Catapult takes sustainability seriously. We have been a member of the Sustainable Business Council (SBC) since 2014. SBC’s purpose is to mobilise New Zealand’s most ambitious businesses to build a thriving and sustainable future for all.
Catapult defines sustainability as thriving people, planet and profits.
Catapult’s strategy integrates sustainability in the following ways:
- Net Climate Positive: Catapult is proud to be certified Climate Positive Business Operations with Ekos. We have measured and offset 120% of our business operations scope 1, 2 and 3 CO2 emissions for 2022/23 with certified carbon credits. These certified carbon credits are sourced from projects that grow and protect forests in Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands and help to deliver climate resilience, waterways protection, erosion control, biodiversity conservation, and community economic development.
- Our purpose and vision: sustainability is inherent in our purpose, ‘Unleashing brilliance for a flourishing Aotearoa’, and our vision ‘to grow the performance and wellbeing of Aotearoa by unleashing leadership capability and confidence’.
- Our people: our tribe are at our centre. We are proud to have retention way above industry average with only 12% turnover in the last three years. We support our team to reach their personal and professional goals through our ‘Consultant Care’ programme. Our people love our family-friendly approach, flexible working, ongoing development, and access to challenging and rewarding work.
- Strategic relationships: we believe in collaboration as only through relationships can we make the difference we are out to make. Catapult has key strategic relationships with:
- Sustainable Business Council (SBC): Catapult has been a member since 2014 and runs the Sustainability Leadership Programme in partnership with SBC (see more below).
- Global Women: Catapult’s Co-CEO Andrea Thompson is a member and advocates for gender equity.
- Sustainable Business Network (SBC)
- The Leadership Development Centre: the core agency tasked with lifting leadership capability across the public sector.
- Services: we have integrated sustainability into core services, including:
- Sustainability Leadership Programme: in 2022 we welcomed 53 people from across Aotearoa. Participants work on real sustainability progress and report that the programme has made a significant impact.
- Public Health Leadership Programme: this programme is funded by the Ministry of Health and attended by 36 public health leaders a year, all committed to advancing health outcomes in Aotearoa.
- Facilitating strategy: when facilitating strategy with clients we intentionally bring the wider context including social and environmental challenges into the room. Clients have articulated their core purpose and strategy in relation to created shared value.
- Not for profit scholarships: Catapult offers scholarships to the not for profit sector on the Sustainability Leadership Programme.
- B-corp certification: B-corp certification measures a company’s entire social and environmental impact. Catapult became a certified B-corp in 2022. We are delighted to join this global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.
- Processes: our approach is to ‘do more with less’. We have, for example, moved from printed workbooks to editable pdfs in many leadership development programmes.
- Home offices: our team has greened their home offices, recycle everything possible, and most compost.
- Mind the gap: Catapult was one of the first companies to report our pay gap and has a 0% gender, Māori, and Pacific peoples pay gap.
- Supply chain: sustainability is a key filter in our choice of suppliers. Annually we ask to see supplier sustainability policies and suggest improvements in a relational approach.
In 2022 we:
- Developed 50 sustainability leaders through the Sustainability Leadership Programme.
- Developed 36 public health leaders through the Public Health Leadership Programme.
- Were certified as a Climate Positive Business Operation by Ekos. We have measured and offset 120% of our carbon footprint for business operations 2021/22 with certified credits.
- Gave four scholarships to not-for-profit leaders on the Sustainability Leadership Programme.
- Were awarded B Corp status as an organisation verified by B Lab of meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
In 2021 we:
- Developed 43 sustainability leaders in the Sustainability Leadership Programme.
- Developed 36 public health leaders in the Public Health Leadership Programme.
- Began working with The Salvation Army to support its people leaders to achieve mission impact.
- Installed solar panels on the home of the two Managing Directors.
- Replaced a company owned petrol vehicle with a fully electric vehicle.
- Facilitated the Construction Sector’s Environment Workstream to develop a roadmap for the transformation of the sector’s environmental impacts.
- Provided four scholarships to not for profit leaders on our residential leadership programme, Catapult Leadership.
In 2020 we:
- Upskilled our team’s ability to run workshops online allowing us to reduce carbon emissions.
- Moved from print production of workbooks to distributing editable pdfs for many leadership programmes.
- Provided four scholarships to not for profit participants on our residential leadership programme, Catapult Leadership.
- Developed 34 sustainability leaders in the Sustainability Leadership Programme.
- Switched the power supplier for the home of the two Managing Directors to fully renewable.