Our Senior Sustainability Specialist Kate Arnold has over 20 years of experience managing projects in the food and bioscience industries. Originally from England, Kate has been living in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
Before joining thinkstep-anz, she managed innovation, technical, and development projects at Miraka, a Māori owned dairy company using geothermal energy. At thinkstep-anz, Kate works with clients to develop strategy, supports them in finding their material topics and with climate-related projects in a wide selection of sectors.
Why did you choose a career in sustainability?
I have worked in different sectors in research, innovation and product development but have always held a passion for the environment and social fairness. Moving into sustainability allowed me to combine these passions with my experience across different industries. I know about the challenges of integrating sustainability into a commercial environment and so can help support businesses to understand the benefits that it can bring.
What do you like most about your work?
I love supporting initiatives that promote sustainable practices and tackle climate change, whether it's through strategy development, disclosures, or sustainability roadmaps. One of the most fulfilling parts of my role is guiding businesses in embedding sustainability into their everyday operations.
Sustainability requires a long-term view, and thinking about the future impact of today's actions is incredibly rewarding. I often have surprising and thought-provoking conversations with clients about what the future could look like. Plus, with the field evolving constantly, I enjoy keeping up-to-date with the latest insights and best practices to better support our clients.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in sustainability?
Engaging people to make changes at the pace that’s needed. Sustainability often involves complex scientific data and ideas, and the key is to communicate these in a clear, approachable way. We need to inspire people to join the journey without overwhelming them.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Getting into nature in all sorts of ways – biking, kayaking, walking and gardening. I try and plant my age in trees each year. Getting out with “Greening Taupō” has been a great way to do that. It is an amazing community initiative focused on enhancing Taupō’s environment for both people and wildlife with over 180,000 native trees planted and thousands of hours of weed and predator control completed.