If sustainability were a flower blooming in Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb’s life, it would be a native flowering seagrass — resilient and thriving even in challenging conditions. Kayla nurtures sustainability through evidence-based solutions, strong partnerships, and a deep respect for both nature and community. She believes that “sustainability is not just about protecting the environment — it’s about sustaining the relationships between people and the natural world.”

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As Chief Executive of WWF-New Zealand, Kayla brings a wealth of experience from her time as Director of Policy at the Department of Conservation, as well as her academic expertise in Treaty law, Indigenous customary law, and legal pluralism. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge focused on natural resource management policy, which informs her approach to addressing today’s environmental challenges.

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For Kayla, the path to sustainability is paved with collaboration and listening. “We must listen deeply to tangata whenua, because their connection to the land and sea holds invaluable wisdom for our collective future.” That connection shapes WWF-New Zealand’s partnerships with iwi, hapū, local communities, government, and industry — all working together towards a future where people live in harmony with nature. As she says, “Change happens through partnership and shared purpose — no one can do this alone.”

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Outside of work, Kayla stays grounded by connecting with nature — whether paddleboarding, running ultra-marathons, or hunting down Wellington’s best scones — activities that reflect her belief in resilience and community. Her guiding whakataukī, Toitū te marae a Tāne, Toitū te marae a Tangaroa, Toitū te tangata (If the land and sea are well, the people will thrive), captures the heart of her vision: sustainability is not only about environmental protection but about supporting human wellbeing as part of a larger ecosystem.

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Read Kayla’s story for Blooming Sustainability and take her wise words to heart — real change comes from respect, resilience, and collaboration.

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BLOOMING  Sustainability Questionnaire

Name: Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb

Company & Title: WWF-New Zealand Chief Executive 

Website & LinkedIn Profile: You can follow Kayla on LinkedIn here

Read more about WWF-New Zealand’s work here

Follow @wwfnz on our socials so we can keep you updated on our work.

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​* Guiding Values | Kaupapa 

If sustainability were a flower blooming in your life, what would it look like? What nurtures it?  

My choice of flower would be a native flowering seagrass, which is part of the Zostera muelleri family.

 

More figuratively, this flower is growing well despite a challenging climate! It’s nurtured by our supporters, our small but mighty team at WWF, and also the inspiring community environmental organisations that we support in partnership with the Tindall Foundation. 

 

However, this flower ain’t growing solo. It’s part of a much bigger garden. Collaboration is one of WWF core values. We know that one organisation alone can’t affect the change needed. The changes we want to see in the world can only come about through the efforts of many, including tangata whenua, eNGOs, business leaders, and progressive government policy.

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A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:  

Toitū te marae a Tāne, Toitū te marae a Tangaroa, Toitū te tangata.

 

If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive.

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If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?  

For the first time in human history, post the industrial revolution, more and more of us have the opportunity to pursue careers that we’re actually passionate about. The concept of a vocation - doing work that you love and which gives your life meaning - is a fairly new idea in human history and, honestly, it is a real privilege. So, this is your time. Do something you care about and find a mission. Ideally a mission that will benefit both people and planet.

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* Leading Change | Arataki

A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:  

Growing up in Canada, I saw first-hand that way successive governments treated Indigenous communities.

 

Chief Elijah Harper’s courageous - and ultimately successful - efforts to oppose the adoption of the Meech Lake Accord (a constitutional amendment package negotiated to gain Quebec's acceptance of the Constitution Act 1982) on the basis of its exclusion of Indigenous rights was a key moment in our history, and one on which I often reflect upon.

 

Ultimately this set the direction for my career, as through grad school I decided to study the interaction of Indigenous law and colonial law within a treaty framework. I later chose to make Aotearoa my home because of the aroha and respect for human rights and cultural difference that is woven into the social fabric of this country.

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What’s the main challenge you face in driving sustainability within your sector?  

Unfortunately, it’s the current Coalition Government’s anti-environment agenda. We understand that a thriving economy is important but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of te Taiao - our natural world. Just one example is the recent Fast-track Approvals Act. It prioritises development above all else, and sets Aotearoa New Zealand on a path to widespread environmental destruction in the name of short-term profit, and primarily for extractive industries. We need to move beyond a myopic approach to driving economic growth and recognise the fallacy in arguing that environmental protections are nothing more than ‘green tape’. In Aotearoa, nature is our greatest asset, and the basis of our economic and wider wellbeing. From a climate resilience perspective, it also happens to be our most critical bit of infrastructure.

