This year’s Wanaka-based Wao Summit will feature more than 40 events, workshops, films, pop-ups and tours. 

The full summit programme for the festival - taking place from October 24-29 - has been launched, with events covering everything from reducing waste in the building sector, ‘living lightly’ at home, and sustainability in business.

“This year we’re focusing on collective action,” Wao co-founder Monique Kelly said. “When we come together we can drive collective action to generate greater change.” 

Community resilience will be spotlighted, Monique said, and events will take on big questions like ‘What will 2050 look like?’ and how climate will impact supply chains in ‘This Climate Business’. 

The summit will feature “comprehensive workshops”, Monique said, with full days focusing on regenerative tourism and better building, as well as targeted workshops on communication for change and ‘the Right to Repair’.

It will also celebrate the local sustainability action underway, with a series of tours and tiny talks featuring local sustainability experts and climate action advocates.

Wao Aotearoa was founded six years ago, delivering climate action events and educational programmes to help accelerate climate action across Aotearoa and the world. 

This year’s summit will be the sixth to take place.

"Wao Summit is here to encourage us to raise our overall ambition of what is possible, to amplify what is already going on, learn from one another and share ideas that can spark transformative change,” Wao communications director Arna Craig said. 

“No matter where you sit with regard to climate action and sustainability, the Wao Summit has something here for you,” she said. “We encourage everyone to take a look at the program and come along.”

See the full Wao Summit schedule here.

PHOTO: Supplied