We are a multi-disciplinary team at the University of Otago researching the opportunities and implications for rural communities of Aotearoa New Zealand’s journey towards a net zero carbon future. Our research is rooted in farmer perceptions, responses to policy and behavioural drivers within the context of wellbeing, environmental stewardship and economic prosperity
Professor Sara Walton teaches and researches in the area of sustainability, climate change and business at the Otago Business School, University of Otago. Sara has contributed towards knowledge in environmental and social entrepreneurship, innovation for environmental sustainability, sustainable transitions, environmental conflicts and understanding work in changing futures.
Prof Walton is a co-director of He Kaupapa Hononga Otago’s Climate Change Research Network. She had just finished working with MOTU on a Just Transitions Guide for MBIE, working with BRANZ on construction company readiness for climate change and working with a team on a MPI/FMAG funded project to understand company decisions around offsetting or abatement of GHG emissions.
Sara’s current projects include:
- Being science leader on an Endeavour project called Āmiomio Aotearoa a circular economy for the wellbeing of NZ.
- Part of the Building NZ’s Innovation Culture team with the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge (NSC).
- Investigator on a project with the XRB examining the effectiveness of Climate Risk Disclosures.
- Biodiversity labels/credits and nature positive companies.
- Collaborating with global and national institutions to keep producing the Climate Action Report Card.
Associate Professor Janice Lord is a botanist with a diverse portfolio of work centered around New Zealand plant life history strategies – how species as diverse as alpine lichens, subantarctic megaherbs and canopy trees have evolved and adapted to this land, how they reproduce and interact with other organisms such as pollinators and mutualistic fungi, and how we can incorporate vibrant native ecosystems into a sustainable future. She gained her PhD from the University of Canterbury then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Macquarie University, Australia, for 5 years before joining the University of Otago Botany Department in 1996.
Areas of research interest include native regeneration under exotic forests, pasture diversity effects on soil carbon, microbial symbionts of native trees, native reforestation from seeds and aerially dispersed seedpods, carbon sequestration by native vegetation, breeding systems of rare native plants, and pollination services of native bees, flies and moths. Janice also designed the greenroof for the University of Otago William Evans Building, advises on biodiversity for the campus Sustainability Neighbourhood project and engages frequently with community groups. She has authored 7 book chapters, >100 peer reviewed journal articles and numerous popular science pieces, collectively attracting >4500 citations.
Viktoria Kahui has been teaching environmental economics at the University of Otago for over 15 years, and has published widely on topics of fisheries, freshwater and other environmental issues. She is currently involved in studies surveying volunteer effort in Tomahawk Smaills Beach, travel patters to Brighton Beach in Dunedin and analysing international cases of legal personhood for environments.
Page last updated 2023-12-12