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An area you need more support with:  

Like any eNGO, we always need more support - every little bit counts! Whether that be a financial donation, signing our petitions, or liking and sharing our social posts far and wide. We rely on our supporters - thank you to anyone reading who already supports us. We couldn’t do the work we do for nature without you.

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An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:  

Some of the most effective and transformational environmental policy in the past two decades has its genesis in mātauranga Māori. Tangata whenua have important insight into how we can counter the climate and biodiversity crises in Aotearoa. Making space for — and honouring — Indigenous leadership is key to protecting all that we love about being New Zealanders.

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Your best approach for engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about ESG:  

My approach is always collaborative. This is not about shaming businesses, it’s about working together, sharing meaningful information, and partnering to create change.

 

What do you think is Aotearoa’s superpower in creating a sustainable future?  

Our superpower is our people. New Zealanders from all walks of life have grown up with a love of nature. They want to contribute to a sustainable future and many people are very active in their communities - we actually have one of the highest rates of conservation volunteerism globally. There are so many flax-roots conservation groups leading fantastic work across the motu to conserve and restore our native ecosystems and sustain the many precious species that rely upon them - and WWF is proud to have supported many of them since our founding in Aotearoa almost 50 years ago.

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​ * Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki

Books, podcasts, courses or other resources that profoundly shaped your approach to sustainability

A touchstone book for me is Rewilding the Sea: How to Save our Oceans, by Charles Clover. It speaks to the urgent needs to create protected areas in our oceans to allow nature to recover and thrive, and has examples from all over the world - including Aotearoa New Zealand.

 

I also really enjoy listening to ‘Now, That’s What I Call Green’ -  Brianne West’s science and sustainability podcast. Yes this is a shameless plug but you can have a listen to my episode here on Spotify or Apple where I talk about the importance of marine protection and meeting our 30 x 30 target.

 

I also loved Hon James Shaw’s ‘What Happens after What Comes Next’ podcast series. I think it might have been the first time globally that a Government Minister hosted a podcast series - and it was brilliant. James covers a wide range of topics over two seasons, and the line-up of guests is really top notch. (This is another shameless plug, to be honest, because James is now Chair of WWF-New Zealand!)

 

Events in Aotearoa or globally that you think are must-attend:  

I minimise my carbon footprint whenever possible but my work does involve some travel when justified. The UN Ocean Conference is a global forum and aligns strongly with our mission. It only takes place every three years - and it’s a significant opportunity to meet and influence changemakers from around the world.

 

Another highlight is attending the annual Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting with my counterparts from WWF-Australia and WWF-Pacific, where together we meet face-to-face with leaders from across the Pacific. If we're to have a healthy, liveable planet for future generations, advancing regional cooperation on marine protection and climate change in the Pacific is vital.

 

Here in Aotearoa, I think the annual Climate Change and Business Conference run by the Sustainable Business Council and EDS is a must-attend. I’m also looking forward to attending the Sustainable Business Network’s Nature & Business Symposium in August.

 

A sustainable initiative or project in Aotearoa that deserves more attention:  

There are so many incredible projects out there doing important work for sustainability here in Aotearoa. Don’t make me choose!

 

However, I would love to give a shout out to Sustainable Coastlines, which works to reduce plastic pollution to protect our moana. That includes organising beach clean-ups, education, and data collection. There’s also the Love Rimurimu project, which is on a journey to regenerate Wellington’s underwater seaweed forests. WWF has been proud to support both of these projects in partnership with the Tindall Foundation as part of our Community Conservation Fund.

 

Manta Watch New Zealand is doing some really important work to protect oceanic manta rays. These incredible creatures are the gentle giants of our seas. They’re also sentinel species - they can tell us a lot about the health of our ocean including the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana.

 

If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?  

Quite simply, it would be to protect 30% of our ocean. Currently, less than 1 percent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s ocean territory is highly protected and that’s outrageous.

 

In line with New Zealand’s commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target, we have long been advocating for 30 x 30. In other words, we want to see 30% of our ocean area protected by 2030 in Aotearoa New Zealand. By protecting more of our ocean, we can enable marine ecosystems and species to recover and thrive again, improve the long-term resilience of our fisheries, and increase the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon and protect our communities from climate change.

 

The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability: 

Nathalie Whitaker

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* One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:

Easy! You can sign our petition calling on the Coalition Government to take urgent action to protect 30% of our ocean by 2030. While you’re at it, please sign our petition demanding cameras on all commercial fishing vessels too. Link here.

 

With your support, we will continue to hold the government of the day to account, support industry to make nature-positive change, and be a champion for Aotearoa’s precious wildlife and wild places.