Within two months of being announced, in-person tickets to the Wellington symposium sold out – a strong signal, organisers say, of growing public appetite for a deeper conversation about the converging crises shaping life in Aotearoa, and how to respond.

In response to the demand, organisers have added a free livestream option so people around the country can take part.

“We’ve been heartened by the level of interest,” says symposium organiser Dr Catherine Knight. “The rapid sell-out tells us many New Zealanders are looking for a space to engage honestly with the realities we face – and to explore how we can forge a better future together.”

On Friday 26 June, Victoria University of Wellington will bring together leading thinkers from across Aotearoa for a one-day symposium exploring the “polycrisis”: the interconnected environmental, economic and geopolitical pressures shaping our future.

While climate change dominates much public and media discussion, organisers say it is only one part of a wider planetary crisis. Biodiversity collapse, freshwater and ocean pollution, energy insecurity, geopolitical conflict and food system vulnerability are also converging – with direct implications for everyday life in New Zealand.

“These aren’t distant or abstract issues,” says Knight. “They are already showing up in the things New Zealanders care about most: the cost of living, insurance affordability, food prices, energy costs, and disquiet about what the future holds.”

Recent conflict in the Middle East has highlighted how exposed global supply chains are. Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz affects not only fuel prices, but fertiliser supplies – critical to New Zealand agriculture. At the same time, the closure of vegetable processing plants in Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury has raised serious questions about domestic food production capacity and food security.

“New Zealand often sees itself as food-secure, but our systems are more fragile than many people realise,” says Knight. “We rely heavily on imported fuel, fertiliser and machinery, while also facing increasing climate and ecological pressures at home.”

The symposium is distinctive in its focus on understanding the scale and interconnected nature of the problem before jumping to solutions.

“Without a full diagnosis, we can’t chart the right path forward,” Knight says. “This is about seeing the whole picture clearly – and building the shared understanding needed to respond wisely as a society.”

Speakers will cover climate change, biodiversity loss, energy realities, trade, public finance, food security, public health and the social and economic impacts of insurance retreat. A participatory democracy strand will invite attendees to help shape the conversation beyond the event itself.

Organisers say the goal is simple but urgent: to connect the dots between global disruption and daily life in Aotearoa – and open a meaningful national conversation about what comes next.

The Reality of Everything Symposium
Friday 26 June 2026
Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus, Wellington.

Livestream tickets are free but registration is essential via Humanitix.