Eco living / sustainable living resources

We encourage, promote and support the uptake of energy efficient initiatives and renewable energy in three key ways: Helping businesses to get more from their energy dollar, improving our lifestyles by promoting warmer, drier homes and better personal transport choices and protecting the environment through energy efficiency and renewable energ...

NOW Homes are being developed throughout New Zealand as part of an extended research project into how to create affordable homes that are warmer, healthier, cheaper to run and kinder to the environment.

The Sustainable Home Guidelines provide a practical guide for good practice eco-building with up to date information about energy, water, materials, safety, waste and other eco-building issues to build your dream eco home or to simply make your existing home a little more sustainable.

The electricity you use at home has a direct impact on the environment. It can contribute to climate change. Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to generate electricity contributes to climate change – which is the biggest and most serious environmental threat that we face. Melting glaciers, rising sea levels and more extreme weather eve...

The programme has been developed in several New Zealand centres since 2001 by the local and regional Councils listed below, led by Marlborough District, with additional support from environment centres, schools, WEA, maraes and other adult education providers. It was assisted for its first three years by the Ministry for the Environment's Sustainab...

Beacon Pathway Ltd is a research consortium that’s working to find affordable, attractive ways to make New Zealand homes more sustainable Our Vision is simple: Creating homes and neighbourhoods that work well into the future and don't cost the Earth.

To promote and maintain the use of the Earth Building Standards of New Zealand NZS 4297 The Engineering Design of Earth Walled Buildings (Specific Design) NZS 4298 Materials & Workmanship for Earth Buildings Standards NZS 4299 Earth Buildings Not Requiring Specific Design Standards To promote the use of earth as a building material...

The World Green Building Council, together with it's members (made up of Green Building Councils from around the world) are committed to achieving this balance. We are committed to changing the property industry. The property industry is defined as all those who produce, develop, plan, design, build, alter, or maintain the built environment, an...

This web site exists to help people interested in permaculture within Aotearoa to keep in touch and share information. There's a forum for queries and replies, a list of coming events, classified ads, reading list.

What is Permaculture? This page attempts to explain permaculture through definition, principles and graphical illustrations. Additional information can be obtained through the given list of recommended reading books or from our Links page. A definition of Permaculture "Consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and ...

The New Zealand Green Building Council is an inclusive broad-based industry organization that has been formed to lead New Zealand’s focus on green building. We are a Non-Government Organization (NGO) made up of industry leaders who are committed to developing market based solutions that help deliver efficient, healthier, innovative buildings for Ne...

Being an eco city means working together for better social, economic and environmental outcomes for our children, our grandchildren and ourselves. It means working with people and communities to: Build a strong local economy Create attractive town centres with good road and passenger transport access Protect and expand the “green network...

A concise, A5-sized booklet describing how to carry out construction projects with consideration for the environment. It suggests things to consider from the very early stages of design right through to the end of the buildings lifetime. There are references and contacts you can follow up on. You dictate how much information you want!

The Green Home Scheme is New Zealand's only independent method of assessing the environmental performance of new home designs. It offers a checklist system that operates as a rating tool, examining a wide range of environmental issues. A certificate is provided for those assessed designs that have a good environmental performance.

How much do you spend on fuel? How much can you save? Work out how fuel efficient your car is.

Building or renovating your house? Need advice on environmental issues? Here’s an opportunity for you! What is it? A fantastic NEW and FREE service operating from three Councils - Waitakere City, Hamilton and Kapiti Coast. The Eco Design Advisor is a specialist providing free energy, water and material related advice on home building proje...

The Sustainable Business Network is a forum for businesses that are interested in sustainable development practice. We promote sustainable practice in New Zealand and support businesses on the path to becoming sustainable. We link businesses and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences. We define Sustainable Busine...

This web site offers some excellent information on the energy efficiency of various house hold appliances such as Air-conditioners, Clothes Dryers, Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerators / Freezers and more. As an example of the difference an energy efficient appliances can make, an energy efficient fridge costs a third of the price to run...

This website contains various details including water consumption and star ratings for a range of products that carry a water rating label. Appliances that carry a water rating label Select an appliance or equipment type to begin your search. Clothes Washers Dish Washers Lavatory Equipment Showers Tap Equipment Urinal Equipment F...

ecospecifier's aim is to help building professionals including architects, designers, builders and specifiers, as well as keen homeowners, to shortcut the eco and healthy materials sourcing process. Its broader aim is to help create a more sustainable physical environment by increasing the use of environmentally preferable and healthy products,...

Everybody knows our global environment is suffering and most people, given the choice, want to do something constructive about it. But where do you begin, locally? How can one person even make a difference? We can show you how. In fact you’ve already started – thanks for taking the time to visit our new website! The Sustainable Living progr...

A tool for builders and architects - Level will help you design and build homes which have less impact on the environment and are healthier, more comfortable, and have lower running costs.

Donate NZ provides the ultimate simple portal where individuals, organisations and companies can donate time, expertise and goods in any condition to schools, early childhood and not-for-profit organisations in New Zealand. The process is simple! All you have to do is list what you have to offer then community organisations like those above have...

A Feed-in Tariff (or FIT) is a government legislated policy. It guarantees a fixed premium price over the retail rate, payable to any person or organisation who generates renewable electricity and feeds (sells) it into the national grid or local electricity network. If implemented in New Zealand, a FIT would pay consumers to produce electricity,...