Benedict Cumberbatch fronts documentary on nature conservation

The documentary's release aligns with shifting policy in New Zealand. Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard—an Act MP and former Federated Farmers president—announced that the government is building a framework for voluntary nature and carbon markets. The initiative relies on private investment to fund native planting, wetland restoration, habitat protection, and carbon removal projects.

Private Conservation Investment and New Government Frameworks

New Zealand’s new policy relies on private funding to drive ecological restoration. Ten commercial partnerships have already tested how “nature credits” might function locally. These credits are generated by measurable, verified improvements in biodiversity, allowing private investors to purchase them and directly finance ongoing conservation work. The government released official criteria for endorsing these schemes.

When asked about the reliability of measuring biodiversity success, Cumberbatch expressed confidence in the underlying science. “Yes, it really is. The science and metrics are out there,” he told Higgins. He highlighted the efficiency of salt marshes in carbon capture, noting that a salt marsh can capture carbon at a rate up to 30 times higher than a rainforest.

However, the government’s environmental approach faces domestic pushback. Thousands of protesters marched in downtown Auckland to oppose the administration’s proposed Conservation Amendment Bill. Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick has argued against voluntary market-led solutions, stating they lack the grit and accountability necessary to properly tackle climate change.

Personal Ties and On-the-Ground Restoration Projects

Cumberbatch’s advocacy is informed by a personal connection to New Zealand. He spent months in the country in 2020 after arriving in January to star as a rancher in Jane Campion’s film The Power of the Dog. When COVID-19 restrictions struck in March, Cumberbatch, his wife, and their two children completed lockdown in Hawke’s Bay. “It was a very special time, actually,” he says. “We felt incredibly held by you as a culture. We felt held by nature.”

Practical examples of this land management model already exist on the ground. At Tahi, a private restoration project spanning 800 hectares in the Far North, a run-down dairy farm has been converted into a thriving habitat featuring native bush and wetlands. Evan Karaka serves as the kaitiaki, or guardian of the land, at the property. Initiated through philanthropy, Tahi now sustains itself financially through eco-tourism and products like honey and skincare derived from the land.

“It’s about putting the korowai or cloak back on Papatūānuku (earth mother),” Karaka says, noting that workers have hand-planted more than half a million trees, equating to over 500,000 individual stitches in the landscape.

Wetland Restoration and Biodiversity Growth

Restoring wetlands is a critical component of New Zealand’s conservation puzzle. Drainage for pasture, urban development, and pine forests have left the country with only about 10 percent of its wetlands intact. Kaituna Wetland in the Bay of Plenty represents one such area.

Jonnie Hughes, executive producer of How to Live on Earth, spent time filming at Tahi for a separate project. “It’s quite incredible what has happened there,” Hughes says. As native bush regenerated, bird species increased from just 20 two decades ago to 71 today. According to Hughes, birds act as vital seed carriers essential for plant diversity.

Cumberbatch views projects like Tahi as a common-sense evolution in land management. “How’s this for a prediction? People who own land that’s full of nature will become the richest people on earth, because biodiversity is bankable,” he states.

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