Table of Contents
The Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) New Zealand is committed to climate action and is proud to operate as a carbon-neutral organisation. We offset our carbon emissions through long-term conservation and regeneration initiatives across three native forest blocks. These efforts reduce our environmental impact while strengthening biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
SRI New Zealand is a carbon-neutral entity that helps other organizations measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint through strategic planning. SRI helps Advancing Sustainable Consumption and Production through Regenerative Tourism, Research and Innovation
By investing in native forest regeneration, we contribute to the protection of New Zealand’s natural heritage and support healthier landscapes for future generations. Our approach goes beyond offsetting emissions; it focuses on restoring ecosystems and building long-term environmental resilience.
We embed these principles into our advisory work with businesses and organisations. Through our consultancy services, we help clients integrate carbon neutrality, conservation and regenerative practices into their strategies and operations. We support organisations to align their activities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabling them to move towards more sustainable and resilient business models.
By linking climate action with practical business transformation, we help organisations make sustainability a core part of their decision-making, growth and impact.
Updated: January 2026
Executive Summary
This Climate Action Plan and SDG 12 Impact Report documents the contribution of the Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) through research, policy innovation, digital tools and regenerative tourism frameworks. The report integrates climate mitigation strategies, regenerative development models and evidence-based measurement approaches to demonstrate how SRI advances systemic transformation across tourism, communities and governance.
SRI’s work reflects a shift from incremental sustainability to regenerative systems thinking, where tourism, communities and ecosystems are treated as interconnected social-ecological systems. Through Project Regenerative Tourism, the Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism and the SmaRT Regenerative Tourism App, the Institute contributes to knowledge production, behavioural change and operationalisation of sustainable consumption practices.
This report aligns SRI’s activities with SDG 12 targets, climate action pathways and measurable carbon footprint indicators, demonstrating how research-led innovation can support low-carbon, circular and regenerative economic transitions.
1. Institutional Context and Strategic Orientation
The Sustainability and Resilience Institute is a research-led advisory organisation focused on sustainability, resilience and regenerative development across tourism and socio-economic systems. Its mission is to generate knowledge, frameworks and tools that enable organisations and communities to move beyond sustainability towards regenerative futures.
SRI’s strategic approach is grounded in three interconnected pillars:
- Knowledge generation through interdisciplinary research
- Policy and framework development for regenerative systems
- Digital and experiential innovation to influence behaviour and decision-making
This integrated approach reflects global debates on sustainable consumption and production, which emphasise systemic transformation rather than isolated interventions.
2. Conceptual Framework: Regenerative Sustainability and SDG 12
SDG 12 seeks to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by addressing resource efficiency, waste reduction, responsible business practices and consumer behaviour change. Tourism plays a critical role in SDG 12 because it shapes consumption patterns, mobility, resource use and local economic structures.
SRI’s conceptual contribution lies in redefining sustainability as regeneration. Regenerative tourism is described as a system that restores and enriches social-ecological systems while maintaining economic viability and authentic experiences.
Unlike traditional sustainability approaches that focus on minimising harm, regenerative tourism emphasises systemic renewal, adaptive capacity and long-term socio-ecological value creation.
3. Climate Action and Carbon Footprint Methodology
3.1 Institutional Carbon Footprint Assessment
SRI’s Climate Action Plan includes an institutional carbon footprint assessment using a carbon footprint calculator. The total emissions were calculated at:
Total emissions: 0.11 tonnes of CO₂e
This figure reflects emissions associated with organisational activities such as digital operations, research work, travel and administrative functions.
3.2 Calculation Framework and Formula
The carbon footprint calculation follows a standard emissions accounting logic:
Total CO₂e = Σ (Activity Data × Emission Factor)
Where:
- Activity Data refers to measurable inputs such as energy use, travel distance or digital activity.
- Emission Factor refers to standardised coefficients that convert activity data into CO₂ equivalent emissions.
This methodology aligns with widely recognised greenhouse gas accounting principles and supports transparency and replicability in institutional climate reporting.
Baseline Carbon Footprint Result (Recalculated)
Based on updated activity data for 2025, the Sustainability and Resilience Institute New Zealand’s estimated annual operational emissions are:
- Travel emissions (6,500 km per year): ~1,250 kg CO₂e
- Website hosting and digital operations: 300 kg CO₂e
- Electricity consumption: 150 kg CO₂e
Total organisational emissions ≈ 1,700 kg CO₂e (1.7 tonnes CO₂e per year).
