Climate Action Tools Hub

As a small not-for-profit (NFP) organisation, it can be challenging to determine where to begin addressing your organisation’s climate impact. We’ve done the mahi for you! This directory is the first of several resources we are developing to support NFPs across Aotearoa to take climate action.

The directory provides an overview and links to the top-performing 25 climate action websites. These provide a range of low-effort, culturally grounded tools that will empower your organisation to take meaningful and immediate steps. The website’s address climate action from the perspectives of governance and strategy; cultural grounding/Te Ao Māori and climate; practical climate action and operational tools; communication and engagement, including with youth; and finance/legal and investment.

Climate Solutions at Work
🔗Project Drawdown
Focus: sectoral actions for workplaces
Provides proven climate actions across sectors - energy, transport, land use
Effort: 3 hrs | Best for: team leads

Climate Action Toolbox (NZ)
🔗Climate Action Toolbox
Focus: measure and reduce organisational emissions
Step-by-step tool for small NFPs to reduce carbon footprint
Effort: 2–3 hrs | Best for: staff-led sustainability challenges

Climate Action Accelerator (Switzerland)
🔗Climate Action Accelerator
Focus: operational emissions reduction
Toolkits for emissions reduction in transport, procurement, and waste.
Effort: 2–4 hrs | Best for: office/community facilities

We Adapt NZ - Climate Resilience Toolkit (PDF)
🔗We Adapt NZ
Focus: creative engagement via arts and storytelling
Supports adaptation and justice through arts-based engagement
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: arts and youth groups

Community Climate Action Toolkit (Transition Network – UK)
🔗Transition Network Toolkit
Focus: community planning and mobilisation
Guides local climate action through collaboration and engagement.
Effort: 3–5 hrs | Best for: local projects, volunteer teams

Weaving Te Ao Māori into Climate Action (Metua Uru)
🔗Weaving Te Ao Māori
Focus: cultural competence and co-governance
Introduces Māori worldviews for embedding tikanga and partnership
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: leadership teams

Climate Action Aotearoa Knowledge Hub (NZ)
🔗Climate Action Aotearoa
Focus: collaboration and Te Tiriti alignment
Templates and examples for embedding Tika and Te Tiriti-aligned responses
Effort: 1–3 hrs | Best for: lead staff

Guidelines for Māori Adaptation Model (Aotearoa)
🔗Te Kaharoa Māori Adaptation Model
Focus: partnership & stakeholder engagement
Builds strong, respectful relationships with Māori partners
Effort: 3 hrs | Best for: partnership planning

Climate Connect Aotearoa
🔗Climate Connect Aotearoa
Focus: collaborative innovation / Māori-led frameworks
Hub for cross-sector collaboration and Māori knowledge integration
Effort: 1–3 hrs | Best for: SMEs, NFPs

Climate Engagement Guides (Climate Outreach)
🔗Climate Outreach Resources
Focus: communication and storytelling
Guidance on engaging audiences and telling climate stories
Effort: 1–2 hrs | Best for: comms staff

Tackling Global Challenges (World Economic Forum)
🔗World Economic Forum
Focus: global insights and case studies
Articles, podcasts, and case studies on climate and economic issues
Effort: 1 hr | Best for: policy review, awareness-building

Climate Action Toolkit (UNICEF)
🔗UNICEF Environment and Climate Change
Focus: climate literacy (youth-friendly)
Introduces climate concepts in plain language for youth NFPs
Effort: 1 hr | Best for: youth NFPs

1Planet4All Toolkit (Concern / EU)
🔗1Planet4All Toolkit
Focus: youth engagement & climate education
Facilitator-led toolkit empowering young people to take action
Effort: 3–4 hrs | Best for: youth groups/schools 

Climate Justice & Resilience Toolkit (Australia)
🔗Climate Justice Resilience Toolkit
Focus: equity-centred adaptation & resilience
Embeds climate justice into community services
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: NFPs in health/social sectors

The Climate Toolkit (International)
🔗The Climate Toolkit
Focus: engaging community and staff
Offers goals across nine areas to make practical improvements
Effort: 1–3 hrs | Best for: team workshops

Community-Led Retreat Guidance (MfE)
🔗Ministry for the Environment
Focus: community adaptation planning & responsiveness
Supports community-led adaptation planning
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: local NFPs

NZ Green Investment Finance (NZGIF)
🔗NZGIF
Focus: green investment and funding case studies
Showcases NZ climate-positive projects and partnerships
Effort: 1–2 hrs | Best for: funders & CEs

Ākina Foundation - Tools & Resources
🔗Ākina Foundation
Focus: social enterprise and impact investment
Support for impact-led business models and funding diversification
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: CE/fundraising

Impact Investment – Parry Field Lawyers
🔗Parry Field Lawyers
Focus: legal guidance on impact investment
Overview of legal issues and opportunities for NZ charities
Effort: 1 hr | Best for: boards/CEs

Why HR Should Care About Climate Change (WTW)
🔗WTW Blog
Focus: workforce, wellbeing and climate links
Shows HR policy and wellbeing link to climate goals
Effort: 1 hr | Best for: HR and operations leads

The Aotearoa Circle – Sector Research
🔗The Aotearoa Circle
Focus: sector-level adaptation and transition research
Research to inform sector-level adaptation and climate strategy
Effort: 2–3 hrs | Best for: research teams

Monitoring & Evaluation for Climate Impact (Climate-Adapt, EU)
🔗Climate Adapt – EU
Focus: MEL frameworks
Guidance for monitoring and evaluating climate impact
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: evaluation teams

Board Toolkit (Chapter Zero NZ)
🔗Chapter Zero NZ Board Toolkit
Focus: climate governance for boards and trustees
Supports boards to integrate climate into strategy and decisions
Effort: 1–2 hrs | Best for: board workshop

Top ESG Risks / Trends for Boards (Chapman Tripp)
🔗Chapman Tripp Insights
Focus: governance risks and leadership
Outlines climate-related risks and opportunities for NZ boards
Effort: 1 hr | Best for: board chairs/trustees

Sustainable Business Council – Climate Materiality Guide (NZ)
🔗SBC Resources
Focus: understanding environmental and social impacts
Helps organisations identify key impacts to inform strategy
Effort: 2 hrs | Best for: strategy development

This resource positions climate action not as extra work, but as a natural extension of what organisations already do. By offering clear, low-effort, culturally grounded tools, we aim to empower NFPs to take meaningful and immediate steps. This tools hub is just the beginning, a curated path through the noise to help organisations get started with confidence. Co-design, prototyping, and real-world testing will guide what comes next.

This directory builds on Centre for Social Impact's wider work to make climate action easier and more achievable for small NFPs. We’ve listened to your feedback in recent surveys and kōrero. You want doable not daunting!

You told us what would make climate action easier for your organisations, and we’ve taken that on board. Across surveys and conversations, small NFPs said they want simple, practical, ready-to-use guidance that doesn’t require new funding, specialist staff, or prior climate knowledge. Your top priority was clear: “give us practical actions we can start tomorrow.” It recognises that every job is a climate job (Project Drawdown) and that many organisations already contribute to climate solutions through their everyday mahi, they just may not realise it.

This is a living resource and we are welcome your suggestions or links to useful resources.

Please send us an email to info@csinz.org with "Climate resource" in the subject heading.