By Eric Seo, Rangatahi Advisory Panel member for Zespri
**The views expressed by Eric are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of our Leading Partner, Zespri whom Eric represent.
I’m currently an ESG Specialist at Zespri where my role focuses on the backend work that goes into reporting our sustainability, with an emphasis on the data that underpin the disclosures.
I joined Zespri about a year and a half ago and now split my time between Auckland and the Mount. It’s a good balance between being close to family/friends and staying connected to the team – I’m grateful for the flexibility that Zespri allows. Before Zespri, I worked at KPMG as an ESG Assurance Advisor within the Audit division, focusing on greenhouse gas inventories and wider climate reporting as these became more prominent with the rollout of the New Zealand Climate Standards.
It’s hard to pinpoint a single moment where my passion for the environment began, but one of the earliest influences was being involved in Boys Brigade when I was around 10. Spending time outdoors, going on hikes and being in nature had a lasting impact. Since then, I’ve always enjoyed staying connected to our environment which has carried through into my career interests.
What makes New Zealand special are often the small things we take for granted – things like how safe it is, how freely we live, and the access we have to nature. We have low-density housing, great air quality, and beaches and landscapes right on our doorstep. It’s often only when you travel and come back that you really notice those differences.
For me, travelling overseas – to developing countries or even developed countries like Korea where my family is from – has really highlighted things like air quality and access to drinking water, which we don’t always think about here.
I studied Finance and Accounting at the University of Otago, and discovered climate finance in my final year while completing my Master’s in Finance. That paper really opened my eyes to the field – leading me to take more sustainability papers – and it set the direction for my career.
I first heard about The Aotearoa Circle through my work at KPMG, where colleagues were involved in projects like the transport scenarios work and other cross-sector initiatives. That exposure gave me an early sense of the Circle’s role in bringing industries together.
I then came across the RAP through seeing a friend who was a RAP member. It looked like a really interesting group. What stood out to me most was the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and be part of something impactful. As a relatively new RAP member, starting just before the March Fenwick Forum, I didn’t really know what to expect. But after the Forum, the value of the cohort became much clearer – the connections, and the collective passion, intelligence and confidence within the group. There’s a real sense of shared purpose, and it’s quite humbling to be part of this group.
Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky to work alongside some incredible people who have had a strong influence on me. I’ve had the pleasure of working with leaders who can clearly articulate complex ideas and integrate sustainability into broader business thinking – something I really admire and try to carry forward in my own work, and into the RAP.
Through my work and experience, I’ve come to see that sustainability is critical for New Zealand’s economic success. Much of our economy relies on exports which operate in premium global markets – like our fruit, meat, wine, tourism and also some of our dairy. Shipping costs are naturally high because of our geographic position, and our labour costs are relatively high too. That means we’re unlikely to compete by cutting costs. Instead, our advantage lies in maintaining a premium offering.
Globally, consumers in those premium markets are increasingly demanding sustainability, and we’re seeing that directly – even customers asking for proof of things like emissions or sustainability credentials and being willing to pay a premium for it. From my perspective, sustainability isn’t just a “nice to have”. It’s good business and essential for our long-term competitiveness.
New Zealand has always had a strong “green” image, which has helped differentiate us globally, particularly in tourism and exports. There’s an opportunity to reinforce and protect that positioning as we risk losing some of that pride. At the same time, as a small country, we need to work more collectively – almost like operating as one cohesive brand – to strengthen our position internationally. Our economy is tiny in relation to the global economy, so alignment and collaboration amongst our businesses are key. Organisations such as The Aotearoa Circle play an important role in bringing that cohesion together across sectors.
