About Rata

Hi, we are Sandra and Warren Pringle; the passionate founders of Rata Professional Services. We started Rata in 2009 to support Kiwi businesses in the development of ethical, people-centred growth strategies. 

Since then, we’ve helped a number of well-known NZ importers and exporters to embed sustainability throughout their organisations and secure supply agreements through verified sustainability claims.

Greenwash-free-zone

Sustainable growth requires a holistic approach, one that delivers on all three pillars of sustainability to improve the well-being of people, protect the planet, and generate consistent profit, year after year. What we often see is many well-intentioned businesses investing significant effort into environmental aspects of sustainability without taking the time to embed a culture of sustainability throughout their organisation. This makes any sustainability-related gains short-lived.

We also see too many examples of fancy marketing that, sadly, just don’t stack up upon investigation. Think carbon credits that allow a business to financially offset its emissions, rather than reduce them; or the absence of supply chain transparency. Not only can these ‘greenwashing’ tactics create significant challenges for consumers and the environment, but they can also cause irreversible damage to a company’s brand and reputation if called out.

Whether you’re just starting out on your sustainability journey, or want reassurance you’re on the right track, we can help.

We support your sustainable growth in three ways

Independent audits and evaluations:
We can conduct a full, independent, and confidential supply chain audit to allow you to credibly verify any customer/consumer-facing claims and identify areas/supply partners needing attention. Not ready for a full audit? We can also support you with an evaluation of your current practices and frameworks to help steer your sustainability journey in a winning direction.

Strategic sustainability training:
Our training ranges from introductory 90-minute presentations to more extensive multiple-skill modules, depending on your needs. We tailor our training to support your organisation’s specific goals.

Sustainability certification through:

    • The Rata Sustainable Certification Programme: This Programme has been changing the game for New Zealand businesses since 2017. Our ground-breaking programme is for organisations seeking independent, third-party certification from a neutral authority.
    • The Rata Ethical Business Alliance (REBA): This programme brings together an exclusive group of like-minded businesses whom we guide, advise, and evaluate against a comprehensive list of ethical criteria. The REBA programme focuses on ethics, culture, and values to create future-fit leaders and organisations. Organisations that attain REBA certification are recognised within New Zealand as businesses with a strong ethical character.

“REBA helps companies meet and raise standards”

“It is exciting to see a new initiative that recognises the key ethical opportunities and challenges that face today’s businesses. REBA is a New Zealand-developed programme that will meet and raise the personal, organisational and future outlook and achieve standards that businesses want to strive for and achieve.”

Sue Sheely, Director, SMS Consulting Ltd