An environmentalist party, it had a focus on water, native species, and sustainable economic growth.

[2] Waitematā Local Board member Vernon Tava came up with the idea of Sustainable NZ in early 2019[3] and the party was launched in November 2019.

After the 2017 general election, National suggested the idea of a National–Green Party coalition government that would have averted the possibility of New Zealand First in government; the idea was immediately dismissed by Greens leader James Shaw.

Sustainable NZ applied for registration with the Electoral Commission on 15 November 2019[9] and was registered on 4 December.

[6] On 18 April 2022, Sustainable New Zealand was listed by Brian Tamaki as one of the parties he was seeking to join The Freedoms & Rights Coalition (TFRC),[18] a proposed umbrella movement of New Zealand minor parties.