Wao is a collective movement for climate action and regeneration.
We accelerate systems change and climate action by bringing together people, groups, and organisations with the power to influence beyond themselves and activating them to drive transformative action.
We activate clusters of influence from local community groups to national networks to address climate, ecosystems & biodiversity, and social resilience.
We champion systems change by focusing on leverage points where small, strategic actions create ripple effects.
Summit 2025.
28th October - 2nd November
Our flagship annual, week‑long festival of kōrero, tours, workshops, and community events across Wānaka and Queenstown. It’s designed to ignite systems change through multi-sector learning and collaboration. This year we are reframing how we live, lead, and thrive toward 2125.
Our
Programmes.
Better Building
Better Business
Better Events
Better Transport
Better Communities
Food Resilience
Upcoming events.
The Wao Podcast.
In-depth conversations with Wao speakers, experts, and change makers. Kindly produced by our partners yBC.tv
When a pebble is dropped, a ripple is spread.
Wao delivers targeted, systems-focused programmes and events designed to inspire, educate, and enable communities to transition toward a regenerative, low-emission future. We convene changemakers, connect ideas, and create blueprints for action that can be adapted and scaled across Aotearoa.
Our work centres on partnership, collaboration, and the belief that thriving communities are inseparable from a thriving environment.
Wao News.
