Kaitiakitanga means being responsible and accountable for the stewardship and guardianship of the natural and cultural resources that we inherit from our ancestors and that we pass on to our descendants. It also means being aware and respectful of the interdependence and balance between humans and nature, and of the spiritual and cultural significance of the environment. Kaitiakitanga is a way of expressing our commitment and duty to protect and enhance the taonga (treasures) that we have.

At IT Works, we uphold kaitiakitanga in the following ways:

• We use environmentally friendly and sustainable practices and technologies in our work. We minimise our waste by recycling, minimise emissions with an electric/hybrid fleet of company vehicles. We optimise our energy and water consumption.
• We advocate for and facilitate the preservation and rejuvenation of Māori language and customs in our workplace by promoting the use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in our communication and documents. Some staff members also take classes in their own time to enhance their understanding of te ao māori and then pass on what they’ve learned to their colleagues.
• We acknowledge and respect the intellectual property and cultural heritage of Māori and other indigenous peoples in our work.
• We support our customers by providing a free e-waste service where we collect, securely delete data and then re-use or recycle the equipment.