About ECO
This is the virtual home of ECO. Since 1972 ECO has been the umbrella group for environment and conservation organisations in New Zealand.
This website has information about ECO and its 50+ member groups as well as news of the environment and major conservation issues in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Please look around our website to learn more about our work and access resources and links of importance.
If you need further information contact the ECO Office in Wellington.
Level 2, 126 Vivian St, Wellington 6011
PO Box 11-057
Wellington
New Zealand 6142
Environment and Conservation Organisations
ECO was founded in 1971 as CoEnCo to meet the needs of the conservation community. We became ECO in 1976. We are a non-profit network of 50+ organisations with a concern for conservation and the environment.
Our membership includes large international groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, national groups including National Council of Women, as well as small local groups such as Kapiti Environmental Action and Save the Otago Peninsula, and issue oriented groups like the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust.
ECO has been centrally involved in campaigns to protect native forests, lakes and rivers, the reform of the Mining Act and defeat of the National Development Act, and in supporting the Resource Management Act and the establishment of the Department of Conservation and Ministry for the Environment. ECO continues to be at the forefront of environmental campaigns on fisheries, transport and environmental management.
ECO’s work is carried out largely by volunteers, supported by a small office and resource centre in Wellington. There are around 500 “Friends of ECO,” individual subscribers and others who support our work.
As well as working within New Zealand ECO maintains links with international networks, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Environment Liaison Center International (ELCI), Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, and Climate Action Network (CAN).
ECO is a registered charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005. Registration no CC41565
What we do
ECO – New Zealand’s national network working to protect our environment
ECO works to protect New Zealand’s unique natural heritage and to foster the relationship New Zealanders have with it. The natural environment is central to our culture, economy and identity. ECO acts to protect it for recreation, for its intrinsic quality and for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.
We strive to empower and inform people to work for better management and protection of New Zealand’s forests, coasts, sea, rivers, land, atmosphere and our unique species.
ECO is a network of fifty-plus large and small environmental organisations based all around New Zealand, as well as several hundred individual Friends. The core of ECO’s work is promoting and strengthening community environmental action, and working collaboratively towards better government policies and management decisions. ECO also works on global issues such as climate change, Antarctica, and oceans.
Community Environmental action
We help people from all walks of life get involved in protecting their local environments. ECO supports communities and environment groups by providing:
- An independent source of information and advice
- Research and analysis and advocacy; see the Coastal Policy paper we have prepared
- Networking and information sharing
A fearless voice for conservation of the environment and community rights, ECO’s collective voice has enabled it to successfully press for:
- More community say
- Stronger laws to protect nature, for example, the Resource Management Act
- Improvements to the Fisheries Act and Mining Act
- Putting marine ecosystem management on government agenda
- World Heritage status for sub-Antarctic islands
- The overturn of the Antarctic minerals regime and its replacement with the Antarctic Environmental Protocol
- Protection of native forests
- Species protection
- Biosecurity laws
- Increased funding for conservation
ECO has been centrally involved in campaigns to protect native forests, lakes and rivers, the reform of the Mining Act and defeat of the National Development Act, and in supporting the Resource Management Act and the establishment of the Department of Conservation and Ministry for the Environment. ECO continues to be at the forefront of environmental campaigns on fisheries, mining, transport and environmental management.
Publications and other matters
ECO produces a weekly e-news letter Tieke which contains commentaries, information from ECO members, and submission deadlines, conferences and hui, and events.
ECO produces a irregular newsletter ECOLink.
ECO members also receive additional information on issues of concern.
ECO retains a library in our office which is available for members, Friends, the public and students to use. Please contact the office. The extensive ECO Archives which date from 1971 are now catalogued on the Community Archive catalogue. Go here to search for your items of interest and then contact ECO to arrange access.
ECO with the assistance of Wellington City Council oversees the Environmentalist Memorial Garden.