Sustainability | Ryman Healthcare

Care that reaches far and wide

When Kevin Hickman and John Ryder started Ryman in 1984, it was founded on an ethos of ensuring everything we do must be “It’s got to be good enough for Mum and Dad”.

From our residents, our people, and our wider communities to our environment, our society and our financial sustainability, care sits at the heart of everything we do.

As one of New Zealand’s largest companies, we are taking a leadership position with our first formal sustainability strategy. It reflects our passion to live up to the ethos set out by our co-founders to ensure we are doing our absolute best for the generations to come.

DOWNLOAD OUR STRATEGY

OUR PLACES

We strive to minimise any adverse impact on our communities. We seek to leave the environment in better shape for generations to come.

	Climate change
	Environmental footprint
	Green buildings

OUR PLACES

OUR PEOPLE

Our people are Ryman. We invest in them to enable them to grow, to care for and support our residents, as well as accelerate our business performance.

	Internal leadership and governance
	Health, safety and wellbeing
	Employee attraction, development and retention
	Culture and values

OUR PEOPLE

OUR PURPOSE

Our purpose is our glue. We know that by focusing on our purpose – greater freedom, richer connections and deeper wellbeing for people as we grow older – our business will succeed.

	Indigenous engagement
	Quality care
	Resident experience
	Supplier collaboration

OUR PURPOSE

Climate change

Establish science-based emission targets

We have been measuring our greenhouse gas emissions for several years, refining our approach and reporting our progress publicly. In 2023 we will join an elite group of global companies and be one of only three healthcare providers in Oceania to register with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and establish a verified near-term science-based target. By the end of this first year we will deliver a detailed emissions reduction plan, including milestones to achieve our science-based emissions target.

Quality care

Deliver future-focused dementia design

We understand the criticality of our continuum of care model to our success, and its value to current and future residents. Quality care sits firmly as a material issue. Our goal is to be the exemplars of quality in the aged-care industry; delivering care that is tailored to our residents’ health needs, preferences and rights, and innovating for the future. With the impending tsunami of age-related dementia threatening to overwhelm health systems, sustainable dementia communities will become an increasingly important offering within our model. This coming year we will invest in research and pilot leading dementia design, moving beyond dementia care centres to create dementia-friendly communities.

Indigenous engagement

Enhance indigenous engagement

As a leader in our sector, we have chosen to prioritise our deliberate engagement with indigenous communities in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Our goal is to cultivate meaningful relationships with Ngā iwi Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand and First Nations People in Australia to empower an indigenous perspective across our business model and into all of our services. We are excited to already have our Taha Māori Kaitiaki – Cultural Navigator appointed in Aotearoa New Zealand to help guide us. In Australia, we will focus on developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals remain a critical blueprint for aligning sustainability efforts globally. They help ensure we are addressing the major environmental, social, and economic challenges our world faces.

Ryman’s material issues – Our Places, Our People, Our Purpose – have been mapped to the Sustainable Development Goals. This alignment will help us to better engage with residents, prospective residents, team members, and other stakeholders as we share our progress towards positive and impactful outcomes.

Good health and wellbeing

Health, safety and wellbeing
Culture and values
Resident experience
Quality care

Quality education

Employee attraction, development and retention
Internal leadership and governance

Affordable and clean energy

Climate change
Environmental footprint
Green buildings

Decent work and economic growth

Employee attraction, development and retention

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Green buildings

Reduced inequalities

Indigenous engagement
Culture and values
Internal leadership and governance

Sustainable cities and communities

Green buildings
Environmental footprint

Responsible consumption and production

Environmental footprint
Climate change
Green buildings
Supplier collaboration

Climate action

Environmental footprint
Green buildings
Climate change

Partnerships for the goals

Indigenous engagement
Supplier collaboration
Culture and values

Integrated team approach

In taking an integrated team approach, Ryman has already developed a range of sustainability-focussed initiatives and measures to cut back on our environmental impact. These include reducing our energy consumption and landﬁll waste, improved water management, transitioning our company vehicles to hybrid alternatives, and disposing of surplus items in a sustainable manner.

Our residents are keen to help in any way they can. We have resident teams doing their bit, such as producing rodent and possum traps for the Department of Conservation which help in the campaign to make New Zealand predator-free. Our residents want to make sure we operate in a way that will leave the earth in good shape for their grandchildren and the generations to follow.

Ryman’s business partners are also an important factor in everything we do, and we are regularly talking to them about the measures they can take to help us become more sustainable.

We will hold ourselves accountable to our goals

We are committed to establishing a governance framework that drives delivery of our sustainability strategy. To ensure accountability to all stakeholders, we will establish regular reporting, and invest in the necessary systems and processes to enable that to occur.

Our Sustainability Strategy

Care that reaches far and wide

THE THREE PILLARS

of our sustainability strategy

OUR PLACES

Climate change

Environmental footprint

Green buildings

OUR PEOPLE

Internal leadership and governance

Health, safety and wellbeing

Employee attraction, development and retention

Culture and values

OUR PURPOSE

Indigenous engagement

Quality care

Resident experience

Supplier collaboration

We have identified our key priorities from the ambitious programme of important projects we have committed to.

Climate change

Establish science-based emission targets

Quality care

Deliver future-focused dementia design

Indigenous engagement

Enhance indigenous engagement

Learn more about the three pillars in these videos

OUR PLACES

OUR PEOPLE

OUR PURPOSE

Our alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Good health and wellbeing

Quality education

Affordable and clean energy

Decent work and economic growth

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Reduced inequalities

Sustainable cities and communities

Responsible consumption and production

Climate action

Partnerships for the goals

We are a member of the Sustainable Business Council - working to mobilise New Zealand's most ambitious businesses to build a thriving and sustainable future for all.

Integrated team approach

We will hold ourselves accountable to our goals

Our partnerships

Ryman sustainability news