of that? And then what are the opportunities and how high does that go?
"And that's really what we need to sell."
