Govt rejects CCC’s advice on net-negative 2050 but makes no official announcement
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | The Government has rejected the Climate Change Commission’s advice to strengthen the country’s net zero 2050 target, but appears to have buried the news with its announcement about methane targets last month.
Mounting emissions due to Government decisions
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | The Coalition Government’s climate policies have added a whopping 26 million tonnes of emissions out to 2030, according to new analysis of Government projections.
NZ drops in global climate rankings as govt 'propels country backwards'
Wed 19 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand has fallen to 44th place in global climate rankings, with the country’s climate policy rated “very low” amid widespread rollbacks of environmental protections.
‘We must keep 1.5 alive’ – Minister’s statement to climate summit
Wed 19 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has delivered New Zealand’s National Statement to this year’s United Nations climate summit, affirming the country’s commitment to international climate targets and saying “we must keep 1.5 alive.”
Fast-track rewrite triggers procedural clash in Parliament
Wed 19 Nov 2025
The Government has entangled itself in a procedural dispute as it tries to push amendments to its fast-track regime through Parliament before Christmas.
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.
Words fail to calm carbon price jitters
Tue 18 Nov 2025
While the Climate Change Minister and the Ministry for the Environment have both tried to quell carbon market volatility with soothing words, participants are viewing government actions as speaking louder, and the market remains volatile.
Ministry won’t investigate pre-announcement price drop
Mon 17 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment won’t be investigating a drop in the price of NZUs on the secondary market just days before the government announced a policy change causing carbon prices to plummet.
Carbon price tanks again – call for auctions halt
Fri 14 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The collapse of the New Zealand carbon price is serious enough to consider cancelling further Emissions Trading Scheme unit auctions, says Carbon Match founder Lizzie Chambers.
Carbon price’s dead cat bounce
12 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price rebounded briefly in what looked like a ‘dead cat bounce’ last week, following the Government’s announcement it was unlinking the Emissions Trading Scheme from international climate targets.
COP-and-trade? Tariffs, carbon tax weigh on climate talks
Today 12:00pm
Trade-restrictive measures loom large over this year's UN climate summit, with China pushing for wider market access for its green technologies and major developing economies challenging Europe over its new carbon border tax.
At COP30, focus on wildfire prevention amid record destruction
Today 12:00pm
With wildfires causing unprecedented damage, countries and organisations at COP30 agree to boost community-based prevention.
Artificial intelligence sparks debate at COP30 climate talks in Brazil
Today 12:00pm
At the U.N. climate talks in Brazil, artificial intelligence is being cast as both a hero worthy of praise and a villain that needs policing.
A landmark court ruling looms over US absence at COP30
Today 12:00pm
The historic climate change advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice suggests the United States is violating international law on climate, legal experts say.
China’s top envoy blasts EU climate goals and Trump’s ‘bad example’
Today 12:00pm
The European Union’s new pollution-cutting targets are insufficient, China’s climate envoy told POLITICO on the sidelines of this year’s COP30 conference while also condemning the “bad example” set by the absent United States.
NZ and Iceland collaborate on geothermal energy
Today 12:00pm
Media release: New Zealand Government | New Zealand and Iceland today signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on geothermal energy development.
Climate Leaders Coalition launches next chapter
Today 12:00pm
Media release: Sustainable Business Council | The Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) is this morning unveiling a new Statement of Ambition and refreshed Strategy, marking the next step in business-led climate action in New Zealand – just as COP30 concludes in Belém.
CLIMATE CALENDAR
Today 12:00pm
The Carbon News calendar of talks, events, conferences, consultations, and petitions related to climate change.
Ministers urge decisive methane action as global report shows progress, warns of gaps
Wed 19 Nov 2025
Media release: UN Environment Programme | The Global Methane Status Report, launched on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, shows that while considerable progress has been made since the launch of the Global Methane Pledge in 2021, more work is required to align with the level of ambition and action needed to meet the Pledge.
Aotearoa to host nationwide week of climate action in celebration of AlterCOP30
Mon 17 Nov 2025
Media release | Aotearoa is set to bring the spirit of the global climate summit COP home this November, as climate groups across the motu join forces for AlterCOP30 New Zealand – five days of climate kōrero, creativity and collective action.