Although modest compared with many organisations, this footprint reflects the Institute’s digital-first operating model, limited physical infrastructure, and reliance on remote collaboration and knowledge-based services. Travel remains the largest emissions source, followed by digital operations and electricity use.
3.3 Illustrative Calculation Example
The baseline footprint was calculated using the following approach:
Electricity use
Emissions = Electricity emissions (kg CO₂e per year)
= 150 kg CO₂e
Travel emissions
Assumption: average vehicle emission factor ≈ 0.19 kg CO₂e per km (typical passenger vehicle estimate).
Emissions = Distance travelled × Emission factor
= 6,500 km × 0.19 kg CO₂e/km
≈ 1,235 kg CO₂e (rounded to 1,250 kg CO₂e)
Digital operations (website hosting and cloud services)
Emissions = Estimated annual digital emissions
= 300 kg CO₂e
Total emissions calculation
Total emissions (kg CO₂e)
= 1,250 + 300 + 150
≈ 1,700 kg CO₂e
Converted to tonnes:
Total CO₂e (tonnes)
= 1,700 ÷ 1,000
≈ 1.7 tonnes CO₂e per year
Methodological note
This approach follows widely recognised organisational carbon accounting practices, using activity data and emissions factors to estimate greenhouse gas emissions across key operational categories. While indicative, the results provide a robust baseline for monitoring progress and guiding climate action planning.
On average, one tree absorbs approximately 22 kg (0.022 tons) of CO2 per year over a 40-year lifespan. Using this general estimate: how many trees does this organisation need to plant to offset its emissions.
Let’s calculate it step by step using your updated footprint.
Step 1: Annual emissions
From the recalculated baseline:
- Total emissions = 1.7 tonnes CO₂e per year
= 1,700 kg CO₂e per year
Step 2: CO₂ absorption per tree
Given:
- 1 tree absorbs ≈ 22 kg CO₂ per year
Step 3: Number of trees required
To offset 1.7 tonnes CO₂e per year, the organisation would need to plant approximately:
≈ 78 trees
* In practice, we far exceed this, with over 15 hectares of native forest regenerating, containing an estimated 8,000 trees.
3.3 Strategic Implications
Although the absolute emissions figure is relatively low, its significance lies in SRI’s emphasis on behavioural change, systemic transformation and knowledge diffusion rather than operational scale. The Institute positions itself as a catalytic actor whose indirect impact on sustainable consumption patterns exceeds its direct emissions footprint.
4. Contribution to SDG 12 through Regenerative Tourism Initiatives
4.1 Project Regenerative Tourism
Project Regenerative Tourism is a flagship initiative led by SRI to promote research and experiential engagement in regenerative tourism. Its objectives include developing models, frameworks and indicators to evaluate how tourism products and services contribute to regeneration and sustainability.
The project has produced a Regenerative Tourism Model and Framework that integrate social, environmental and economic dimensions within a holistic social-ecological systems perspective.
From an SDG 12 perspective, Project Regenerative Tourism contributes to:
- Sustainable production through regenerative tourism business models
- Responsible consumption through experiential learning and visitor engagement
- Circular economy principles through integrated social-ecological indicators
- Evidence-based policy development through measurable regeneration indicators
By embedding indigenous knowledge and holistic systems thinking, the project challenges extractive tourism practices and promotes culturally grounded, low-impact consumption patterns.
4.2 The Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism
The Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism represents a major scholarly contribution to global debates on sustainable tourism and regenerative development. It provides a comprehensive overview of critical debates, trends and transformative potential within regenerative tourism research and practice.
The handbook contributes to SDG 12 in several ways:
- Knowledge production: advancing theoretical frameworks for sustainable and regenerative consumption
- Policy influence: informing policymakers, practitioners and academics about systemic transformation pathways
- Capacity building: supporting education and professional development in regenerative tourism
- Global dissemination: positioning regenerative tourism as a mainstream paradigm in sustainability discourse
From a climate action perspective, the handbook reframes tourism as a system capable of contributing to climate mitigation, adaptation and socio-ecological resilience.
4.3 SmaRT Regenerative Tourism App
The SmaRT Regenerative Tourism App is a digital platform designed to operationalise regenerative tourism principles through technology. It provides tools for stakeholders to understand, measure and enhance regenerative impacts within tourism systems.
The app contributes to SDG 12 by:
- Enabling informed consumption decisions by tourists and stakeholders
- Supporting data-driven assessment of regenerative outcomes
- Encouraging responsible production practices among tourism providers
- Bridging research and practice through digital innovation
The SmaRT App represents a practical mechanism for translating abstract sustainability principles into measurable behavioural change, thereby strengthening the link between research, policy and practice.
