Contact: Protected geothermal fields must be opened to meet 2040 goal
Mon 6 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A goal to double geothermal energy generation by 2040 using existing technologies is unachievable unless some protected fields are reclassified for development, Contact Energy says.
Minister warns councils against 'extreme' climate forecasting
Mon 6 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Minister Simon Watts has written to councils warning them off using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can “drive unnecessary costs” for ratepayers.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
Mon 6 Jul 2026
The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.
Labour promises to repeal bill to block climate lawsuits
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government bill aiming to block climate lawsuits passed its first reading under urgency after a heated debate in Parliament last night, with the Labour Party promising it will repeal the bill if elected in November.
Taranaki offshore wind developer eyes mid-2030s commissioning after law change
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The first offshore wind farm in New Zealand could be commissioned by the mid-2030s, with its developer saying a new permitting framework has bolstered investor confidence.
CARBON PRICE
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Exclusively for subscribers, the Carbon News NZU Index tracks daily movements in the compliance carbon market across multiple trading platforms.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
BNZ and Pāmu team up on ‘carbon insetting’ with existing native forests
30 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | BNZ and state-owned enterprise Pāmu (Landcorp) have teamed up on what they say could be a model for landowners to earn revenue from existing native forests, while businesses pay for carbon removals. The organisations involved say this is “not offsetting,” with less stringent rules needed than for carbon credits.
ETS settings: Minister favours biennial cycle, officials prefer annual updates
18 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Ministry for the Environment and the Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, hold differing views on how often emissions trading scheme (ETS) settings should be updated.
NZ biodiversity credits top global rankings
16 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A New Zealand biodiversity credit project has topped global sales rankings, with Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari accounting for 43% of worldwide biodiversity credit transactions in May and adding momentum to the country's emerging voluntary nature market.
Where do the UN secretary general candidates stand on climate change?
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Candidates are being nominated to take over as the UN secretary general, when António Guterres steps down after nearly a decade in the role at the end of 2026.
Canada advances Alberta pipeline to Pacific Coast to expand oil exports beyond the US
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Canada took a step toward opening a new route for its vast oil reserves to Asian markets as Prime Minister Mark Carney advanced a Pacific Coast pipeline from Alberta, seeking to reduce the country’s dependence on the U.S. while easing separatist tensions and preserving environmental protections.
‘Extremely high’ rates of heat-related ER visits in US due to extreme heat
Mon 6 Jul 2026
A deadly, multiday heat wave tightened its grip on the eastern United States on Friday, breaking records, sending people to the emergency room and raising the risk for millions of people.
Wildfires scorch southern France as heat and drought fuel blazes
Mon 6 Jul 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said nearly 7,000 fires have broken out since the start of the summer season, with some 8,700 hectares already burned. “The situation is fairly tense.”
‘But we’re just 1% of emissions’: do smaller countries’ climate efforts matter?
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Past and present leaders of wealthy nations such as UK and Germany have argued their actions are insignificant.
Government supporting Wairarapa farmers after heavy rain
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Media release | The Government is working closely with farmers and rural communities in the Wairarapa to assess the impacts of recent heavy rain, which has damaged local roads and bridges and caused significant erosion on hillside farms.
CLIMATE CALENDAR
Mon 6 Jul 2026
The Carbon News calendar of talks, events, conferences, consultations, and petitions related to climate change.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
New report sounds alarm on risks of unregulated radioactivity from deep-sea mining
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release | A groundbreaking scientific report released today by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign exposes a critical, unaddressed threat to global ocean health: the mobilisation of naturally occurring radioactive materials by proposed deep sea mining operations.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
Wed 1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
