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BA MCom DipTour PGCertTertT PhD(Otago)

Sara Walton image (2023)Professor
Room: OBS 707
Tel: +64 3 479 5108
Email: sara.walton@otago.ac.nz

I teach and research in the area of sustainability, climate change and business in the Department of Management at the Otago Business School, University of Otago. I also carry out roles including Acting Associate Dean Research, Deputy Dean of the Otago Business School, director of the Master of Sustainable Business programme and Co-Director of He Kaupapa Hononga Otago's Climate Change Research Network.

My key areas of expertise include: carbon footprints, industry readiness for climate change, innovation for environmental sustainability, sustainable and low carbon transitions, analysing and understanding environmental conflicts and researching work in changing futures. I have published widely in management academic journals and have a regular column on sustainable business in the local newspaper ( ODT ) and is also regularly featured in media on climate, sustainability and business.

I enjoy applied research and have been involved in externally funded  inter-disciplinary projects for many years. For some background I have been involved in:

  • The Energy Cultures programme responsible for understanding energy cultures of SME s and business in NZ .
  • Leading a team of researchers on an Australian Aid funded project to Vanuatu to understand energy transitions.
  • Contracted by OceanaGold to explore land use and 'common grounds' surrounding the Macraes Gold Mine.
  • Working with BRANZ on a get Ready for Climate Change project with construction companies.

My current projects include:

  • Being science leader on an Endeavour project called Āmiomio Aotearoa a circular economy for the wellbeing of NZ .
  • Part of the Building NZ 's Innovation Culture team with the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge ( NSC ).
  • Working with MOTU on a Just Transitions Guide for MBIE . Working with a team on a MPI / FMAG funded project to understand company decisions around offsetting or abatement of GHG emissions.
  • Investigator on a project with the XRB examining the effectiveness of Climate Risk Disclosures.
  • Collaborating with Stuff to keep producing the Climate Action Report Card.

Teaching responsibilities

Sara's teaching responsibilities include:

Research interests

  • Examining ecopreneurial businesses in New Zealand
  • Social enterprise and for-benefit organisations
  • Business responses to climate change
  • Understanding natural resource based conflicts and analysing triple bottom line (TBL) company reports
  • Constructions of sustainability

Current supervisions

Sara is currently supervising the following students:

PhD

Sally Blackwell - Middle-out change in the New Zealand housing performance sector. (Supervisors: Janet Stephenson, CSAFE; Sara Walton; Rebecca Ford, VUW)

Nana Bortsie-Aryee - Water Footprinting: Theory to Reality – Building competitive advantage around water. (Supervisors: Sara Walton, Conor O'Kane, Peter Fennessy) - under examination

Cle-Anne Gabriel (2015). Renewable energy start-up businesses: Typology and critical success factors in transitioning countries. (Supervisors: Beth Rose, Sara Walton, Jodyanne Kirkwood)

David McKay (2014). Identifying and describing how environmental education is conceptualised and practiced among New Zealand Māori. (Supervisors: Hugh Campbell, Sara Walton, Jim Williams)

Babak Zahraie (2017). Green Entrepreneurs: Change Agents towards Sustainability. (Supervisors: André Everett, Sara Walton, Jodyanne Kirkwood)

MCom

Angela Howell - What will make business operations in NZ SMEs more energy efficient?

Letisha Nicholas (in conjunction with the Centre for Sustainability)

Completed

Abbe Hyde

Other responsibilities

Sara's other responsibilities include:

  • Divisional Representative on the University Environmental Sustainability Advisory Group

Publications

Walton, S., Foley, A., & MacGregor, C. (2024). Climate change readiness in the construction sector [BRANZ Study Report SR490]. Porirua, New Zealand: BRANZ Ltd.. [Technical/Scientific Report]. Working Paper; Discussion Paper; Technical Report

Hales, S., Prickett, M., Kerr, J., Walton, S., Sims, R., & Baker, M. (2024). Proposed Emissions Reduction Plan: A weak response to a weak target. The Briefing, (20 August). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/proposed-emissions-reduction-plan-weak-response-weak-target Journal - Research Other

Walton, S. (2024, April). Transforming business practices for sustainability. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Inaugural Professorial Lecture]. Other Research Output

Walton, S. (2023, June). What are the practices of MOS programmes? Verbal presentation at the 34th International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) Innovation Conference: Innovation and Circular Economy, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Walton, S., & Walters, T. (2023). The practice of science for technological innovation: Learnings and implications for Te Ara Paerangi. Policy Quarterly, 19(4), 86-94. Journal - Research Article

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