It was a privilege to attend and witness California Governor Gavin Newsom and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern make history in announcing a climate change partnership on Friday, May 27. 

Both signed a memorandum of cooperation to formalize the alliance between like-minded New Zealand and California in the New Zealand section of the San Francisco Botanical Garden. The two peoples have long been partners in fighting the effects of climate change, including New Zealand sending firefighters to California to help fight wildfires, and this partnership moves the relationship toward actively solving climate change too.

Adding to the excitement, was the partnership formally inked between Actual and ZQRX, witnessed by both esteemed leaders.

The love and respect that New Zealanders have for their people and their land was evident from the very first time that we met the entire ZQRX team. Our milestone partnership gives their network of growers the tools to create actionable environmental change so that brands like Allbirds and VF can succeed in their mission to make fashion more sustainable. And this is just the beginning. Our work together will transform the way the industry responds to ESG. 

Together, our efforts have already identified specific actions that could reduce the emissions at over 300 farms by nearly 70%. This emissions reduction is equivalent to replacing every gas car in San Francisco with an EV.

California and New Zealand, along with the rest of the world, are experiencing the increasingly dangerous effects of climate change. As Prime Minister Ardern put it, environmental issues are the ‘next frontier.’ The partnership is one of the first examples of how the United States and Silicon Valley tech can work with other countries to improve operations and reduce their carbon footprints. 

This is vital to the future of more universal and regulated ESG standards; a state and a country nearly 7,000 miles apart have come together to show the world that real impact is possible when ideas are shared. Not only is real impact possible but it’s happening now, and Actual is leading the charge with a practical way for companies to attain their ESG goals. 

Our work is not just about making pledges and commitments - it’s about finding the real solutions to meet them. We are confronting the climate crisis with pragmatism, optimism, and respect for the environment, shared values of New Zealand and California. This is just the tip of the iceberg - and hopefully, that saying still makes sense a century from now.