5. SDG 12 Outcomes and Impact Pathways
5.1 Sustainable Production
SRI’s frameworks and tools support tourism organisations in redesigning production processes to reduce environmental impact and enhance social value. This includes:
- Integration of regenerative indicators into tourism product design
- Promotion of circular economy principles in destination management
- Development of metrics to assess regenerative performance
These contributions align with SDG 12 targets related to sustainable business practices and resource efficiency.
5.2 Sustainable Consumption
SRI’s work influences consumption patterns by:
- Encouraging mindful travel and experiential learning
- Promoting authenticity and local engagement
- Providing digital tools for responsible decision-making
Through these mechanisms, SRI addresses behavioural dimensions of sustainable consumption, which are often overlooked in traditional sustainability strategies.
5.3 Systems Transformation
A key contribution of SRI lies in shifting the discourse from sustainability to regeneration. This shift reflects a deeper transformation of economic, social and ecological systems, consistent with emerging global sustainability paradigms.
6. Strategic Alignment with Climate Action
SRI’s Climate Action Plan integrates SDG 12 with broader climate objectives by:
- Linking regenerative tourism to climate mitigation and adaptation
- Embedding carbon footprint assessment within institutional strategy
- Promoting low-carbon tourism practices and resilient socio-ecological systems
The Institute’s signing of international climate initiatives and its emphasis on regenerative frameworks demonstrate a commitment to aligning tourism development with climate goals.
7. Governance, Partnerships and Knowledge Dissemination
SRI’s impact is amplified through partnerships with academic institutions, industry stakeholders and communities. Its publications, frameworks and digital tools serve as platforms for knowledge dissemination and policy dialogue.
By positioning regenerative tourism as a cross-sectoral agenda, SRI contributes to multi-stakeholder governance models that are essential for achieving SDG 12.
8. Evaluation and Future Directions
8.1 Monitoring and Indicators
SRI’s regenerative tourism indicators provide a basis for evaluating progress towards SDG 12 and climate goals. These indicators integrate social, environmental and economic dimensions, reflecting the complexity of sustainable consumption and production systems.
8.2 Strategic Priorities
Future priorities include:
- Scaling digital tools such as the SmaRT App
- Expanding empirical research on regenerative tourism impacts
- Strengthening policy engagement at national and international levels
- Enhancing carbon accounting methodologies for tourism systems
9. Integrated Climate Action Domains
9.1 Climate Mitigation
SRI contributes to emissions reduction through:
- regenerative tourism frameworks,
- low-carbon supply chain models,
- digital tools for impact measurement,
- circular economy practices.
9.2 Climate Adaptation and Resilience
SRI strengthens adaptive capacity through:
- community empowerment and participatory governance,
- diversification of local economies,
- resilience-based planning frameworks.
9.3 Socio-Economic Transformation
SRI recognises that climate action must address social equity and economic inclusion, contributing to:
- equitable distribution of tourism benefits,
- integration of indigenous and local knowledge,
- inclusive governance structures.
10. Implementation Framework
10.1 Strategic Time Horizons
Short-term (1–3 years)
- Expansion of regenerative tourism frameworks.
- Deployment and scaling of the SmaRT App.
- Integration of SDG 12 indicators into organisational strategies.
Medium-term (3–7 years)
- Institutional adoption of regenerative models by tourism organisations.
- Policy engagement at national and regional levels.
- Development of quantitative metrics for regenerative impact.
Long-term (7–15 years)
- Systemic transformation of tourism value chains.
- Global diffusion of regenerative sustainability frameworks.
- Institutionalisation of SDG 12 as a core climate action mechanism.
11. Conclusion
The Sustainability and Resilience Institute demonstrates a distinctive contribution to SDG 12 and climate action through its integration of research, frameworks and digital innovation. By advancing regenerative tourism as a systemic paradigm, SRI moves beyond incremental sustainability towards transformative change in consumption and production patterns.
Project Regenerative Tourism, the Routledge Handbook of Regenerative Tourism and the SmaRT Regenerative Tourism App collectively illustrate how knowledge, policy and technology can converge to support sustainable and regenerative futures.
Through its Climate Action Plan and SDG 12 initiatives, SRI provides a model for research-driven sustainability governance, positioning regenerative tourism as a strategic pathway for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the context of climate change and global socio-ecological challenges.