Mātauranga Māori in Power Engineering – Achieving sustainability and zero carbon futures with countries’ indigenous knowledge in design

Abstract

Mātauranga Māori is the knowledge of Māori in New Zealand. It can influence engineering by providing an alternative viewpoint and value system for consideration during initial planning and design such that projects are in line with local sustainability goals. The goal of this research is to investigate current and past works on Mātauranga Māori and how it can influence / interface with power engineering project design towards a carbon neutral and sustainable future. Currently there is no clear guidelines and interface, making conflict resolution between power companies and iwi challenging if a situation arises. If Māori ideas of spirituality and environmentalism can be quantified, communication between engineers / academics and iwi can be refined thereby making the design process more environmentally sustainable.