Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
Gas security fund panel named – but projects still hush-hush
Today 12:00pm
The Government’s $200m Gas Security Fund has attracted interest from “several” entities, but officials are refusing to disclose who is circling or what types of projects are being put forward, leaving the market to take the programme’s credibility largely on trust.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
Wed 25 Feb 2026
The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
Mercury ramps up renewable investment with $1b pipeline
Wed 25 Feb 2026
Mercury is accelerating investment in wind, geothermal and hydro assets, reinvesting $270 million — half its half-year earnings — into new and existing renewable generation.
Biodiversity survey challenges coal mine proposal
Wed 25 Feb 2026
An intensive biological survey at Deep Stream and the Denniston Plateau has revealed rare and at-risk species in areas slated for coal mining, with conservationists saying mining the area could spell extinction for the recently crowned 'bug of the year' – the avatar moth.
CARBON PRICE
Today 12:00pm
Exclusively for subscribers, the Carbon News NZU Index tracks daily movements in the compliance carbon market across multiple trading platforms.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
Minister’s letters: Mildly positive or just virtue signalling?
5 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market was buoyed slightly yesterday, after letters between the Government and the Climate Change Commission were proactively released.
Govt looks to Commission for ways to shore up carbon price
4 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has asked the Climate Change Commission to look at lower auction volumes and an increase in the auction floor price as options to revive the Emissions Trading Scheme, as carbon prices remain weak.
Trump’s plan for rising energy costs: Pump oil, make data centers pay
Today 12:00pm
Energy affordability was in the spotlight during President Trump’s lengthy and at times rambling State of the Union address Tuesday evening as the president promised to bring down electricity prices in an effort to assuage voter concerns about rising costs.
Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall
Today 12:00pm
Three firefighters pulled a man’s body from the mud amid the rubble of houses swept away in a landslide in south-eastern Brazil, where 30 people died and 39 were still missing on Tuesday after torrential rains.
EU countries give final approval to weaken company sustainability laws
Today 12:00pm
EU countries on Tuesday gave their final approval to scale back rules that require companies to address environmental and human rights risks in their supply chains, after months of pressure from businesses and governments including the U.S and Qatar.
Trump slaps 126% solar import duty on India in threat to India-US trade deal
Today 12:00pm
The solar import duty suggests that Trump's “America First” policy remains the priority, even at the expense of an India-US trade deal.
Making it rain: Why more and more countries are turning to cloud seeding
Today 12:00pm
Countries across the globe are increasingly turning to a decades-old weather modification technique as part of a push to control when and where it rains.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
Today 12:00pm
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
UNESCO report: Major blind spot in ocean carbon research could undermine global climate predictions
Today 12:00pm
Media release | A new report by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO reveals a critical lack of understanding of how the ocean absorbs and stores carbon.
CLIMATE CALENDAR
Today 12:00pm
The Carbon News calendar of talks, events, conferences, consultations, and petitions related to climate change.
EDS proposes drafting changes to fix new resource management laws
Tue 24 Feb 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society has lodged its final submission on the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill with Parliament’s Environment Select Committee, including detailed tracked-change drafting to address significant weaknesses in the legislation.
World’s largest A/C firm to open multi-million dollar NZ facility
Tue 24 Feb 2026
Media release: Daikin NZ | A multi-million-dollar Christchurch facility to be opened by the world’s largest air conditioning manufacturer will integrate upcycled climate-damaging refrigerant from end-of-life heat pumps into its operations, preventing it from entering the waste stream.
