Ahakoa iti, he pounamu
Translation ‘Although small it is greenstone’
Meaning: Even a small offering can give rise to great value
Earth Quotient Managing Director
From as early as I can remember our non-human relatives - the forests, animals, seas, rivers, forests, and streams - have felt sacred to me. Likewise, I have felt deep attraction and appreciation for our human wisdom traditions and creativity expressed through design, science, and technology. I have been dismayed to see how much harm our non-human relatives have endured, yet also encouraged and inspired by the efforts of people who choose to draw upon their wisdom and creativity to imagine and build new futures where human and non-human relatives co-exist in mutually supporting ways.
This background that has led me into my career, where I have focussed on trying to solve some of the sustainability issues facing Aotearoa New Zealand. My career path begun with undergraduate work in sustainable forestry, agriculture, and human ecology, then completing my PhD in Māori land sustainability. I began leading land sustainability projects where I attempted to draw on indigenous wisdom traditions in combination with appropriate science and technology. I currently lead several national research programmes focused on land, freshwater, and ocean sustainability. They draw together experts and practitioners from multiple disciplines, indigenous communities, industry, and government with the knowledge and capacity to make enduring change.
Meet The Team
Case Studies
John is a co-director (previously labelled "co-lead") of Eco-index, formally a $3.5m investment by the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. Eco-index works alongside government, iwi, and industry to establish science-based ecological restoration targets for Aotearoa. A live interactive online dashboard will be built for tracking investments in Aotearoa’s biodiversity maintenance and restoration, and the impacts of this investment on Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity.
Participants: MfE, DoC, StatsNZ, Dairy NZ, A2 Milk, Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Environment Canterbury
John was the lead researcher for Kaitiaki Intelligence Platforms, designing a environmental sensing network for Māori organisations. The project supports hapū and iwi in meeting their felt collective responsibility to wisely manage resources for future generations and their non-human kin.
John co-led the Indigenising the Blue Economy programme, an $0.88m investment by the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. The programme used indigenous principles to develop new institutional structures with iwi and pan-iwi organisations to build a sustainable marine economy. It focused on marine estate governance, the efficiency in quota distribution, supply chain governance, and whānau and hapū enterprise opportunities.
Participants: Iwi Collective Partnership, Mataatua, Hoketehi Moriori Trust, Ngati Mutunga o Wharekauri, Ōnuku Rūnanga.
Huaki
John led the Huaki programme an $0.8m investment by the Building Better Homes Towns and Cities Science Challenge. It built an interactive dashboard for Māori authorities that tracks government housing policies, and the impacts of those policies on Māori housing trends in relation to Māori health, economic, and social wellbeing.
Participants: Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB).
New Zealand Sustainability Dashboard Programme
John was an Objective Leader and advisor board director in this programme. The $14m programme was supported by the MBIE Endeavour Fund and based at the Agribusiness Group LTD. The objective involved developing an online sustainability assessment and reporting tool for Māori agribusinesses and supporting strategy for national sustainability reporting.
Participants: Multiple post-settlement iwi farming corporations, incorporations, and land trusts, Zespri and NZ Winegrowers.
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He Kokonga Whare
John was an Objective Leader within this Health Research Council funded programme based at Te Atawhai o te Ao. The objective was to explore the intergenerational impacts of land alienation on the Ngāi Tahu whanui from economic, social, psychological, environmental, and spiritual dimensions.
Participants: Ngāi Tahu whanui
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Clients & Partners
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