‘Shameful’ move to scrap Ministry for the Environment passes
Thu 28 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The curtain has fallen on the Ministry for the Environment after legislation paving the way for its merger into a new mega ministry passed its third reading in Parliament yesterday, with the opposition condemning the move as a major weakening of environmental protection and nature’s voice within government.
Climate health response falling short – report
Thu 28 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s latest National Climate Change Risk Assessment has exposed major gaps in the country’s response to climate-related health risks, with researchers warning current policies are underfunded, poorly coordinated, and failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities.
Huntly biomass option no cheap fix, Genesis tells MPs
Thu 28 May 2026
Genesis Energy says biomass can be burned in Huntly's Rankine units, but current costs put it in roughly the same price range as imported LNG and extra Rankine capacity would be expensive and could take years.
Wetland protections failing to stop losses
Thu 28 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New mapping commissioned by the Environmental Law Initiative shows wetlands across New Zealand are still being converted to pasture, forestry and mining despite stronger national protections introduced in 2020, with researchers warning enforcement gaps may be undermining the rules.
Officials told Govt not to stop climate court case
Wed 27 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Government officials advised ministers not to intervene in a groundbreaking climate court case, according to newly released documents.
CARBON PRICE
Thu 28 May 2026
Exclusively for subscribers, the Carbon News NZU Index tracks daily movements in the compliance carbon market across multiple trading platforms.
‘Fiscal hole’ likely to deepen as another carbon auction looms
Thu 28 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | A broker is picking the NZU price will push towards $60 in the coming weeks on the back of improved confidence, however prices on the secondary market are still lagging well below the auction floor, with the second auction of this year less than two weeks away.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
Aus power prices to fall for most customers, with bigger drops for businesses
Thu 28 May 2026
Surging levels of renewable energy and better reliability from coal-fired generators are set to give consumers a break, with benchmark power prices to fall up to 10 per cent for consumers and more for small businesses.
Europe heatwave 'brutal reminder' of climate change: UN
Thu 28 May 2026
The UN climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was "a brutal reminder of the spiraling impacts of the climate crisis".
Recycling could meet half of Europe’s critical mineral needs by 2050
Thu 28 May 2026
A new report by an EU-funded research project says the bloc could harness its “urban mines” to reduce its dependence on China for energy transition minerals.
Revealed: huge climate cost of harmful emissions from US immigration flights
Thu 28 May 2026
US immigration enforcement flights are producing hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes of climate-damaging carbon emissions as officials shuttle unprecedented numbers of people to detention centers far from home and deport them to countries across the world.
Climate change fueling growth of antibiotic-resistant salmonella
Thu 28 May 2026
Climate change is linked to a 10% global increase in antibiotic-resistance genes in Salmonella, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns could accelerate the spread of hard-to-treat infections.
CLIMATE CALENDAR
Thu 28 May 2026
The Carbon News calendar of talks, events, conferences, consultations, and petitions related to climate change.
Project linking food waste to cutting methane emissions gets underway
Wed 27 May 2026
Media release | Kai Commitment is leading a New Zealand-first project to help understand the connection between food waste and methane emissions and identify effective interventions.
VR tool helps communities plan for a safer, resilient future
Wed 27 May 2026
Media release: University of Canterbury | A newly developed virtual reality (VR) tool could help communities understand flood risks, raise public awareness and give decision-makers clearer information for planning.
Climate action key to affordable housing, but buildings decarbonisation stalls
21 May 2026
Media release: United Nations Environment Programme | Decarbonisation of the buildings and construction sector has slowed, leaving it both a major emissions source and increasingly vulnerable to climate impacts and energy price shocks, according to a new report from the UN Environment Programme and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.
Human health appears unaffected by living near wind turbines
21 May 2026
Media release: PNAS | High-resolution data collected across the United States show negligible evidence of adverse health outcomes tied to wind turbine exposure, a study finds.
